Graduation Support and Accessibility

We recognise the importance of celebrating your achievements without breaking the bank, and therefore we have curated a list of student discounts that aim to reduce some of the financial commitments associated with graduation expenses. 

Travel & accommodation

• National Rail
• UNiDAYS
• Student Bean
• TOTUM

Restaurants

• UNiDAYS
• Student Bean
• TOTUM

London experiences

• UNiDAYS
• Student Bean
• TOTUM

Please note: Discount/offers are determined by the third party provider. Therefore availability and discount/offers are subject to change. The University of Law is not liable or responsible for any bookings made using a discount/offer from a provider mentioned above.

We know that the cost-of-living crisis is impacting our students and we have a support fund available to help those in financial hardship to attend their graduation.

The fund will help with covering the costs of:

• Graduation gown hire
• Guest tickets (maximum of two tickets per student)
• Travel costs (up to the value of £50)

To apply for financial support, please click here to check you meet the eligibility criteria and for the next steps. You will then need to complete an online application via the Blackbullion portal which is open from Monday, 19 August 2024 until 23:45 on Monday, 23 September. 

Please note, we are unable to accept any applications after the closing date. Applications and funding is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis for those who meet the eligibility criteria. As this is a limited fund, we may not be able to support all students, and therefore we strongly recommend applying as soon as possible.

If you are an international student coming from abroad, you or your family members may need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa to attend your graduation. Depending on whether you are visa nationals or non-visa nationals, you will need to follow a different process. Please visit HERE to see if you need a Standard Visitor visa before entering the UK.

All documents, apart from passports, can be originals, scans or photocopies

If you submit a document that is not in English or Welsh, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office. Each translation must contain:

• Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• The date of translation
• The translator’s full name and signature
• The translator’s contact details

How to apply for a Standard Visitor visa

If you are from a visa national country, you must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling to the UK. You can find further information on how to apply in your country HERE. The visa application fee is £115 in local currency and you will need to submit the following documents with your application:

• Passport (with at least 1 blank page).
• Evidence that you have sufficient funds for your visit (we recommend you have sufficient funds for at least 3 months even if your visit is shorter).
• Proof that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit (for e.g. your return flight details).
• Evidence of where you will be staying in the UK (for e.g. hotel reservation).
• Your graduation ceremony invitation email.

For more information please visit HERE.

Non-visa nationals

If you are from a non-visa national country, you do not need to apply for a visa in advance but can request entry as a visitor when you arrive. You should still carry all of the documents listed above in case you are asked to show them to the Immigration Officer.

Attending a graduation ceremony should be a moment of pride and celebration. However, we recognise that for some students, the prospect of participating in such a significant event can also be a source of anxiety and stress.

Below, we've compiled information and practical measures that may help alleviate some of the stresses associated with attending a graduation ceremony, empowering you to fully embrace and enjoy this important moment in your academic journey.

• What happens during the ceremony: Click here for a brief description of the ceremony formalities.
• Quiet space: A designated quiet area is available on level 1 by concert hall entrance doors 9 and 10, for you to relax, refocus, and prioritize your well-being in a peaceful environment.
• Resources: Below is a list of support services available. 
  
  • Sleep: The sleep chairty
  • Mental Health: 
    
    • Mind
    • Shout 
    • CALM
    • NHS Mental Health Helpline for Urgent Help
    • NHS T:111 or If you are ever in crisis, you can seek support by either calling 999 or going to your nearest A&E. 
  • Anxiety: Anxiety UK
  • General support: Citizens Advice
  • Spectrum.Life in the moment support:
    • Call (Freephone UK): 0800 0318 227
    • WhatsApp: "Hi" to 07841 8360 780

Located on level 1 by concert hall entrance doors 9 and 10, we have a dedicated cordoned off area for you and your guests to take a short break from the bustling day of graduation. 

Please note, this space is not regularly monitored and therefore if you require medical assistance, please contact a member of the Barbican. We kindly ask you to be mindful and respectful of others using this space and to enter and exit calmly and quietly. 

We appreciate during your visit to the Barbican Centre; you may wish to take a moment for quiet reflection and personal prayers. Therefore, we have a dedicated room available upon request. To access this space, kindly speak to any member of the Barbican team, who will be able to assist you and escort you to this specially designated area.

During the ceremony

Graduands

• Where possible, we will allocate you a seat on the lower level of the stalls seating area. This can be accessed via a backstage lift, or alternatively via stairs with a banister. Ushers will be available to assist you in navigating the stairs and accessing your seat.
• You will be offered a pre-ceremony walk-through to ensure you are happy and confident with accessing, crossing and returning to your seat during the ceremony. Please note, this is only available upon request prior to the ceremony and at an agreed time.
• Dedicated Ushers are available throughout the ceremony to support you which can include, but not limited to assisting you across the stage during your name call-out.
• Assistance (guide) dogs are permitted into the Barbican and concert hall. However for the safety and enjoyment of all, please notify the Graduation Team via the booking portal or by email ([email protected]) prior to the ceremony, so a quiet and low footfall seat can be allocated. Don’t forget as a Graduand you can book a gown and mortarboard hat for your furry companion to cross the stage with you.

Guests

• Assistance (guide) dogs are permitted into the Barbican and concert hall. However for the safety and enjoyment of all, please notify the Graduation Team via the booking portal or by email ([email protected]) prior to the ceremony, so a quiet and low footfall seat can be allocated for your guests. 
• Should your guests require seating closer to the stage, please ensure you notify the Graduation Team of specific requirements via the “Accessibility Requirements” section on the graduation booking portal when placing your order.
• Live streaming of the ceremony is available on two large projector screens either side of the stage to ensure a clear view of the ceremony from anywhere in the hall.

Getting to the Barbican

• Step free and automatic door entrances are available into the Barbican – click here and visit page 10 for further information.
• Nearest step free stations are Moorgate and Farringdon if traveling via underground, however for further advice on accessible routes please visit tfl.gov.uk or download the TfL Go App.
• Travelling via rail, Liverpool Street station has step free access.

• Live captioning will be available via two projector screens either side of the stage. This will provide high contrast colour live captioning of all the speeches during the ceremony to ensure you are able to enjoy the ceremony from anywhere in the concert hall.
• Induction loop is available in the concert hall and can be used by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
• Barbican staff will be available during the ceremony, so in the unlikely event of an emergency or need to evacuate the concert hall, the team will be able to support. We highly recommend notifying the Graduation Team via the booking portal if you or any of your guests have hearing impairments, so we can ensure the Barbican Team are aware of their locations in the hall to assist if required.  

Concert Hall

• Seating: Seats are approximately 46cm (W) x approximately 43cm (D), with non-moving arm rests.
• Accessibility: Please ensure you notify the Graduation Team of your specific requirements via the booking portal and/or emailing [email protected]. Please note, due to limited seating we may not be able to seat all your guests in the same area.
• Dedicated Ushers are available throughout the ceremony to support you which can include, but not limited to assisting you across the stage during your name call-out.
• Hand rails are available within the hall to support accessing seats and entering/exiting the stage.

General

• For step-free methods of transport and accessing the Barbican Centre, click here and refer to page 10.
• Lift access is available from all levels.
• Limited free accessible (blue badge) parking is available at the Barbican Centre in car parks 3 and 5. Click here for further information regarding parking at the Barbican Centre.

If you require additional support to ensure a comfortable graduation experience, please reach out to the Graduation Team through the booking portal or by emailing [email protected]