We are working remotely. If you would like to contact us, please email:
swap.east@ed.ac.uk
If you would like to speak to a member of staff, please email us with your telephone number and we will call you back.
swap.east@ed.ac.uk
If you would like to speak to a member of staff, please email us with your telephone number and we will call you back.
SWAP East is a partnership of colleges and universities in the east of Scotland that aims to promote and support access to higher education for adults.
To find out if a SWAP access programme is for you, read the information for prospective SWAP students on the National page or contact SWAP East (Mon-Fri 9-5).
The SWAP East team

From left to right:
Lesley Dunbar: Director
Nick Hutcheon: Coordinator
Anna Reynolds: Administrator
Preparation for Higher Education (Prep for HE) is a fundamental part of what you do as a SWAP student. Every programme includes at least one unit of personal development, which is intended to support you in the development of knowledge and skills that will help you as a student in higher education. The new online SWAP East Prep for HE materials are designed for that purpose. You should work through them all over the course of the year.
The links to the online modules are listed here:
Induction
Intro to Prep for HE
Applying to university
Funding
Critical thinking
Academic writing for arts, humanities, social sciences and nursing
Academic writing for science and engineering
Referencing
Note-taking
Using evaluation and feedback
Making the transition to university
The links to the online modules are listed here:
Induction
Intro to Prep for HE
Applying to university
Funding
Critical thinking
Academic writing for arts, humanities, social sciences and nursing
Academic writing for science and engineering
Referencing
Note-taking
Using evaluation and feedback
Making the transition to university
The self-reflection materials in Word are here:
Study Diary
Taking Stock 1
Taking Stock 2
Taking Stock 3
In addition to working through the online materials, Prep for HE includes many other activities, which include attending SWAP Study Skills events and university open days, engaging with Peer Support Volunteers and doing the Prep for HE work assigned by your college.
JENNY MONTGOMERY
Higher education was never going to be on the cards for me as quite an unruly teenager. I was going to get a job...
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IAN ANDERSON
In 2010, my life was turned upside down. I was working in hospitality in London, when my then 1-yr-old...
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BEV ESAMAL
When I left school, I worked in a bank from 1991 to 2001; I left after the birth of my second child. When my...
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AIJA SARKANE
Before returning to education, I was a full-time mum who was struggling financially. Importantly, I was a single parent...
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Borders Dundee and Angus Edinburgh Fife UHI North Highland UHI Moray UHI Orkney UHI West Highland | Newbattle Abbey North East Scotland UHI Perth West Lothian UHI Inverness UHI Shetland |
SWAP East access programmes are currently offered at all these colleges. The nature of these programmes varies from college to college and can also change from year to year.
See our programmes for details of current access programmes.
See our programmes for details of current access programmes.
Abertay Aberdeen Dundee Edinburgh Edinburgh Napier Scotland’s Rural University College (SRUC) | Robert Gordon Stirling Highlands and Islands (UHI) St Andrews Queen Margaret Heriot-Watt |
All of our partner universities consider applications from SWAP students.
Use the progression route finder below to look up degree programmes available to SWAP East students and check out which access programme is the most suitable for your degree choice.
about us