Widening Participation

As a department, Chemistry is committed to ensuring that students from all socio-economic backgrounds can access study and thrive academically during their time at York.

We currently monitor the educational background of our undergraduate students, and benchmark this against other Russell Group institutions. Significantly more of our students have been educated in state schools than the Russell Group average.

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Alternative Offers for Study

The Department of Chemistry has introduced a flagship Widening Participation scheme, Exploring Everyday Chemistry, to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds engage with HE study. This applies to students who:

Live in an area with low progression to higher education (based on the POLAR3 data on their UCAS application - POLAR 1 or 2 qualifies)
Successfully complete the free-to-access Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Exploring Everyday Chemistry

Having met both of the criteria above, these students receive an alternative offer for entry to study an undergraduate Chemistry degree at York, equivalent to:

One A level grade below our normal offer and, for example, converting an AAB offer to ABB but retaining the requirement for an A grade in Chemistry
1 point below our normal offer in the International Baccalaureate Diploma and, for example, converting a 35 point offer into a 45 point offer but retaining the requirement for grade 6 in HL Chemistry

For further information, please contact Dr Will Unsworth, Undergraduate Admissions Tutor: chemistry@york.ac.uk

Post-16 Widening Participation activities

In addition to the departmental scheme, the University of York offers a range of Widening Participation schemes to 16-18 year old students. Current collaboration schemes and programmes include:

Next Step York
Realising Opportunities
Pathways to STEM
Exploring Everyday Chemistry

Professor David Smith from the Department of Chemistry is Academic Chair of the University of York Widening Participation Scheme. Eligibility for these schemesvaries, please see individual schemes for further details, but they aim to encourage fair access and social mobility of students from under-represented groups. Eligible students do not pay for access and benefits of the schemes include:

On campus residential course
Academic workshops
Studentlife sessions
Mentoring support

On completion of the Pathways to STEM and Next Step York programmes, students will have the opportunity to complete a subject-focused academic assignment. This could be used as an alternative offer for entry to an undergraduate degree at the York which is equivalent to:

Up to an equivalent of two A level grades below the normal offer
2 points below in the International Baccalaureate Diploma
1 grade below in a BTEC National Diploma

Students will need to make York their firm choice in order to access the alternative offer.

In addition to working with students aged 16-18, the University has a number of schemes to enthuse and inspire talented young people from all backgrounds about higher education. The Department of Chemistry is highly engaged in these programmes, which are co-ordinated in the department by Dr Annie Hodgson our Schools Liaison and Outreach Officer.

Bursaries and Scholarship Support

The University of York offers a number of bursaries to students with low household income.

The Department of Chemistry offers around twenty scholarships overall – several of these support the department's key commitment to providing the best possible educational experiences for students from a diverse range of backgrounds:

The Roy Fenton Scholarship, worth £2000 per year, during Year 1 to the best performing student in their first set of university exams, who comes from a disadvantaged background and is not already in receipt of a departmental scholarship.

Hardship Funding

Students can apply to the following hardship funds provided by the University if they find themselves in unexpected financial difficulties:

University Hardship Fund for UK students
International Students Hardship Fund for EU and international students

There is an assessment process, which asks for various pieces of evidence in support of the application.

Grants from the hardship funds do not need to be paid back.

Further Information

University of York: Access and Participation Plan 2019/20
The Sutton Trust is a foundation which improves social mobility in the UK through evidence-based programmes, research and policy advocacy. In particular, they have provided evidence that comprehensive school students with one-to-two grades lower A-level grades than privately educated pupils, actually perform equivalently at university.