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Fair Access

Helping young people from a Fair Access background prepare for Higher Education at RCS

What is Fair Access?

In 2014, the Scottish Government created a group called the Commission on Widening Access (CoWA). It’s job is to help people from the most deprived communities in Scotland to have the same chance of entering Higher Education as someone from the least deprived areas. As a result of CoWA, all Higher Education institutions in Scotland must remove barriers for students who are underrepresented in higher education.  

At RCS Fair Access is a strategic priority and we are deeply committed to it.  We mainly work with those aged 16 – 21+ who are statistically less likely to attend university.  

To be eligible for our Fair Access activity you need to be from a Fair Access background, which means meeting one of the following criteria:   

– Living in a SIMD20 postcode 
– Care-experienced  
– Estranged and receiving no support from their family (whether biological or adoptive or wider family members)

Sometimes we are able to help people in SIMD40 postcodes who are facing other barriers.

* SIMD is the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation as defined by the Scottish Government  

We provide eligible individuals, schools, communities and professionals with a wide range of activity which includes:  

– Outreach 
– Credit rated courses  
– Professional development for teachers 
– Supportive artist and partnership projects 

Our main aim is to help young people from a Fair Access background prepare for Higher Education at RCS. This helps us to ensure wider societal representation at our institution and in the creative industries. 

If you think you are eligible, or know someone who might be eligible, take a look around our webpages to see if there is an activity to suit. 

You can get in touch with us via fairaccess@rcs.ac.uk 

There are three main RCS Fair Access initiatives:

A BEd Music student smiles to a crowd in a school gym. Students holding orchestra instruments stand behind her.

Outreach Programme


Working closely with communities to provide open-access workshops, CLPL for teachers and opportunities for people to engage in drama, dance, music, production and film.

Films

Calendar

View our latest events and opportunities on our calendar:

Student Stories

Publications