Access for Rural Communities (ARC)
At the University of St Andrews, we are committed to ensuring that higher education is accessible to all who have the ability and ambition to succeed. Students from rural and remote communities can face unique challenges when considering their future educational options, including geographical distance, limited access to information, and fewer opportunities to engage directly with universities. The ARC programme exists to help address these barriers and to ensure that talented young people are supported to explore the full range of opportunities available to them.
Our commitment to widening access is central to the University's mission and values. We believe that higher education is enriched by the diversity of experiences, perspectives and backgrounds that students bring. By working in partnership with schools, communities and learners, we seek to create pathways that enable all students to fulfil their potential and make informed choices about their future.
Through increasing awareness of higher education pathways, providing meaningful engagement opportunities, and supporting learners throughout their educational journey, ARC helps ensure that geography is not a barrier to ambition.
The ARC programme
The ARC programme is delivered over three years, supporting pupils throughout their senior phase with a range of meaningful opportunities and interventions delivered both in-person and online.
Across the programme, pupils can take part in a combination of core and optional events. Attendance at core events is expected, while optional events provide additional opportunities for pupils to explore their interests, develop skills and engage more fully with the programme.
How to take part in the ARC programme
Schools can register their interest and nominate pupils to take part in the programme. Individual pupils can also express an interest by speaking to their guidance teacher or contacting the ARC team directly at rural.access@st-andrews.ac.uk.
ARC Teachers
Teachers at participating ARC schools are invited to watch our pre-recorded information sessions, join our online live Q+A sessions or attend the St Andrews Teachers Together annual summer conference on 14 and 15 June 2027, where you will have the opportunity to discuss and feed back on the programme, and help us to tailor it to your students’ needs.
For more information and to access the online information sessions please log into the Teachers Webpages.
If you are interested in our ARC programme and you are a teacher, please email rural.access@st-andrews.ac.uk to register your interest. We will be in touch with the opportunities we have available to your pupils and will ask you to submit the names and details of the pupils you think would benefit most from this programme.