NU Entry

NU Entry has been designed to support students throughout the two years of their sixth form or college studies on their journey to university.

The first year of the programme consists of a number of elements designed to support your exploration of university choices, development of key skills for undergraduate study and begin application preparation. During the year there will be a variety of faculty events and online webinars/activities to support you to explore university and the wide variety of subject choices. With a number of these sessions on offer and you only needing to attend two, this allows you the opportunity to tailor this part of the programme to your interests, although you can attend more sessions if you wish. The on campus conference is a fantastic opportunity to meet some current Northumbria University students, to find out more about the university and begin preparing for your university applications. The NU Entry conference will also provide you the opportunity to learn and develop some of the key skills required for undergraduate study, such as team work and communication. The NU Entry conference will also support the beginning of your research essay, the last component of the first year of the programme. By undertaking a research essay, on a subject area chosen by you, with support from the NU Entry team, you will be able to develop key academic skills and learn more about an area of interest, all of which can be excellent examples for university applications. 

The second year of the programme continues the application support before moving onto supporting your transition to university and study skills. All elements of the second year programme are optional. This is to allow you to access the support you feel you will benefit most from, while ensuring you can focus on the final year of your level 3 studies.  

Students who complete the first year of NU Entry, will earn 16 NU Entry points, which are equivalent to UCAS tariff points when applying to Northumbria University.

To take part in NU Entry, you must first complete our online application form. Following a successful application, in your first year of sixth form/college you will then need to complete any combination of 2 online webinars/activities or faculty events from our programme, attend our NU Entry conference on campus and complete a research essay on your chosen subject area of interest, to earn NU Entry points. In second year of sixth form/college you are then able to benefit from an optional programme of support throughout the year.   

First year of sixth form/college

• Monday 5th September 2022 @  09:00 – NU Entry applications open

• Friday 27th January 2023 @ 17:00 - NU Entry applications close.

• By end of W/C 6th February 2023 - Applicants informed of outcome of application.

• February - July 2023: Programme of online webinars, activities and events. Students must complete 2 of these throughout the year for NU Entry points. The programme will be shared with successful applicants.

• 14th or 15th July 2023 – NU Entry Conference on campus. Attendance is compulsory for NU Entry points. Successful applicants will be informed of the day they are allocated.

• By 14th August 2023 @ 09:00 - Submit research essay on chosen subject. Further information and support with this essay will be provided to successful candidates through the course of the programme. Submission of this essay to a satisfactory standard is required for NU Entry points.

• Monday 4th September 2023 - Students informed of outcome of NU Entry essay and subsequently if NU Entry points are awarded.

Second year of sixth form/college

During the second year of sixth form of college, NU Entry students have access to a programme of support to assist with applying to university and preparing for the transition. The second year of the programme is optional to allow you to access the support you feel you would most benefit from, alongside balancing the final year of your level 3 studies. 

Students must meet all the following criteria:

• You are currently in your first year of sixth form or college (Year 12 in England, Year 13 in Northern Ireland). 

• You have English Language and Maths GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above. If you do not currently have these, you can still take part in NU entry, but must obtain the required GCSE results, or equivalent, by the summer results period before you are due to start your course.

• Be recognised as having 'home fee status'.

• If you’re a UK or Irish national or have ‘settled status’ (no restrictions on how long you can stay) and; you normally live in England and; you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 continuous years before the first day of your course, apart from temporary absences such as going on holiday, you will have home fee status.

• There are several other residency statuses which would make you eligible. These can be checked on the student finance website under the “your nationality or residency status”.

• If you are an asylum seeker or have limited leave to remain, or discretionary leave to remain and therefore do not currently have home fee status, you can still take part in NU Entry, but will need to have been home fee status by the summer results period to receive the 16 NU Entry points upon successful completion of the programme.

Students must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

Care experienced – Anyone who has previously been in care, for any period of time, under the age of 18. This care may have been provided in many different settings, including: living with foster carers; living in a residential children's home; being looked after at home under a supervision order; living with friends or relatives in kinship care (either through a formal arrangement, such as a Special Guardianship order, or an informal arrangement without local authority support).

Estranged - A young person aged 18 to 24 who has no communicative relationship with either of their biological/adoptive parents and they do not expect the situation to be reconciled.

Young Adult Carer - A person aged 14-25 who has sole or shared responsibility, unpaid, to care for a friend or family member who has an illness, disability, mental health illness or addiction who could not manage without their support. Please note this does not include normal, day to day, parental responsibilities.  

Live in a neighbourhood with a low progression rate to Higher Education. Check your neighbourhood progression rate by using the postcode checker. You are eligible if either of the following applies when you search your home postcode (you do not need to meet both):

If your POLAR4 young participation quintile is identified as 1 or 2, you will be eligible to apply to the scheme.

OR;

After searching your postcode, click view detailed results and if your TUNDRA MSOA quintile is identified as 1 or 2, you will be eligible to apply to the scheme. (This only applies to applicants living in England).

First generation to go to university -  First generation to go to university means that neither of your parents have been to university and got a degree. You count as being first generation to go to university even if the following people have gone to university: your foster parents, your care workers, your brother or sister, your biological parents (if you're adopted), or a parent with whom you’ve had no contact with during your secondary and post-16 education.

Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic – Students from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic origin.

Entitled to or in receipt of free school meals and/or discretionary payments and/or 16-19 bursary at any point during the last six years.

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showmen or Boater – This term encompasses a wide range of individuals who may be defined in relation to their ethnicity, heritage, way of life and how they self-identify. This includes: English or Welsh Romany Gypsies, European Roma, Irish Travellers, Scottish Gypsy Travellers, Showpeople (such as people linked with fairground or circus professions), people living on barges or other boats, people living in settled (bricks and mortar) accommodation or New Age Travellers.

Disability, dyslexic or specific learning difficulty - Applies if you have a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long term effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities. A disability, long term health condition, mental health condition, or a specific learning difficulty (SpLD).

LGBTQ+ - A student who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or other non-heterosexual orientations/identities and students who identify as transgender (trans), non-binary and other gender diverse identities.

Service child - a person whose parent or carer serves in the Regular Armed Forces, or as a Reservist, or has done at any point during the first 25 years of that person’s life.

Refugee – Your claim for asylum has been recognised and you have been granted official refugee status.

Asylum Seeker or someone who has been granted limited leave to remain or discretionary leave to remain – You are in the process of seeking asylum, or the decision is still pending, or you have been given permission to stay temporarily in the UK.

Applications for this year's scheme are now closed and will reopen in September for 2023. 

If you are applying to Northumbria University, you will need to make us aware that you completed NU Entry and supply us with some additional information to support us to add your NU Entry points to your record.A short form will be uploaded to this page in due course, allowing you to submit this information. 

Please note this will be crosschecked against our list of NU Entry students who successfully completed the first year programme in summer 2022 before NU Entry points are added to records for September 2023 entry.

If you have any questions or problems, please get in touch with the NU Entry team on bc.nuentry@northumbria.ac.uk.

 

 

 

By submitting the application form the applicant is signing to say they have read, understand and agree to the Terms and Conditions detailed below:

• Northumbria Staff are committed to supporting and guiding students through the NU Entry Scheme and we therefore expect the same high level of commitment, dedication and enthusiasm from all participating students, so that they can earn the benefits associated with the scheme and get the most out of the experience.

• Northumbria University will use its reasonable efforts to support students who are not able to complete all compulsory elements of the scheme due to circumstances not within their reasonable control including: access to online sessions; serious illness; bereavement or similar. Any mitigating circumstances should be communicated to Northumbria University as soon as reasonably practicable to the NU Entry team via bc.nuentry@northumbria.ac.uk.

• Northumbria University are currently reviewing its support package for any student unable to pay for the travel for compulsory on campus elements of the scheme and will use all reasonable efforts to support.

• Northumbria University will consider applications made by NU Entry students through UCAS, and make suitable candidates a standard conditional offer, admitting students who satisfactorily fulfil all aspects of the conditional offer. The award of NU Entry points is made entirely at Northumbria University’s discretion.

• Northumbria University is under no obligation to make any form of offer to students who have participated in the NU Entry Scheme, and participation in the NU Entry Scheme in no way constitutes any form of guarantee, promise, indication or agreement that a student will be made an offer of any kind to enrol on any form of course offered by Northumbria University.

Students must be aware of the following:

• Students who successfully complete all compulsory elements of NU Entry in the first year of the scheme will earn 16 NU Entry points, which will be accepted as the equivalent of 16 UCAS Tariff points at Northumbria University.

• Students must meet all the requirements set out in their conditional offer.

• Please note that NU Entry points are not taken into consideration with Foundation programmes and ALL extended degrees.

• Students wishing to use their NU Entry points to apply for a degree apprenticeship should note this will need to be discussed with the degree apprenticeship recruiter and will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the employer. The NU Entry team will be able to support with explaining the scheme and its benefits to any recruiter.

• Students who successfully complete the compulsory elements of NU Entry in year 12 and subsequently decide to repeat year 12, must inform us of this via email to bc.nuentry@northumbria.ac.uk by 31st October 2022 in order to carry their NU Entry points to the following UCAS application cycle.

• Students holding NU Entry points are only able to defer application to Northumbria University for one year only.

• NU Entry students who are using NU Entry Points to meet the course entry requirements at Northumbria University must have applied through UCAS by 18:00 on 30th June 2023 and once any offer has been made, place Northumbria University as their firm choice to guarantee their points will be taken into account. Any students applying after this date including through clearing or placing Northumbria as their insurance choice should still make Northumbria University aware they have completed NU Entry via email to bc.nuentry@northumbria.ac.uk and Northumbria University will use its best efforts to honour your NU Entry points, but this will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the course.

• Northumbria University reserves the right to withdraw any offer of NU Entry points should a student not place Northumbria University as their firm choice.

• Northumbria University reserves the right to withdraw NU Entry points should a student breach the Code of Conduct under the serious incidents of misbehaviour.

• Any NU Entry student who is an asylum seeker or has been granted limited leave to remain or discretionary leave to remain, must have home fee status by A-level results day in order to use their NU Entry points.

• Students can only achieve a maximum of 16 points from all of our supported entry schemes and any other access initiative combined. Even if students complete multiple programmes, Northumbria University will only be able to consider a maximum of 16 equivalent UCAS tariff points.

For further information or any questions related to the scheme, including support with applications, or staff looking to book an NU Entry introduction session for their students, please contact our dedicated NU Entry team here.