Support for students

We recognise that students entering onto this course may not have had the support or formal educational qualifications that enable success at university. That’s why the Engineering Foundation Year is about much more than academic achievement. With a wraparound support package fully integrated into the course, you’ll complete the year with the right personal, professional and academic skills in place to enjoy many future successes.

Academic support

When you join us on the foundation year, we provide support to help you make the transition to a UCL Engineering undergraduate course. Regardless of your specific starting point, in terms of knowledge and experience, we will help you to develop the skills and confidence you need. You’ll have a personal tutor, who you will with work directly to help you on your academic journey, and have regular one-to-one sessions throughout the year. There are sessions designed to improve your academic and professional skills across the Engineering Foundation Year.

As well as ongoing academic support to help you on this course, you will also be assigned either a former Engineering Foundation Year student or another current undergraduate UCL Engineering student, who will mentor you in small groups as you transition into university life.

Wellbeing support

All students on this course come from non-traditional educational backgrounds and may have some shared challenges, but your exact circumstances are unique to you. We’ll only ask you to tell us your story once; then team members will arrange, while keeping your information confidential, any specific support you need.

You’ll be able to go to your personal tutor about anything at all, whether it’s something that relates to your wellbeing or your work. With regular meetings throughout the year a key part of this course, you’ll always have a scheduled point of contact. In addition to this, the Engineering Foundation Year enjoys the support of a dedicated Student Support and Wellbeing Coordinator, who can provide advice about your wellbeing, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, and more; she can also help you navigate and access support across the wider Student Support and Wellbeing services at UCL.

Most university students have times where they are feeling a little more stressed or anxious about their studies; we are here to help empower you to grow and thrive at UCL.

Financial support

In the 2025/2026 academic year, we are able to offer a number of means-tested bursaries worth £6,000, to be spent on tuition fees. Please view our bursary webpage for more information.

You may also find the following resources helpful:

• A list of external organisations that have funding opportunities
• The Blackbullion scholarship finder tool (login required)
• Undergraduate funding advice from UCL
• Information about UCL’s central scholarship, bursary and grand schemes
• Financial support from UCL

Your future and next steps

Most students want to know what future career they could have when embarking on this course, and engineering offers countless opportunities. You may have a careers appointment early on in the course to discuss your ideas and ambitions. You can also draw on our specialist careers advice at any point during the course. If you continue on to study at undergraduate level at UCL Engineering, you’ll have access to a careers specialist right up until the point of graduation. 

The idea of this course is to enable students to progress onto one of the participating undergraduate engineering degrees UCL offers. You’ll need to gain a 60% pass mark or higher in each of the three modules to be able to progress onto a UCL undergraduate degree, and this course and the wraparound support package is specifically designed to help you achieve this.

If you don’t pass all three modules, or if you decide not to continue on to study at undergraduate level at UCL, we will offer you some specific support for this scenario. If you want to continue studying, we will help you identify alternative options. If you decide to seek employment instead, our careers service will help you with this next step of your journey.

Find out more about the enhanced careers support UCL Careers Extra can offer you.

Other UCL support

As well as the bespoke support available to students enrolled on the Engineering Foundation Year, UCL also offers a range of support services to all students. This includes:

Becoming part of UCL

• How to prepare for joining UCL
• Finding your way around UCL campuses and buildings
• Information about using UCL’s libraries and online learning platforms
• Getting involved with the Students’ Union
• Support with your future, including volunteering, careers and interaction with UCL alumni
• Answering questions your parents, guardians or carers might have
• General advice about being a student UCL, including financial advice

Student support, success and wellbeing 

• Student Support and Wellbeing Services homepage
  • The “Here to Support You” guide is especially helpful, providing an overview of the support we can offer to students in different circumstances (e.g. students who are parents or carers, neurodivergent students)
  • UCL Student Support and Wellbeing webpages for specific groups of students (e.g.  care-experienced students, mature students)
• Support provided by the Access and Widening Participation Office for all students from a widening participation background, including a welcome video with talks from UCL Careers Extra,  Student Support and Wellbeing, Student Funding, the Students’ Union, and on Academic Reading and Writing
  • Pre-application guidance on the UCL Access and Widening Participation Office webpages for specific groups of students