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The Progression Scheme

The University of Bradford Progression Scheme is designed to benefit undergraduate applicants whose personal and educational circumstances mean they could be less likely to receive an offer based on our standard entry criteria.

We also offer a range of additional support and opportunities for students from currently underrepresented groups in HE including:

Widening access to Higher Education

We are committed to raising aspirations and widening access to Higher Education, ensuring high-quality education is available to all individuals who have the potential to succeed, regardless of background.

Our Access and Participation Plan (APP) forms a key element of the University's overall strategy. We aim to position the University as a sector-leader in creating and sustaining the necessary conditions for holistic, inclusive learning and development.

To achieve this strategic ambition, we have adopted an overarching system-wide structural equality and inclusion approach to remove barriers within the University and the region to eradicate all access and participation gaps and create equality.

View our full Access and Participation Plans 2020-21 to 2024-25.

Progression Scheme Eligibility

Our Admissions Team will take into consideration a number of contextual factors when assessing applications. Applicants from the below groups will receive an offer which is the equivalent of one A Level grade (8 UCAS points) lower than our standard entry criteria:

  1. Adult learner (21 or over on the first day of term)
  2. Refugee/Asylum Seeker
  3. Care Experienced
  4. From a low participation neighbourhood*
  5. Estranged students
  6. A Young Adult Carer
  7. From an armed forces family
  8. From a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller community

If you are an Adult Learner, a Refugee/Asylum Seeker, Care Experienced, estranged from your family, a Young Adult Carer, from an armed forces family, or from a low participation neighbourhood, you will automatically be identified as eligible for an 8-point reduction, through information provided on your UCAS application form. Please ensure you complete all sections on your UCAS application and provide correct information.

However, if you are from a Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller community, we do not receive this information via UCAS. Therefore, you must provide some form of evidence - for example, you could request a letter from your school/college evidencing that you are part of this community.

Please e-mail progressionscheme@bradford.ac.uk if you have any queries regarding providing evidence.

* You can check eligibility for the low participation neighbourhood criteria using the Office for Students postcode look-up; applicants who have a postcode which is classed ‘Polar 4 Quintile’ 1 or 2, will be eligible for the Progression Scheme.

Amanta's Progression Scheme story

Amanta Cuhaldina is studying MPhysiotherapy in Sport and Exercise Medicine at Bradford. She is one of our many students to have benefited from the Progression Scheme points deduction.

Amanta has excelled at the University of Bradford since she joined us in 2019, becoming a Student Ambassador and being recognised as Ambassador of the Year at the Aim Higher awards in 2022.

Amanta's experience with the Progression Scheme

How to receive a 16-UCAS-point-deduction

If you meet any of the above eight eligibility criteria, you have the opportunity to receive an additional 8-UCAS-point-deduction (maximum deduction of 16 points in total*) by ensuring you complete the below checklist:

*Please note for BSc (Hons) Clinical Sciences, you will only receive a maximum 8-UCAS-point-deduction.

Are you eligible?

Check eligibility criteria above.

If you need to provide evidence of your eligibility (e.g. criteria 5-8), please e-mail evidence to progressionscheme@bradford.ac.uk

Have you attended an Open Day?

Attend an Open Day.

The Open Day you attend must take place between 01 June 2023 - 30 June 2024.

Have you attended a recruitment webinar?

The description of each webinar on the Recruitment Webinars page will include details of whether it is included in the Progression Scheme.

Sign up to a recruitment webinar.

Have you passed the post-webinar task?

The task will be emailed to you within 48 hours of attending the webinar.

Once you have completed all items on the above checklist, you should be eligible to receive a 16-UCAS-point-deduction.

Discover our schedule of forthcoming Open Days, and book your place.

Excluded courses

Please note that the following course is excluded from the progression scheme:

You can not apply a progression scheme points deduction towards an application for this course. However, your points deduction will apply to an application for any other undergraduate programme.

*Please note, for BSc (Hons) Clinical Sciences, you will only receive a maximum 8-UCAS-point-deduction.