Access courses have been designed to facilitate entry to higher education, either universities or polytechnical institutions, for nontraditional students. Basic characteristics of access courses include clear entry criteria that target nontraditional students; no insistence on formal educational requirements; recognition of prior, experiential learning; a needs-based, negotiated curriculum; validation by specific higher education institutions; guaranteed progression to specified higher education courses; and higher education staff involvement in organizing and teaching access courses. Some courses are restricted to one category of student (such as women or ethnic minorities), whereas others offer entry to several categories of nontraditional student. In 1978 a selected number of local education authorities (LEAs) in Great Britain were invited to give increased priority to access. Provision of access to higher education is, however, still patchy. Educationally and economically disadvantaged students still do not receive even discretionary grants, and provision of access to further education courses, which tend to lead to employment, is still in the experimental stage. Organizational issues that LEAs, colleges, and higher education institutions need to consider include development of an LEA policy on access, with supporting resources; development of mechanisms for effective consultation and progression between further and higher education; and provision of adequate resources to allow adult learners to pursue flexible courses of study. (A list of Further Education Unit publications and projects relevant to the access issue is appended.) (MN)