The Pathway Programme is a year-long programme designed to assist young people starting in the first year of their Sixth Form studies (or other 2-year level 3 qualification) to adapt and transition to university life.  The Widening Participation Unit at Queen's University aims to support those students that are most able, but least likely to attend university.  The Pathway Programme aims to support these students through a range of academic workshops, support resources, bursary awards and a potential grade reduction off their offer for specific courses at Queen's University Belfast.  The programme is focused around 10 subject specific Pathwaysthat eligible students can choose from.  

For the full list of benefits, eligibility criteria and Pathways available, please visit the Student Information section linked here.

Students applying for university must do so through UCAS.  UCAS is an application service through which students are able to apply for universities across the United Kingdom.  It allows students to choose a number of courses at various universities, before making a 'firm' and 'insurance' choice (essentially a first and second choice of courses at the same university or two different universities).

UCAS provide a number of support documents, which can be found on the Parental Support section of their website.

Additionally, a Parent, Guaradian and Carer support document is also downloadable.

They also provide a 90-second guide to applying video which talks you through the application process, along with a number of other topics such as clearing and open days.

Student Finance is the most popular form of payment for university.  When applying for university, students also need to apply separately for Student Finance (through Student Finance NI), and can receive support for living expences (which they call "maintenance" grants and loans) and tuition fees (loans).  Tuition loans are paid directly to the university and maintenance grants/loans are paid three times per academic year, directly to the student's bank account, so students should budget in order to use it most effectively.  You can find more information on Student Finance through our helpful Information about Finance section and on the website for Student Finance Northern Ireland, located here.

Whether your young person wants to live at home, on-campus or in private accommodation, there are a number of things that should be considered when deciding on accommodation. 

At Queen's University Belfast, students have the option to stay in modern Queen's Elms accommodation located on-campus and in the city centre.  Here, students will avail of a number of on-site amenities, such as study areas, social spaces and a welcome desk with staff present to help and support them.  Students will also enjoy the close proximity to campus that Queen's accommodation offers, meaning easier access to the library, study spaces, the Student's Union and to their classes.

You can watch online tours of Elms BT1, Elms BT2 and Elms BT9 now, to see what it is like to live in university provided accommodation at Queen's.