Oxford unveils access initiatives

The University of Oxford has launched two initiatives that it hopes will ensure a quarter of its UK undergraduate students come from under-represented backgrounds by 2023.

Opportunity Oxford is aimed at students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, while Foundation Oxford will be open to students who have experienced what the university calls “particularly severe disadvantage or educational disruption”, the university says.

The two initiatives will cater for up to 250 state-school students a year, representing 10 per cent of Oxford’s total UK undergraduate intake. If successful, the programmes will boost the proportion of students coming to Oxford from under-represented backgrounds from 15 per cent to 25 per cent.