Colleges and sixth forms

Support for partner sixth forms, colleges and parents  

Our outreach team supports teachers, advisers, parents and carers, all of whom help shape young people’s decisions about higher education. 

We offer visits, advice, training (CPD) and a wide range of courses for teachers and advisers to help year 12 and year 13 students to consider university as an option – from choosing what to study to applications and finances. This includes information on changes in higher education, admissions and entry requirements, the UCAS process, and student funding and finance.

We run events on campus and online, including:

• post-16 talks – talks and workshops delivered at partner sixth forms and colleges
• subject tasters – taster activities and subjects days at our campuses
• summer schools – residential, non-residential and online summer programmes
• open days and campus visits – open to all prospective students.

We also run a series of talks for parents and carers designed to help support young people as they make their decisions about going on to university.

To book onto events or for more information, please visit our events page.

Benefits of our programme 

Benefits for schools and colleges

We offer teachers and advisors at our partner schools and colleges a range of support:

• up-to-date information on changes in higher education, entry requirements, UCAS and student finance
• ongoing support, advice and training (CPD) for staff who advise on progression to higher education
• activities that we can tailor to your school or college
• guidance on reference writing
• a partnership valued by the OFSTED inspection process.
• direct support with Gatsby Benchmark 7. By the age of 18, all students considering applying for university should have made at least two visits to universities to meet staff and students.

For more information, see our list of upcoming HE fairs and exhibitions.

Benefits for parents and carers

We support parents and carers of young people at sixth form or college through:

• evening events offering information, advice and guidance about university
• family university taster days, so parents and carers can explore university life on campus with their child
• seminars about student finance and applications
• email newsletter and notifications of upcoming events and visits

You'll find more information about this on our page for parents, carers and guardians.

Widening Participation 

In addition to our outreach offer, we provide opportunities to students from backgrounds under-represented in higher education to support their progression to university. 

Who we support
We work with our partner schools and colleges across Sussex and beyond to raise the aspirations of students living in postcode areas where people are less likely to go to university.

We welcome students to join our programme if they:

• are in care or have been in care before
• have lost contact with their family. Often referred to as estranged, but not in the care of the local authority
• have a diagnosed disability (including a learning disability)
• are a young carer
• receive the 16–19 bursary, or received free school meals or pupil premium at secondary school
• are a refugee or asylum seeker
• are studying an Access to Higher Education course or are a mature student.

Registering for the programme will give you priority access to our events. Students can apply using this application form.

What does the Widening Participation programme include?

We offer events, activities and support on campus and online, including:

• taster lectures, workshops and campus visits
• summer schools
• one-to-one support with writing personal statements
• help in preparing for interviews
• advice and seminars on applications, entry requirements, finance
• advice on the wide range of university courses
• parents evenings
• updates on upcoming events and visits.

If you have any queries, get in touch at outreach@brighton.ac.uk.

Get in touch 

Contact the outreach team

• General outreach enquiries, email outreach@brighton.ac.uk or call 01273 641043. 
• If you know who you are looking for, visit our meet the team page

Enquiries team

• Call the university enquiries team on 01273 644644​, or they're available on live chat on www.brighton.ac.uk​

Chat to a student​

• Our students are also available to chat online www.brighton.ac.uk/chat

Follow us online

• Youtube: University of Brighton channel
• Twitter: uoboutreach
• Facebook: universityofbrighton
• Instagram: Uniofbrighton
• The student room

For full information on how we collect your data, please take a look at our privacy notice.

Why go to university? 

Our team helps students to explore the options university opens up to them and how it can help their career and their future.

• Qualifications: a degree will be an essential requirement for 54% of jobs by 2024 (UK Commission for Employment and Skills).
• Earning power: average salary for graduates aged 25–30 is 30% higher than non-graduates (UCAS).
• Skills: a degree provides transferrable skills – communication, research, technical and IT skills.
• Independence: learn to think for yourself and organise your working life.
• Student life: it's not all about work – it’s fun! Meet students from around the world, join clubs and societies, and make friends for life.
• Student loans: costs may seem daunting but graduates only pay back loans when they earn over £26,575. The average monthly repayment on a salary of £30,000 is just £26 per month.

Deciding what to study 

The choice of which course and subject to study at university is one of the most important decisions for any student, and with such a vast array of options, it can be difficult to navigate.

Our team can help advise on the different university subjects, courses and career paths. They can also advise on which subjects at post-16 level are preferred for those pathways. 

The subject taster days and summer schools are just some of the activities that can help students in this decision. For more information, please visit our events page.

You will also find it useful to explore our subject areas to discover which courses may be most appropriate for particular students.

How do applications work? 

Our application timeline includes key information on every stage of a student’s journey, from apply for funding through to the first week of term.

UCAS dates
The main UCAS deadline is mid-January, but students can apply for courses that still have places until July. If a student has used all five choices on UCAS and is not holding any offers, they can add more choices through UCAS Extra from February to June.

At Brighton we hold interviews and make offers from the autumn term onwards. If students have applied before the mid-January deadline and not heard from us by the end of February it’s best to contact our admissions team.

Personal statements and references 

Personal statements are an important opportunity for students to communicate their strengths. They help university admissions tutors consider applicants as an individual and see more than just their grades. Admissions tutors consider each personal statement against course criteria, and value statements that are: 

• carefully considered
• well-structured, well-written and succinct
• analytical and reflect on their experiences and what they have learnt through them
• enthusiastic and demonstrate commitment
• individual, but not too different.

Things personal statements should include:

• reasons for choosing the coursework experience
• career aspirations
• skills and abilities and how these relate to the course
• positions of responsibility
• interests and hobbies
• gap year plans.

For courses which have interviews as part of the application process, the personal statement forms the basis of the interview questions.

It’s important that your students know they shouldn’t copy chunks of information from other places. Universities take plagiarism seriously and use software to detect it.

Academic references 
Academic references give a clear and personal insight into the student’s motivation, commitment and personal strengths.

A reference should include:

• academic achievement and potential, including predicted results
• extenuating circumstances
• suitability for higher education and their chosen course
• evidence of their commitment to their chosen profession
• personal attributes
• how they have contributed socially and academically to their college or school
• other relevant interests.

What makes a good reference?

A good reference:

• is specific to the student and the school, not general and bland
• mentions the challenges the student may have faced (eg dyslexia) and the strategies they have adopted to deal with them
• demonstrates the referee understands the demands of the course the student has applied for
• is written by one person for consistency. Individual subject tutors can provide in-depth information and give insight into why the student wants to follow a particular career choice
• provides evidence of the claims made by the student in the personal statement and adds to them, rather than repeating facts the student has already covered
• gives explicit examples that support the attributes the student has – eg motivation, enthusiasm, punctuality, reliability, ability to work in groups and independently
• is honest about a student's physical and mental health.

UCAS Extra and Clearing 

UCAS Extra runs between February and June. If a student has applied through UCAS, they can apply for one additional course at a time through Extra. UCAS contact students directly if they are eligible.

Every year thousands of students who do not achieve their predicted grades find alternative courses through the UCAS Clearing process.

Students can apply through UCAS Clearing 2020 from 1 July onwards, although many apply immediately after A-level results in August.

Finance 

For a first undergraduate degree, students can receive a non means-tested tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan for accommodation, travel and other costs.

Graduates only start to pay back a loan after finishing studying and only when earning over the repayment threshold, currently £26,575 a year. The average monthly repayment on a salary of £30,000 is £26 per month.

It's a good idea to consider student loans as early as possible in the application process, and apply for student finance before an offer has been confirmed.

Government funding is available for specific courses and for students in certain circumstances. You can find out more on the Department for Education's bursaries website.

At the University of Brighton we offer undergraduate students financial support through means-tested bursaries and scholarships to help with living costs or tuition fees. Find out more about bursaries and scholarships.

Our My finances section of the website shares useful advice, and tips from our students, on money matters.

Online advice for students 

We have online advice for students about applying, studying at the University of Brighton, entry requirements and support for care leavers studying with us.

With so many courses on offer, an important decision is which course to apply for. We have general advice on the deciding what to study area of our website as well as some of the reasons to choose Brighton and join our inclusive student community.