Challenging circumstances

If you tell us about challenging circumstances you have faced, we will review these with your application.

We are committed to supporting young people whose education has been impacted by challenging circumstances. 

You should ask your UCAS referee for advice on how to tell us about challenging circumstances which are not part of the factors we assess when making widening access offers. 

We will review recommendations from your UCAS referee on a case-by-case basis. Such recommendations should describe the impact of challenging circumstances on your educational experience and opportunities. 

Examples of challenging circumstances affecting your learning experience may include:  

  • having significant caring responsibilities (i.e.: giving emotional or practical care to someone who would not be able to look after themselves otherwise)
  • disability or severe illness 
  • mental health conditions
  • lack of educational opportunities within relevant subject areas 
  • sexual or gender identity 
  • bereavement 
  • belonging to an ethnic minority group

Your UCAS referee should include any relevant information in the reference they write for you about your challenging circumstances. They may also want to contact us directly or send supporting information. We need to receive this information before the UCAS deadline.

Admissions policies and procedures

How to send us supporting information

You should send supporting information by email where possible. 

Email: futurestudents@ed.ac.uk  

Make sure your email includes: 

  • your UCAS identification number, or 
  • your University of Edinburgh Universal User Name (UUN) 

If you can't email us, use our online enquiry form to let us know, and we can discuss alternative ways of sending the information. 

Submit an enquiry 

 

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