PARTNERS at Newcastle University: eligibility, deadline and what it gives you
PARTNERS is Newcastle University's supported entry route, applied for in Year 13 after you have submitted your UCAS form. It is non-competitive: anyone who meets one of the eligibility criteria is accepted, and the only programme commitment is the free PARTNERS Academic Summer School from 27 June to 2 July 2027. Complete that and firm Newcastle to get an ABB offer for Medicine or Dentistry instead of AAA.
- Closes
- 22 Oct 2026
- For
- Year 13 and adults students, medicine and dentistry
- Where
- Anywhere in the UK
- Gives you
- Lower offer, then ABB instead of AAA
What you get
Completing PARTNERS gives you a lower offer and an offer of ABB instead of AAA for medicine and dentistry at Newcastle University.
- ABB offer for Medicine (A100) and Dental Surgery (A206)
- No guaranteed interview, but you are ranked in the contextual stream, which may have a lower academic screen threshold
- Free Academic Summer School, 2.5 days on campus and 2.5 days online
To get it, you must
- Attend all of the Academic Summer School
- Make Newcastle your firm choice
- Score above the UCAT threshold and pass the interview
Who can apply
You need to
- Live anywhere in the UK
- Also accepted: a military family, Gypsy, Roma or Traveller background, being a parent of a child under 17, an under-represented ethnicity, or extenuating circumstances
- Be predicted at least CCC with no existing higher education qualification, with Home fee status (disability counts with PIP at a qualifying rate)
Plus at least one of
- Free school meals
- First in family to university
- Care-experienced
- Young carer
- Deprived postcode
- Low-progression school
- Refugee or asylum seeker
- Estranged from parents
- Disabled or long-term health condition
What it involves
- Submit your UCAS application first, then the PARTNERS form on the Apply to Newcastle Portal
Dates
- Applications open
- September 2026
- Applications close
- 22 Oct 2026
- Programme runs
- Academic Summer School 27 Jun to 2 Jul 2027
- Apply to university
- UCAS deadline 15 October 2026 for 2027 entry
How to apply
Apply through the PARTNERS how to apply page. It is run by Newcastle University PARTNERS team. Questions go to partners@ncl.ac.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Does PARTNERS guarantee an interview?
No. PARTNERS gives a lower offer rather than a guaranteed interview. ABB offer for Medicine (A100) and Dental Surgery (A206).
Who is eligible for PARTNERS?
Live anywhere in the UK. You need to also accepted: a military family, Gypsy, Roma or Traveller background, being a parent of a child under 17, an under-represented ethnicity, or extenuating circumstances, be predicted at least CCC with no existing higher education qualification, with Home fee status (disability counts with PIP at a qualifying rate), and meet at least one of its widening participation criteria, such as free school meals, first in family to university, care-experienced.
When is the PARTNERS deadline?
Applications close on 22 Oct 2026. They opened september 2026. The programme then runs academic Summer School 27 Jun to 2 Jul 2027.
What offer do PARTNERS students get?
Students who complete the programme are made an offer of ABB instead of AAA. ABB offer for Medicine (A100) and Dental Surgery (A206)
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