UK medicine · 2027 entry
Medicine as a Mature StudentEntry routes, Access to HE courses and funding
Mature usually 21+ (UCAS)Access to HE accepted at some schoolsNHS Bursary year 5, or year 2 on GEM
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The short answer
Mature applicants — UCAS's term for people typically over 21 or returning after time out of education — reach medicine by several published routes: the standard five-year course with A levels or an Access to HE Diploma (accepted only at some schools, such as Manchester, Bristol, Leeds and Sheffield, and refused at Nottingham, Sunderland and Aston), a graduate place on a five-year course, or four-year graduate entry medicine.
Funding is the other decision. The NHS Bursary pays from year 5 of a standard course or year 2 of a four-year graduate course, and for courses starting in 2027 in England the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement replaces the old student finance rules for most undergraduates.
Routes
What are the routes into medicine for mature students?
Each route below is described from school and UCAS pages; the right one depends on what qualifications you already hold.
| Route | Who it suits | Published examples |
|---|---|---|
| Standard course with A levels | Applicants who hold (or will take) the required A levels | Liverpool: “Applications from mature students are welcome.” |
| Standard course with an Access to HE Diploma | Non-graduates without science A levels, where the school accepts Access | See the Access table below. |
| Graduate applicant to a five-year course | Graduates who do not want (or do not qualify for) a four-year course | Leeds: 2:1 in any discipline within the last three years plus ABB at A level including Chemistry and Biology. Sheffield: 2:1 plus BBB at A level. Aston: 2:1 plus ABB — no accelerated route. Leicester scores applicants with prior degrees as graduates. |
| Four-year graduate entry medicine | Graduates, usually with a 2:1 in any subject | See Graduate Entry Medicine and GAMSAT. |
| School-specific mature routes | Applicants who meet a particular scheme | Leeds’ Alternative Entry Scheme for mature applicants without the required A levels (includes an essay). Exeter requires GAMSAT from graduates and anyone more than two years past A levels; Plymouth accepts GAMSAT instead of A levels. |
Access to HE
Which medical schools accept an Access to HE Diploma?
QAA describes the Access to HE Diploma as a full level 3 qualification of 60 credits — 45 graded at level 3 and 15 ungraded at level 2 or 3 — and only QAA-recognised courses may use the title. Medical schools that accept it attach extra conditions. Where a school's page did not state a policy, it is not listed.
| School | Accepted? | Published conditions |
|---|---|---|
| University of Manchester | Yes | Science-based; 60 credits with 45 at level 3; at least 15 graded credits each in Biology and Chemistry; Distinction in all level 3 credits; not previously studied at university; at least 3 years out of education before the Access course; not a top-up for A levels; GCSE Maths grade B (6). |
| University of Bristol | Yes | Diploma in Science, Biomedical/Medical/Health Science or Psychology; 45 graded level 3 credits with at least 30 at Distinction and 15 at Merit; at least 12 Distinction credits in Chemistry; at least 12 credits (9 at Distinction) in Biology, Physics or Maths. |
| University of Leeds | Yes | Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) meeting the QAA subject descriptor; all graded level 3 units at Distinction; not taught by distance learning; not if below a 2:1 in a previous degree without substantial subsequent experience. |
| University of Sheffield | Yes | QAA-approved Access to HE Diploma (Medicine); no Biology or Chemistry A levels or relevant science degree in the three years before the course; all 45 level 3 credits at Distinction; not distance learning; not with a degree below 2:1. |
| University of Exeter | Yes | QAA-approved Diploma with 30 level 3 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit, including 15 Distinction credits in a Biology-related and 15 in a Chemistry-related subject. |
| University of Plymouth | Yes (CAVA) | CAVA Access to HE (Medicine): 60 credits, 45 at Distinction, including 15 in Biology and 15 in a second science. |
| Edge Hill University | Yes | QAA-approved Access to HE Diploma (Medicine): Distinction in 45 level 3 credits with at least 15 each in Chemistry and Biology; started at least 3 years after A levels or degree; obtained within the two years before applying. |
| University of Leicester | Some courses, age 22+ | Some QAA-approved Access to Medicine courses for candidates aged 22 or above; not in lieu of poor science A levels. |
| University of East Anglia | Some programmes | “Access to HE Diploma (acceptable Access programmes only)”. |
| University of Nottingham | No | BTEC Nationals and the Access to HE Diploma are not accepted. |
| University of Sunderland | No | Does not accept Access to Higher Education/Access to Medicine courses. |
| Aston University | No | “We do not currently accept any access courses.” |
Funding
How is medicine funded for mature and graduate students?
Figures are for students from England (Student Finance England and the NHS Bursary); Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems. The NHS Bursary rules come from NHSBSA's 2025/26 guide, the latest full guide we could open.
| Course | Years not eligible for the NHS Bursary | Years eligible for the NHS Bursary |
|---|---|---|
| Five-or-more-year undergraduate course (including an integral foundation or intercalated year) | Years 1–4 | Year 5 onwards |
| Accelerated four-year course for graduates | Year 1 | Years 2–4 |
| Undergraduate medicine taken as a second degree | Years before the fifth year of study | From the fifth year of study |
| Element | London, living away | Outside London, living away | Parental home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Means-tested bursary (maximum per year) | £3,356 | £2,780 | £2,321 |
| Non-means-tested grant | £1,052 | £1,052 | £1,052 |
| Course | Maximum contribution |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate course lasting five or six years | up to £9,535 |
| Graduate entry course (three or four years) | up to £3,830 |
| Course starts | Rule for students who have studied before | Loan amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1 January 2027 | Usually first qualification only; graduates may get limited funding for medicine and allied subjects, and healthcare courses from 1 August 2017 may qualify. No upper age limit for Tuition Fee Loans. | Up to £9,535 (2025/26) or £9,790 (2026/27) per year. First year of graduate-entry medicine: loan up to £6,125, and you pay the first £3,665 (2026/27). |
| On or after 1 January 2027 (Lifelong Learning Entitlement) | Previous government tuition funding is deducted from a £39,160 total; more may be available for courses such as medicine. Must be under 60 on the first day to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. | Up to £39,160 in total, based on credits studied; repayments start above £25,000 a year. |
For courses starting in September 2027, GOV.UK says most undergraduates in England apply through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, and applications open from September 2026. GOV.UK did not state LLE amounts specific to graduate-entry medicine when checked, so confirm your entitlement with Student Finance England.
FAQ
Medicine as a mature student — FAQs
None of the medical school pages we checked publishes an upper age limit — Liverpool, for example, says applications from mature students are welcome. For funding, GOV.UK says there is no upper age limit for Tuition Fee Loans on courses starting before 1 January 2027; for courses from 1 January 2027 you must be under 60 on the first day to apply for one.
Sources
Sources (accessed 19 September 2026)
Every fact on this page comes from one of these documents, each opened on the date above. Where a source did not state something, this page does not state it either. Admissions rules change between cycles — check the source before you act on it.
UCAS — Mature students →definition of a mature student, share of mature undergraduates, Access coursesQAA Access to HE — About the Diploma →Diploma structure (60 credits, 45 graded at level 3), QAA recognition, full level 3 qualificationUniversity of Manchester — MBChB Medicine →Access to HE Diploma conditionsUniversity of Bristol — MB ChB Medicine (2027) →Access to HE Diploma subjects and gradesUniversity of Leeds — Medicine and Surgery MBChB →Access to HE Diploma (Medicine); graduate/mature requirements; Alternative Entry SchemeUniversity of Sheffield — Medicine MBChB (2027) →Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) rules; graduate requirementsUniversity of Exeter — BMBS Medicine →Access to HE grades; GAMSAT for applicants more than two years past A levelsUniversity of Plymouth — BMBS →CAVA Access to HE (Medicine) requirements; GAMSAT alternative routeEdge Hill University — Medicine →Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) requirements and timing rulesUniversity of Leicester — Medicine MBChB →Access to Medicine courses considered for candidates aged 22 or above; prior degrees scored as graduates (page loaded 14 September 2026; Leicester’s site blocked every automated re-check on 19 September 2026)University of East Anglia — MBBS Medicine →Access to HE Diploma (acceptable Access programmes only)University of Nottingham — Medicine BMBS →Access to HE Diploma not acceptedUniversity of Sunderland — MBChB Medicine →Access to HE / Access to Medicine not acceptedAston University — Medicine MBChB →no Access courses accepted; graduate requirements; no accelerated graduate routeUniversity of Liverpool — Medicine and Surgery MBChB →applications from mature students welcomeGOV.UK — Student finance for undergraduates: new full-time students →Tuition Fee Loan maximums for 2025/26 and 2026/27GOV.UK — Student finance for undergraduates: eligibility →previous-study rules; healthcare course exception; no upper age limit (courses starting before 1 January 2027)GOV.UK — Student finance if your course starts on or after 1 January 2027 →Lifelong Learning Entitlement overview, £39,160 total, repayment thresholdGOV.UK — LLE eligibility (courses from 1 January 2027) →previous study deducted; more available for courses such as medicine; under 60 for Tuition Fee LoanStudent Finance England — PN1 Notes 2026/27 (PDF) →first-year graduate-entry medicine Tuition Fee Loan of up to £6,125 and £3,665 self-fundedNHS Business Services Authority — NHS Bursary funding for medical and dental students 2025/26 (PDF) →bursary-eligible course years, second-degree rule, tuition contributions, bursary and grant ratesNHSBSA — Which year of my medical or dental course can I apply for NHS Bursary funding? →NHS funding from year 5 (5+ year courses) and year 2 (accelerated graduate courses)