This summary explains West Suffolk College’s Access and Participation Plan (APP) for 2025–26 to 2028–29. The plan sets out how we promote equality of opportunity for students from groups that are underrepresented in higher education, in line with requirements set by the Office for Students (OfS).

What is an Access and Participation Plan?

An Access and Participation Plan explains how a higher education provider improves access, supports student success, and reduces outcome gaps for students who are less likely to participate in or complete higher education.

Key focus areas

Our plan focuses on improving outcomes for groups of students who, data shows, experience lower outcomes compared to their peers at West Suffolk College. These groups include:

• Students from areas with low participation in higher education
• Students with a disability, including physical disabilities, mental health conditions and learning difficulties

Fees we charge

The maximum tuition fees charged at West Suffolk College are:

First degrees

• £8,500 per year for full-time students
• £4,250 per year for part-time students

HNC/HND courses

• £6,360 per year for full-time students
• £4,240 per year for part-time students

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Financial help available

We provide a range of financial support to help students from underrepresented groups access higher education and continue their studies. This includes:

• US Bursary – Up to £750 per academic year for students with a household income below £25,000
• Learning Difficulty Diagnostic Assessment Bursary – Support to fund the cost of a learning difficulty assessment, where eligibility criteria are met
• Student Hardship Fund – A means‑tested, one‑off payment for students facing financial hardship

Information for students

Prospective students are given information about fees and financial support through open days, our website and email communications.

Current students receive information via induction, personal academic and pastoral tutors, the student newsletter and our physical and virtual student hubs.

What we are aiming to achieve

Our overall aim is to support access to higher education and ensure equality of opportunity for all students. Our key objectives are to:

• Increase applications and enrolments from students living in areas with low participation in higher education
• Improve continuation, attainment and progression for students with additional learning needs, disabilities or mental health difficulties

How we are addressing risks to equality of opportunity

We are delivering a range of targeted activities, including:

• Targeted advice and guidance, such as outreach and “Explore Your Options” events
• Data‑informed outreach to focus activity where it is needed most
• Personalised academic and pastoral support, including the Student Support Framework and Get Ahead and Career Ahead modules
• Early intervention, through a Student Review Panel to support students at risk of disengagement
• Financial support, including bursaries, hardship funding and help with Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA)

How students can get involved

Students help shape the Access and Participation Plan through:

• Student surveys and feedback
• Course committees and student representatives
• Higher Education Student Voice Forums
• Feedback on new initiatives such as enrichment activities and the Student Hub
• Opportunities for future alumni involvement in mentoring and outreach

How we measure success

We take a whole‑provider approach to monitoring and evaluation across Eastern Education Group. We use a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, aligned with the OfS Standards of Evidence, to understand what is working and where improvements are needed.

Contact information

For more information about the Access and Participation Plan, please contact:

Lisa Hunt
Email: universitystudies@easterneducationgroup.ac.uk
Telephone: 01284 716 391