What is a contextual offer?
Fair access to Higher Education is hugely important to us at the University of Exeter. It enables social mobility and helps to improve opportunities and life-chances for individuals and their communities. As a result, we aim for our application and recruitment processes to be as accessible as possible. This reflects the commitments the University has made in its Access and Participation Plan.
When we review an application, we take into consideration the context in which applicants have achieved their academic qualifications. If candidates meet certain eligibility criteria, we may make an offer which is lower than our typical entry requirements. This is called a contextual offer.
Eligibility
2025 admissions cycle
You are eligible for a contextual offer at lower grade than our typical entry requirements if you meet one of the criteria below, but please note the application process is competitive and so receiving an offer is not guaranteed.
- You live in an area with low participation rates in higher education (POLAR 4 Quintile 1 or 2) and attend a state school. You can check eligibility using the postcode checker available on the Office for Students webpages. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- You live in an area with low participation rates in higher education (TUNDRA MSOR Quintile 1 or 2) and attend a state school. You can check eligibility using the postcode checker on the Office for Students webpages. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- You live in areas of deprivation (IMD Quintile 1 or 2) and attend a state school. You can check eligibility using the postcode checker. The postcode checker will provide you with an IMD decile score, IMD Decile 1&2 = IMD Quintile 1, IMD Decile 3&4 = IMD Quintile 2, IMD Decile 5 or above = IMD Quintile 3. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- You attend a non-selective State school or college in the South West and Wales as set out in the attached list. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment. These schools and colleges have high concentrations of students who are under-represented in higher education.
- We define you as eligible for Free School Meals. This data will come from the Department for Education data set provided by UCAS (we do not use the UCAS self-declared indicator). Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- You are applying from the SEREN partnership in Wales or The Elephant Group partnership of schools, from IntoUniversity Bristol South Centre, Bridges to HE. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- We define you as a Care Leaver: anyone who has been looked after by the local authority for more than 13 weeks since they were 14, including some time at age 16 or 17. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a three-grade adjustment.
- We define you as Care Experienced: anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked-after background at any stage of their life. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a three-grade adjustment.
- You are a carer, estranged student and/or have parental responsibility. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- You are registered on a specific progression programmes run or managed by the University of Exeter including Exeter Scholars, Realising Opportunities, Sutton Trust Pathways to Law (in person and online), Sutton Trust Pathways to Banking & Finance (online), Mature Access Pathway. You can check details of these on the Exeter Scholars website. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive up to a three-grade adjustment.
- You are seeking asylum, have limited leave to remain and are from a state school (excluding under the EU settlement Scheme), are under ‘humanitarian protection’ or have refugee status. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive up to a three-grade adjustment.
Where programmes have specific subject requirements, grade adjustments may differ to those stated above. GSCE entry requirements remain unaffected by any contextual offer grade reductions. Further details can be found on our course pages.
In all cases, evidence may be requested to support contextual eligibility if the relevant data does not come from a verified source already.
Use our eligibility checker to find out whether you may be eligible for a contextual offer.
We understand that other contextual information may have had an impact on your studies. In these instances, we would encourage you to make us aware of any extenuating circumstances. For further details, please visit our extenuating circumstances webpage.
If you have any further queries with regards to contextual offers, please contact the Admissions team.
2024 admissions cycle
Applicants who meet one of the following eligibility criteria and are made an offer, will qualify for an adjusted offer to that we publish as our typical offer.
- All applicants who live in an area with low participation rates in higher education (POLAR 4 Quintile 1 or 2) and from a state school. You can check eligibility using the postcode checker available on the Office for Students webpages. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- All applicants who live in areas of deprivation (IMD Quintile 1 or 2) and from a state school. You can check eligibility using the postcode checker. The postcode check with provide you with an IMD decile score, IMD Decile 1&2 = IMD Quintile 1, IMD Decile 3&4 = IMD Quintile 2, IMD Decile 5 or above = IMD Quintile 3 or above. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- Applicants we define as a Care Leaver, anyone who has been looked after by the local authority for more than 13 weeks since they were 14, including some time at age 16 or 17. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a three-grade adjustment.
- Applicants we define as Care Experienced, anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked-after background at any stage of their life. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive up to a three grade adjustment.
- Carers, estranged students and those with parental responsibility. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- Applicants eligible for Free School Meals when at School or College. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- Applicants engaged on specific progression programmes run or managed by the University of Exeter. You can check details of these on the Exeter Scholar webpages. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive up to a three grade adjustment.
- Applicants applying from the SEREN partnership in Wales and the Elephant group partnership. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive a two-grade adjustment.
- Applicants seeking asylum, have limited leave to remain (excluding under the EU settlement Scheme), are under ‘humanitarian protection’ or have refugee status. Applicants in this category who receive an offer will receive up to a three grade adjustment.
- Where programmes have specific subject requirements, grade adjustments may differ to those stated above. Further details can be found on our course pages.
In all cases, evidence may be requested to support contextual eligibility if the relevant data does not come from a verified source already.
*SEREN and Elephant group are state outreach partnerships with cohorts identified for enrichment activities and with good WP and often BAME targeting.
Use our eligibility checker to find out whether you may be eligible for a contextual offer.
If you have any further queries with regards to contextual offers, please contact the Admissions team.
