What is Uni Connect?
Uni Connect is a national programme funded by The Office for Students. It brings together 29 partnerships of universities, colleges and other local partners to offer activities, advice and information regarding progression into higher education.
The programme was set up in 2017 to support the government’s social mobility goals to increase the number of young people from underrepresented groups going into higher education. The programme is in its third phase which will run until 2025.
Our Uni Connect Partnership, Aspire Higher is a collaboration between teams at the universities of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Northampton.
Who are we?
The Aspire Higher Programme is a partnership between the Universities of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northampton. We work with local schools and colleges offering impartial guidance and targeted outreach activity to support them in giving learners exposure to higher education experiences and in meeting the Gatsby benchmarks.
Colleen Galley
Outreach Project Officer
University of Bedfordshire
Colleen is the contact for Aspire Higher in Bedfordshire. Please get in touch with her to find out about provision available for your school, college and learners.
Emma Pearce
Widening Access Officer
University of Hertfordshire
Emma is the contact for Aspire Higher in Hertfordshire. Please get in touch with her to find out about provision available for your school, college and learners.
Outreach Hub
University of Northampton
To find out more about Aspire Higher in Northamptonshire and the provision available for your school, college and learners please contact us.
What support do we offer?
Aspire Higher offer a range of in-school and on-campus experiences for targeted schools across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.
Schools we work with are also eligible for attainment-based support for their students.
We also provide free to access online events and webinars for students, school staff and parents/carers. All recordings from previous online events can be accessed via our videos page.
Find out about upcoming events in your area by checking our events page.
What have we achieved so far?
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Aspire Higher learners engaged in outreach since our launch in 2017.
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Aspire Higher learners engaged in outreach last academic year (2022-23).
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Activities with learners in the 22/23 academic year.
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Over this many learners across schools and colleges have participated in our programme since its launch.
*Based on 2022-23 academic year.