The University of Manchester has released its Access and Student Success Impact Report for the 2023/24 academic year, reflecting the efforts to enhance educational accessibility and support students from under-represented backgrounds.
Described as a “landmark year” for access and success, the 2023/24 academic period saw the University engage with a total of 50,566 students across 1,195 schools and colleges to promote opportunities for future applicants.
To expand both reach and impact, the University launched various initiatives to support students prior to enrolment, including Manchester Young Academics, mA*ths Online, and offer-holder mentoring for 296 prospective undergraduate students.
Additional measures have been introduced to support students once at University, regardless of background.
These include the expansion in financial award values for the Manchester Access Bursary and the Undergraduate Access Scholarship, and the launch of the Black Leadership Programme, which aims to foster professional development opportunities for black students.
As part of these ongoing efforts, over £11 million was distributed to 5,900 students through the Manchester Bursary in the 2023/24 period, aimed at providing “crucial financial aid” for students from lower-income backgrounds.
The Access and Participation Plan (APP), which outlines the University’s comprehensive strategy and institutional priorities for improving access to higher education, aims to continue these efforts.
The APP sets forth six objectives, aiming to increase the proportion of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic minorities, and young carers, whilst also reducing awarding gaps for disadvantaged students to promote equality of opportunity for all.
Scheduled to take effect in 2025, the APP aims to widen university participation by eliminating the barriers to access faced by disadvantaged students.
