Quick answer: The Access to HE Diploma is a one-year Level 3 qualification that qualifies adults without A-Levels for entry to psychology, radiography and health science degrees at UK universities. It's worth up to 144 UCAS Tariff points at the top grade profile, is widely accepted for these subjects (including by NHS-linked degree programmes), and tuition can be covered by an Advanced Learner Loan, which is written off entirely if you go on to complete a degree.
Nursing gets most of the attention, but Access to HE opens far more doors than that. If you're aiming at psychology, radiography, or the broader health sciences, here's how the route works for each.
Can you get into a psychology degree with an Access to HE Diploma?
Yes, psychology is one of the most Access-friendly degree subjects in the UK. Most universities accept an Access to HE Diploma for BSc Psychology entry, typically asking for a specified number of credits at Merit or Distinction (a common ask is 45 Level 3 credits with a profile like 30 Distinctions and 15 Merits for competitive courses, less for others).
Two things to check before applying:
- British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation. If you may want to become a practising psychologist, choose a BPS-accredited degree, it's the required first step towards chartered status and postgraduate training routes. Accreditation belongs to the degree, not to your Access diploma, so this is a university-selection question.
- GCSE requirements still apply. Most psychology degrees require GCSE English and maths at grade 4/C or accepted equivalents alongside the Access diploma, maths especially, because psychology degrees include statistics.
Lift College's Access to HE Diploma (Psychology) is built for exactly this route, with psychology-specific unit content that also strengthens your personal statement.
Can you become a radiographer through Access to HE?
Yes. Radiography, both diagnostic and therapeutic, is a degree-entry profession regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC): you must complete an HCPC-approved degree to register and practise. Access to HE is an accepted entry route to radiography degrees at many universities, usually with science content required within your diploma, which is why a radiography-focused or science-heavy Access pathway matters more here than for psychology.
Radiography degrees are also typically NHS-linked, which brings a significant funding advantage: students on approved healthcare degrees in England (including radiography) can receive the NHS Learning Support Fund training grant of at least £5,000 per year on top of standard student finance. It doesn't need to be paid back.
Starting salaries are strong for a three-year degree: newly qualified radiographers join the NHS at Band 5, which starts at £32,073 in England (2026/27 Agenda for Change rates), with progression to Band 6 specialist roles typically within a few years. Lift College's Access to HE Diploma (Radiography) covers the science foundation universities look for.
What about the broader health science professions?
If you're drawn to healthcare science but not yet fixed on one profession, a health-science-focused Access diploma keeps multiple doors open: biomedical science, healthcare science practitioner roles, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, operating department practice, and more. The Access to HE Diploma (Health Science Professions) is designed for this broader route, with science units that satisfy the subject-content requirements most of these degrees specify.
Note that like radiography, several of these professions (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, operating department practice, paramedicine) are HCPC-regulated degree-entry careers: the degree must be HCPC-approved for you to register. Searches for this broader "Access to HE health" route have grown over 400% in the past year, so you're in growing company.
How do these three routes compare?
Psychology
- Typical degree length: 3 years (BSc).
- Regulator for practice: HCPC (for practitioner psychologists, via postgraduate routes).
- NHS Learning Support Fund: not typically available for undergraduate psychology.
- Typical starting salary: varies widely by role; assistant psychologist roles often NHS Band 4 to 5.
- GCSE requirements: English and maths grade 4/C (maths matters for statistics).
Radiography
- Typical degree length: 3 years (BSc, HCPC-approved).
- Regulator for practice: HCPC.
- NHS Learning Support Fund: yes, £5,000+ per year grant.
- Typical starting salary: NHS Band 5, £32,073 in England (2026/27).
- GCSE requirements: English, maths, usually science, grade 4/C.
Health science professions
- Typical degree length: 3 years (varies by profession).
- Regulator for practice: HCPC for most practitioner roles.
- NHS Learning Support Fund: yes for most approved healthcare degrees.
- Typical starting salary: NHS Band 5 for most practitioner roles.
- GCSE requirements: English, maths, usually science, grade 4/C.
Salary figures are England Agenda for Change rates; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland bands differ slightly. Psychology graduates who pursue practitioner training (clinical, educational, forensic) face competitive postgraduate stages. The degree is the first step, not the whole journey.
How many UCAS points is an Access to HE Diploma worth?
The Access to HE Diploma carries between 48 and 144 UCAS Tariff points depending on your grade profile across the 45 graded Level 3 credits. Forty-five Distinctions earns the full 144 points, equivalent to three A* grades at A-Level. In practice, most universities set Access requirements as a credit-and-grade profile ("45 credits with at least 30 at Distinction") rather than a points total, so read each course's Access-specific entry line. Our UCAS points and Access to HE explained guide works through the conversion in detail.
How is an Access to HE Diploma funded?
Most Access students fund the diploma with an Advanced Learner Loan, available to adults 19+, not means-tested or credit-checked, repayable only once you earn above the threshold. The standout feature for university-bound students: if you go on to complete a degree, the outstanding Access to HE loan balance is written off. Combined with the NHS Learning Support Fund for radiography and most health science degrees, the financial picture for mature healthcare students is considerably better than most people assume. Our Access to HE cost guide breaks down the full numbers, including Lift College's subscription-based alternative, you can start with a 7-day free trial and pay monthly rather than taking a loan at all.