Supporting inclusive continuing and higher education

General information about higher education

Information for specific groups

Learners from minority ethnic groups

Refugees & asylum seekers

Disabled learners

Learners with specific learning difficulties

Learners with mental health problems

Learners from rural & coastal areas

Vocational learners

Young offenders & ex-offenders

Young people in care

Young offenders and ex-offenders

If you're still in prison or a young offenders’ institution, ask about courses and training. There should be resources and staff to advise you. Make a start and don't leave it until you're released. Some prisoners can go to college, do training or study on day release. If you’re on probation, talk to your probation officer and Connexions.

Things to think about when choosing a course:

• Further education (FE) colleges do not ask applicants to declare their convictions. This is because FE colleges don't leave students unsupervised on work placements. However, it's not a good idea to do a course in teaching or childcare if you have convictions, as you wouldn't be able to get a job in those areas.

• When you apply for a higher education course through the Universities and Colleges Application System (UCAS), the UCAS application form has a question about criminal records on it. This is to prevent people who have relevant convictions from studying courses leading to jobs where they would not be able to be employed, such as teaching, health care and social work. If you apply for these courses you have to declare any criminal convictions, including spent sentences, reprimands and warnings. If you've got any questions you should contact the university running the course.

• For courses that don't include work with children or vulnerable adults you only need to declare relevant convictions. You can get more advice on declaring your criminal convictions on the UCAS website.

How can you present your past in a positive light?

Your application form needs to convince admissions staff that your crimes are in your past, you've moved on and are no longer a risk to anybody. You can say you regret the offence, do not intend to re-offend and now want to work hard. A change in your circumstances is a particularly good way to show you've moved on, so mention it if you've settled into family life or have other responsibilities that would mean you would have too much to lose to re-offend.

If any of these factors apply to you and your conviction(s), explaining them to employers may make them see you in a more positive light:

• you offended when very young and now have responsibilities such as a wife/husband, a family, a house, a job
• the crime is not relevant to the courses you're applying for
• you pleaded guilty to the crime
• you committed the crime because you were going through a bad time, such as financial problems, but these are now sorted out
• the crime sounds more serious than it is
• if the circumstances in which the crime was committed makes it less serious

Make sure these don't sound like excuses. If you're honest and own up to things that were your fault it will show you've accepted responsibility for your actions.

Don't try to hide or gloss over your record, but try not to write (or talk) too much about it. Stress that you are applying for the course because you think you'll be good at it, and make this the focus of your application or interview.

Useful links

Prisoners Education Trust makes awards to enable study beyond what is available in prison

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