Lincoln is a friendly and inclusive college, where students from all backgrounds are valued and welcomed. As a College, we are committed to broadening access, not only to our community, but to higher education more generally and will continue to work towards this aim.
After the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, the College conducted an in-depth review of its admissions statistics as well as our access and outreach work. This review found that we needed to do more to encourage applicants from under-represented backgrounds to apply to Lincoln. To help us achieve our access aims, we appointed our first Access and Career Development Fellow, Dr Maryanne Saunders, shortly before the start of the 2021-2022 admissions round. Since joining the College, Dr Saunders has been working alongside the Tutor for Admissions and our full-time Access Officer on a number of on-course support systems and ‘outreach’ programmes.
We are in the first stages of introducing an exciting and ambitious flagship programme. The College will launch Lincoln College Pathfinders in Summer 2022. Through this programme, we will work with pupils from our link regions in the East Midlands and Northamptonshire who are eligible for Free School Meals. Pathfinders will be part of Lincoln’s commitment to recruiting the best students from any and all backgrounds and encouraging applications from those who are currently under-represented at the University and in College.
In the light of the most recent admissions report, we are reaffirming our commitment to racial equality in College, with specific outreach issues being addressed following recommendations from our Anti-Racism Commission. Lincoln is part of Oxford NextGen and, alongside St Edmund Hall and Magdalen College, we continue to work with state school students from under-represented backgrounds in our link region of the East Midlands. We are also maintaining our strong connection with the Oxford for North East Consortium through our relationship with the Lord Crewe’s Charity.
In addition to these actions, Lincoln is able to offer a significant programme of bursaries and support for extracurricular activities to ensure that those joining our community are never disadvantaged because of a lack of financial means.
The steps we are taking to encourage a wider range of students to apply to the College will take time to reveal their full impact, and we welcome support in promoting these opportunities to young people and schools throughout the country.
FAQs
- What is Lincoln doing to support state school applicants?
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Lincoln welcomes students from all backgrounds, and our outreach programme works with state schools and colleges to encourage and provide guidance on applications to Lincoln and Oxford. As part of the University of Oxford’s regional outreach scheme, each college is linked to a particular region of the UK. In Lincoln’s case, we work particularly with schools from Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, although we accept applications from all regions and are happy to answer queries from schools across the UK.
Lincoln is part of Oxford NextGen and, alongside St Edmund Hall and Magdalen College, we continue to work with state school students from under-represented backgrounds in our link region of the East Midlands. We are also maintaining our strong connection with the Oxford for North East Consortium through our relationship with the Lord Crewe’s Charity.
Alongside this work, we provide study days for students in years 9-12 and their teachers; you can find out more about these here. We also: partner with Oxford Pathways to host school groups on day visits; work with Target Oxbridge – a programme for Year 12 Black students and students of mixed race with Black heritage; support UNIQ – the University’s flagship Access programme; and participate in a host of other events run by the University and other colleges.
We are in the first stages of introducing an exciting and ambitious flagship programme. The College will launch Lincoln College Pathfinders in Summer 2022. Through this programme, we will work with pupils from our link regions in the East Midlands and Northamptonshire who are eligible for Free School Meals. Pathfinders will be part of Lincoln’s commitment to recruiting the best students from any and all backgrounds and encouraging applications from those who are currently under-represented at the University and the College.
To help us achieve our access aims, we appointed our first Access and Career Development Fellow, Dr Maryanne Saunders, shortly before the start of the 2021-2022 admissions round. Since joining the College, Dr Saunders has been working alongside the Tutor for Admissions and our full-time Access Officer on a number of on-course support systems and outreach programmes.
- When are your Open Days?
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The University Open Days for 2022 are on Wednesday 29 June, Thursday 30 June, and Friday 16 September. Lincoln College will be open for tours, informal chats with students and Q&A sessions with subject tutors. We hope you will be able to join us to learn more about living and studying at Lincoln!
- What financial support is available to undergraduates?
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Oxford University has some of the most generous financial support for undergraduates anywhere in the UK. This support is largely provided through the Oxford Bursaries and the Crankstart Scholarships.
In addition to support from the University, Lincoln College is also able to offer a significant programme of bursaries and support for extracurricular activities to ensure that those joining our community are never disadvantaged because of a lack of financial means.
Lincoln provides a range of very generous bursaries, many of which are funded by alumni. Our bursaries range in value from £500-£7,000 per annum. Students who receive these awards will normally do so annually during the course of their degree. Approximately one third of Lincoln undergraduates receive a College bursary.
The College also offers relocation grants of up to £500 to eligible students to help make sure that they are able to cover the initial costs associated with starting University.
- What accommodation is available at Lincoln?
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Undergraduates at Lincoln College are offered accommodation in the heart of Oxford for the duration of their course. Our main sites are all within a ten minute walk of College and include the newly renovated and recently reopened Turl Street Mitre.
We try to keep accommodation costs reasonable, and undergraduates only pay rent during term time (unless they have chosen to stay in College over the vacation period or are on a year-long contract). Members of the same year group pay the same price, regardless of the room, and a housing ballot (conducted by the students) ensures fairness. More information about undergraduate accommodation can be found here.
- What extra-curricular activities are on offer?
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There are a huge number of student societies and clubs to get involved with at Lincoln College, and across the wider university. More information about what’s on offer can be found in our Living at Lincoln section. Some student activities, including the Lincoln Leads seminar series and the Lincoln Unites diversity week, have become permanent and much loved additions to the College calendar. Lincoln provides generous financial support to student initiatives, with funding available for sports, music, theatre, travel, and more.
- Can I talk to a current student about life at Lincoln?
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We are very pleased to be partnering with the Ambassador Platform to offer a live chat function for prospective students! This means we now have a digital chat platform on our website, allowing prospective students safe and effective communication with the Lincoln Student Ambassadors and outreach staff.
Once you have signed up, you can get in touch anytime, anywhere, and can ask about everything you’ve wanted to know. What is it like at an Oxford college? What’s the atmosphere like at Lincoln? What’s the accommodation like? What’s a tutorial? What’s my course like? You can chat directly to one of our Student Ambassadors or the Access Officer and get up-to-date, relevant information and advice.
You can also read testimonials from current students on the website here.
- I am a prospective student or an advisor to a prospective student. What can I do now?
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You can learn more about applying to Oxford from the Lincoln webpages here and the University webpages here. Make sure to familiarise yourself with the key UCAS dates and make a note of when the Oxford Open Days take place.
- I am an alumnus/a and would like to help. How can I support the College’s outreach work?
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We welcome support from our alumni community. If you would like to help us with our access and outreach work, please complete this form.
- Who should I contact with questions about admissions?
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We welcome questions from prospective students and you can send your enquires to us by emailing our Admissions Officer, Richard Little, at richard.little@lincoln.ox.ac.uk. To learn more about our Admissions team, please see their profiles below.

Dr Lydia Matthews
Senior Tutor

Richard Little
Admissions Officer

Dr Maryanne Saunders
Access and Career Development Fellow

Andrew Miller
Access Officer