Contextual offers

At Bristol we want to attract students from all backgrounds as we believe a student community that reflects our society will benefit everyone.

What is a contextual offer?

Our contextual offer is a grade reduction of up to two grades below the standard entry requirements. We make contextual offers to those from backgrounds who are historically less likely to come to Bristol.

Details of our standard and contextual offer entry requirements are available on course pages. Search our courses.

Could I get a contextual offer?

You may be eligible for a contextual offer if one of the following statements applies to you:

You will be eligible for a contextual offer if you apply from an aspiring state school or college. We consider a school or college to be aspiring if it has low average attainment and progression to higher education statistics.

If you are currently attending school or college and applying for 2025 university entry, you must apply through a school or college listed below to be eligible.

Aspiring Schools and Colleges 2025 cycle (England Wales) (PDF, 1,235kB)

Aspiring State Schools and Colleges for 2025 cycle - Scotland (PDF, 455kB)

Aspiring State Schools and Colleges for 2025 cycle - Northern Ireland (PDF, 450kB)

Aspiring Schools and Colleges 2025 cycle (Isle of Man) (PDF, 113kB)

To be confirmed: Aspiring State Schools and Colleges for 2025 cycle - Isle of Man

If you have finished school or college, you must have attended a school or college on one of the 2024 lists for the 2023/24 academic year to be eligible.

‌Aspiring Schools and Colleges 2024 cycle (England Wales) (PDF, 795kB)

Aspiring Schools and Colleges 2024 cycle (Scotland) (PDF, 166kB)

Aspiring Schools and Colleges 2024 cycle (N Ireland) (PDF, 164kB)

‌Aspiring Schools and Colleges 2024 cycle (Isle of Man) (PDF, 108kB)

We calculate our list of aspiring state schools and colleges based on the latest data available from the Department for Education and the devolved governments for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

‌We use the 'applying from' school code on your UCAS form to determine the school or college you have attended, or if you apply independently we will select the most appropriate school or college from your education history.

Inclusion on the aspiring state schools and colleges list is not a judgement of the quality of the institution. We recognise that many of the schools and colleges on the list have been deemed outstanding in many respects.

You will be eligible for a contextual offer if, at the point of application, you live in an area that has a low rate of progression to higher education according to POLAR4 data. To determine this, we use the home address on your UCAS application form.

You can check whether your address qualifies by entering your postcode into the POLAR checking tool on the Office for Students (OFS) website. Eligible postcodes are those as defined as being within Quintiles 1 or 2 using the POLAR4 metric.

If your address is in a low progression area, you may also qualify for the University of Bristol Accommodation Bursary.

Check your postcode on the Office for Students website

Eligibility for a Contextual Offer at the University of Bristol can be determined via the POLAR4 metric (using the postcode checking tool), alongside several other criteria. Please note that different universities may ascribe contextual offers in different ways.

If you complete an academically focused outreach programme at the University, you will be eligible for a contextual offer. These include:

If you have spent three months or more in local authority care, you will be eligible for a contextual offer. Find out more about the support the University of Bristol provides to care leavers.

Please tick the box in the care questions on your UCAS application. If your reference confirms that you’ve spent three months or more in local authority care, our admissions team will process your application. If not, we’ll ask you to send us some more information, such as an email or letter from your local authority, school/college or other organisation.

The University provides a number of scholarships and bursaries that care leavers and estranged students may be eligible for. Use our funding search tool for a full list of funding support available.

If you have been eligible for free school meals during your secondary education you will be eligible for a contextual offer (from 2023 entry onwards). 

The UCAS application will ask you to confirm if you are or have been in receipt of free school meals but we will check if you were eligible for free school meals via the National Pupil Database in England (or equivalent databases for other UK nations). Alternatively, we will accept a letter from your school confirming your eligibility.

Students in the UK are usually eligible for free school meals if their parents or carers are on a low income or in receipt of certain benefits. Contact your school or college if you are unsure.

The University currently makes contextual offers to applicants who meet one or more of these criteria and are taking A-levels or the International Baccalaureate diploma. Contextual offer levels for these qualifications are stated on each course entry in our course finder.

The criteria by which we make contextual offers are subject to change. Please ensure you check the current eligibility criteria in the year that you are applying to the University.

How to apply

Apply to us through UCAS. If you meet any of the criteria outlined above, you’ll be automatically considered.   

What next?

Search our full list of funding support and check if you are eligibile. Access our virtual resources to explore university learning from home and hear about our outreach opportunities.

If you have any queries relating to contextual offers, please contact the Enquiries Team on +44 (0) 117 394 1649 or choosebristol-ug@bristol.ac.uk.