University Access Agreement
An access agreement sets out a university or college’s fee limits and the access measures it intends to put in place e.g. outreach work and financial support. Access agreements cover full-time undergraduate courses and PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and ITT (Initial Teacher Training) courses for home/EU students at English universities and colleges. In future, subject to Parliamentary approval, they will also cover part-time students. Access agreements do not cover postgraduate courses or apply to overseas students.
Any university or college that wants to charge tuition fees for full-time home/EU undergraduates above the basic level (£6,000) must have an access agreement approved by the Office of Fair Access (OFFA). Access Agreements must be renewed every year.
The University of Oxford's Access Agreement 2012-13
Education Committee is responsible for the University’s policies for admissions and access, and works with the colleges’ Admissions Executive. During Hilary term 2011, Education Committee took the lead on drafting and reviewing Oxford's Access Agreement, with approval given by Council for a final version before Easter.
Council received the version of the Agreement submitted to OFFA at its meeting in Week 1 of Trinity Term. OFFA then contacted the University on 12 June raising a number of questions and requests for amendments. The small sub-group appointed by Council were given an update on 16 June. There then began a dialogue with OFFA overseen by PVC (Education) which resulted in a number of minor amendments to the Agreement. A revised version was approved by Dr Mapstone and submitted to OFFA on 30 June.
The Office of Fair Access (OFFA) has now approved the University of Oxford's Access Agreement 2012-13 
(344kb). OFFA will be publishing the outcome of its consideration of Agreements from all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on 12 July. Each institution's Agreement will be available on the OFFA website.
Oxford’s financial support for lower-income students is likely to be the most generous in the country. Based on current student profiles, one in six students will receive a fee waiver and a quarter will receive a bursary.
From 2012-13, first-year Oxford students from the lowest income households will have their tuition charges limited to £3,500 (repayable after graduation), and will also receive a bursary of £4,300. In later years their charges will be limited to £6,000 and their bursaries will be £3,300. The amounts taper depending on household income.
Oxford’s targets in the Agreement relate to increasing the number of UK undergraduates from schools and colleges which historically have had limited progression to Oxford; increasing the number of UK undergraduates from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds; increasing the number of UK undergraduates from neighbourhoods with low participation in higher education; and meeting the HEFCE benchmark on disabled students at Oxford.