1. Introduction
1.1. The University receives applications from applicants of all ages who meet advertised academic entry requirements.
1.2. The University recognises that, following the Equality Act 2010, it is obliged to consider applications from applicants who will be under the age of eighteen at the start of the course and that it has a special duty of care to students who are legally children as governed by St George’s Policy on Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults.
1.3. The University also recognises that students under the age of eighteen will be restricted in their engagement in some aspects of University life.
1.4. Applicants of all ages will apply through normal channels (UCAS or direct applications to the University). The applicant will give their date of birth in their application when prompted and on any St George’s, University of London (SGUL) documentation required in support of their application.
1.5. Following an application through normal channels within the deadlines, Admissions will defer applicants by one year who will be under eighteen at the start of the course date and will contact the affected applicants. Further deferrals may be required where the applicant would be under the age of eighteen after a one-year deferral.
1.6. To be considered under the age of eighteen applicants are required to complete the Request to Enrol Under the Age of Eighteen form (Appendix 1). The submission of this form does not guarantee that the applicant’s entry year will be reverted. If the applicant receives an offer to study, which will be for the deferred year of entry as mentioned in 1.5, the Request to Enrol Under the Age of Eighteen form will be sent to Student Services and the relevant Admissions Tutor. The applicant will then be contacted to discuss the realities of enrolling as a student under the age of eighteen, usually between April and July. The applicant’s entry year will not be reverted until such a time as all points listed in this policy have been considered and formally agreed, and the Declaration (Appendix 2) has been signed and returned to the University. Additional conditions may be discussed with the applicant, their parent(s) or legal guardian (hereafter legal guardian) and added alongside the Declaration.
1.7. Where the applicant will not be eighteen after a one-year deferral and the applicant is unsuccessful in their request, the applicant may submit a Request to Enrol Under the Age of Eighteen form in any/all subsequent years of deferral. The applicant will otherwise continue to be deferred until they are aged eighteen on entry.
1.8. This process ensures the applicant, their legal guardian and the University have understood and agreed their respective expectations and responsibilities before the applicant is admitted to the University. This seeks to ensure that the respective responsibilities of the University and the legal guardian in relation to the applicant are clear. Following successful enrolment, the Declaration, and additional conditions where applicable, will remain in force until the student is aged eighteen.
1.9. The applicant must continue to fulfil all the conditions of their offer to the University’s satisfaction for the applicant to be enrolled, including any non-academic criteria.
1.10. This process is separate to all other application processes, and deadlines provided by the University or UCAS, e.g. offer response deadlines.
2. Considerations
2.1. As part of the admission process, the relevant Admissions Tutor will be consulted by Student Services to ensure that they and the Course Director are satisfied that the content of any academic programme would be appropriate for students under the age of eighteen.
2.2. Students under the age of eighteen are not able to attend placement, interact with patients or undertake certain other activities.
2.3. The University provides email and unregulated internet services for all its students. These services are provided on an unsupervised basis. Students are expected to act in an adult and responsible manner when using these facilities and are required to abide by the University’s regulations.
2.4. Students under the age of eighteen are not permitted to buy or consume alcohol.
2.5. Students and legal guardians should be aware that University staff are not routinely DBS checked.
3. Students aged under sixteen on entry
3.1. The above process under points 1 and 2 shall be followed, with the following additions.
3.2. University accommodation is not available to students under the age of sixteen, the University is able to advise on other accommodation options.
3.3. Students under the age of sixteen must not enter the SU Bar.
3.4. Any applicant under the age of sixteen will follow the same process as outlined in 1.6 and 1.7. In addition to 1.6, the applicant and their legal guardian will be invited to meet with the Assistant Registrar (Student Services) and the relevant Admissions Tutor(s).
3.5. The purpose of the meeting shall be to discuss issues relating to the applicant’s ability and readiness for university study. If the University (acting reasonably) is not satisfied after this meeting that the applicant has the requisite ability and readiness, it may decline the request for the applicant to enrol under the age of sixteen.
3.6. Issues to be discussed at the meeting may include residential accommodation, responsibilities for welfare, guarantors for contracts, competency standards, and consent for undertaking activities related to the degree programme. The meeting is intended to ensure that the applicant and legal guardian are fully aware of the adult environment in which the University operates and that the applicant has the personal maturity to cope with and benefit from the St George’s experience. Additional measures may be discussed with the applicant and legal guardian and added alongside the Declaration (Appendix 2). Any additional measures will remain in place until the applicant turns sixteen years of age, and all other points agreed in the Declaration (Appendix 2) will remain in place until the applicant turns eighteen years of age.
3.7. Following this meeting, if all parties agree to enrolment under the age of sixteen, the Declaration and accompanying additional measures, where applicable, will be sent to the legal guardian. The Declaration, including any additional measures, must be read and signed by the applicant’s legal guardian and be returned to Student Services. Once the Declaration has been received and processed by Student Services, Admissions will amend the entry year on the applicant’s application.
3.8. If the applicant needs to apply for a student visa to study in the UK, please be aware that, as St. George’s, University of London does not hold a Child Student Sponsor Licence, applicants need to be aged sixteen years or over to be sponsored under our Student Sponsor Licence. Due to this, we are not able to enrol applicants under the age of sixteen who require a visa, and these applicants will remain deferred until they are aged sixteen years or over.
4. Students aged under sixteen on entry with a legal guardian outside the United Kingdom
4.1. The above process under point 3 shall be followed, with the following additions.
4.2. The University will ask that a person known to the applicant, residing within easy reach of London, is given parental responsibility for the applicant who must also sign the Declaration (Appendix 2).
4.3. This delegated guardian is expected to attend the meeting with the applicant and legal guardian.
5. University responsibilities in preparation for any students aged under eighteen on entry
5.1. The University will ensure that students are allocated an experienced personal tutor within the relevant academic department and appropriate arrangements are in place in respect of any field trips or other potentially hazardous activities associated with the programme, including visits to the Dissecting Room.
5.2. The University will ensure that any additional measures requiring University involvement that have been agreed and listed on the Declaration, as discussed with the Admissions Tutor(s) and Assistant Registrar (Student Services) are upheld.
6. Deadlines for the applicant to request to enrol aged under eighteen on entry
6.1. Applicants applying to a MBBS programme (A100/A101), who have submitted their application via UCAS prior to the deadline on 15th October are required to complete the Request to Enrol Under Eighteen form (Appendix 1) and return this to Admissions by 09:00 GMT 1st January following the October deadline.
6.2. Applicants applying to any non-medicine programme, including all clinical and non-clinical undergraduate and postgraduate courses, are required to complete the Request to Enrol Under Eighteen form (Appendix 1) and return this to Admissions by 09:00 GMT 1st March of the year of application.
6.3. Applicants who would be under the age of eighteen on entry who submit a late application via UCAS, or applications via Clearing or Adjustment for any course will have their entry year amended to the following year for entry. If the applicant will be under eighteen the following academic year, the entry year will be amended again until the applicant is due to be over the age of eighteen at the start of the course. Applicants may choose to request to enrol under the age of eighteen by following the above process in the following academic year(s) if desired.
6.4. The university is unable to consider any requests to enrol under the age of eighteen that does not meet these deadlines, for any reason.
April 2021