Guaranteed offers

At Bristol, we’re committed to supporting local students and learners return to study with Access to HE courses.

Could I get a guaranteed offer?

You will be considered for a guaranteed offer or a guaranteed interview (for courses that routinely interview, such as Medicine and Dentistry) for 2026 entry if one of the following statements applies to you. 

You will be considered for a guaranteed offer or a guaranteed interview (for courses which routinely interview such as Medicine and Dentistry) if you have a home postcode in a BS, BA1, BA2, BA3, BA5, BA14, or BA15 postcode area and attend/attended a state school.

We use the information provided on your UCAS application form to determine whether you meet this criterion.

If you are a local student, you can check whether you might also be eligible to receive a guaranteed offer at the contextual level.

Please note that meeting this criterion does not guarantee an interview or an offer for any of our Dental Hygiene or Dental Therapy BSc courses. For these courses, you will be considered in line with other applicants as detailed in our Undergraduate Admissions Statements.

 

You will be considered for a guaranteed offer or a guaranteed interview (for courses which routinely interview such as Medicine and Dentistry) if you apply with an Access to HE course. We refer to your qualification type on your UCAS form to determine whether you meet this criterion.

Our entry requirements for the Access to HE Diploma are set at an equivalent contextual level. You can read more about our Access to HE entry requirements. If you are applying as a mature student, you can email the Mature Students team for guidance at mature-students@bristol.ac.uk

The schools of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences routinely interview Access to HE applicants. This interview may include a subject-related test. For these courses, you would be guaranteed an interview. For Access to HE applicants applying without A-level Maths to undergraduate courses in Engineering and Maths, we may require you to sit the Maths Test for Engineering or Maths Test for Mathematics. You would need to meet the required pass mark in order to receive an offer.

Please note that meeting this criterion does not guarantee an interview or an offer for BDT Dental Therapy and BDH Dental Hygiene. For these courses, you will be considered in line with other applicants as detailed in our Undergraduate Admissions Statements.

You will be considered for a guaranteed offer at the contextual level or a guaranteed interview where applicable (for courses which routinely interview such as Medicine and Dentistry) if you have completed one of the following academically focused outreach programmes and you meet any relevant eligibility or entry requirements for your chosen course(s):

  • If you have been eligible for free school meals during your secondary education, you will be considered for a guaranteed offer or interview where applicable (for 2026 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.

To be considered for a guaranteed offer or interview, you must meet one of the above criteria, and:

  1. Apply by the relevant UCAS deadline, or whilst the course is accepting applications through UCAS.
  2. Be taking and/or have achieved qualifications which would enable you to meet the offer which would be made in full, including any English language and GCSE requirements.
  3. Complete the application form in full, and complete all elements of the application process (including any tests or assessment questionnaires where required) to a satisfactory standard.
  4. If your course requires an additional admissions test (for example, LNAT or UCAT) or task (for example, Supplementary Assessment Questionnaire) you must complete this test/task by the appropriate deadline, and score above the threshold. Candidates who score below the threshold will not be considered for a guaranteed offer/guaranteed interview (where applicable).
  5. Be a Home student (UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man).

Please note that applicants eligible for the guaranteed offer scheme who are applying for a course which interviews as standard will be guaranteed an invitation to interview, but will not be guaranteed an offer. Applicants for these courses must have achieved or predicted grades that meet the entry requirements in order to be invited to interview.  Their interview performance, and consideration for an offer, will be assessed on the same basis as all other applicants.

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