Introducing the Suffolk Access Champion Scheme
The Suffolk Access Champion Scheme is open to students who have studied in Suffolk and are applying to study a full time undergraduate degree programme at UCS in 2013/14.
Students that meet the criteria listed below are invited to apply to become a Suffolk Access Champion and if successful will work over two years mentoring Year 10 and 11 students to encourage progression on to higher education.
Where possible, Access Champions will be placed in the school where they studied their GCSEs. In the first year they will facilitate 40 hours of structured group mentoring sessions with Year 10 students and in the second year they will e-mentor the same group of students as they progress to Year 11.
In return for their participation in the Scheme, Access Champions will receive a total fee waiver of £8,000; £5,000 in their first year of study and £3,000 in their second year of study.
Eligibility for the scheme
Students must meet the following criteria in order to apply for a place on the Scheme:
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Be a new student to UCS in 2013/14
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Be in the first year of your course
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Be studying full-time towards a Foundation or Bachelor degree
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Paying tuition fees of £7,500 (Foundation degree) or £8,000 (Bachelor degree)
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First generation* in their family to go to higher education
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Be in receipt of part or all of the maintenance/special support grant (students with a household of income of up to £42,600)
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Have studied at a Suffolk Sixth Form, College or Academy (including Great Yarmouth College)
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Have studied a GCSE qualification within the last five years
* First generation means that you are first in your family to apply to higher education. If your parent/guardian/carer has achieved any degree - irrespective of mode of study, type of institution, location of study; you would not meet this criteria. PLEASE NOTE: this is based only on your parent/guardian/carer. You can still be ‘first generation’ if you have siblings who have been to university.
Application
An application form will be available on the Applicant Portal and the closing date for applications is 4 October 2013.
Acceptance onto the scheme
Acceptance onto the scheme will be subject to criteria verification, a DBS (formerly CRB) check and enrollment onto a full time UCS course. Applicants will also be required to attend an interview.
Awards will only be made to successful applicants if they are still in attendance at UCS on 31 May 2014 and successfully complete the year of mentoring.