Mature students – getting ready to start your course
Once you’ve made the decision that HE is right for you, you might start thinking about how you’re going to prepare to study at university or college.
Information and advice pages
Mature students – getting ready to start your course
Once you’ve made the decision that HE is right for you, you might start thinking about how you’re going to prepare to study at university or college.
Mature students: five things to include in your personal statement
The personal statement is your opportunity to talk about you, and why you want to enrol on a particular course. Applying to university if you’re 21 or over isn’t unusual, but how can you best make that life experience shine through?
Mechanical engineering 2026 personal statement guide
Engineer a personal statement that’s well designed, suits its purpose, and tells admissions tutors something about you as a prospective mechanical engineering student.
Media studies 2026 personal statement guide
Whether you’re obsessed with the cinematography of Wes Anderson or you’re a CapCut creative, get across your interest, enthusiasm, and existing experience for a compelling media studies statement.
Medicine 2026 personal statement guide
If you want to join the medical world professionally, you’ll need more than a spoonful of experience and the right dose of research to write the perfect personal statement.
Midwifery 2026 personal statement guide
Tell admissions tutors why you want to become a midwife, your existing insight into the role, and evidence the skills you have that midwives need. Add a bit of personality and you’ll ensure you stand out for a place on a midwifery course.
Music 2026 personal statement guide
Whether your musical interests lie in performance or music history, think engaging, detailed and relevant to strike the right note with music admissions tutors.
Next Steps: What is the experience of young adult carers in education?
In its latest report in the Next Steps series, UCAS, with support from the Carers Trust, uses brand new insight collected from the new set of widening participation questions on the UCAS application to examine the educational experiences of young adult carers.
Nursing 2026 personal statement guide
Qualifying as a nurse opens up a wide and diverse range of career paths. However, the selection criteria will be quite rigorous, so you’ll need to show you fit the bill.
NVQs
Facts about NVQs: what's involved in studying them, how they are assessed and how long they take to complete.
Optometry 2026 personal statement guide
Visualise what admissions tutors want to know about you, your knowledge and your experience, and how that makes you suitable for an optometry degree.
Other funding for full-time students
Depending on what and where you choose to study, you may be eligible for additional sources of funding. Content provided by Student Finance England.
Outreach Connection Service adviser guide
Discover tailored Outreach Connection Service opportunities for your students in the adviser portal.
Outreach Connection Service provider information
This page provides information to support providers with uploading and sharing their activities.
Outreach Evaluator
Make the most of Outreach Evaluator to track groups of individuals into the higher education system using our data. Get evidence of return on investment for brand awareness, engagement, widening participation and outreach activities.