A Level results: Homeless student gets straight A*s and an offer from Cambridge University

A homeless student who slept on friends’ sofas and worked for 24 hours a week to support his studies has secured a place at Cambridge University.

Jacob Lewis, 22, from Cardiff, originally left school at 17, but decided to go back to complete his A-levels and has just achieved four A*s, including 100% in history and law.

“It’s been a hard fight,” said Jacob, a student from Coleg y Cymoedd.

'I was barely eating'

Jacob grew up on a council estate in St Mellons and said his attendance at school dropped to nearly 20% in the first year of his GCSEs after he was bullied.

Despite the setbacks, he received an A* in history, plus seven As and a C in maths, which he puts down to doing a lot of reading at home.

He then went on to complete AS-levels in history, politics, law and English at Cardiff and Vale College, but decided to drop out before completing his A-levels.

“My family had always been quite poor and I was attracted by the bright lights of the city,” he said.

“Some of my friends had full-time jobs and I wanted the money. Tuition fees had just tripled and I didn’t want to get myself into thousands of pounds of debt.”

Jacob worked in finance for five years, but when he saw friends from school graduating from university, felt he had missed out.

“I had a comfortable existence, with money and my own place, but I felt like I had missed out on student life,” he said.

'It was a challenge but not an impossible one'

Aged 21, he enrolled at Coleg y Cymoedd and despite having not written an essay for five years, his A-level coordinator Ian Rees told him he had the potential to apply to Oxbridge.

He secured an interview, where he had to complete a comprehension test, essay-writing exam and a panel interview.

“My interview was crazy,” he said. “The question in my essay paper was: ‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Discuss.’

“It got more random from there. In my interview they asked me: ‘Is it a moral act to stab someone in the chest?’ It is difficult to prepare for something like that – I had no idea what to expect.”

Following the interview, Cambridge made him an offer to study law – on the condition he achieved four A*s.

“It was a challenge, but not an impossible challenge,” he said.

12 hours a day in the college library

At the beginning of his A-level studies, Jacob tried to keep his house, but ended up working 24 hours a week for agencies and in nightclubs to pay his bills.

As he was unable to live with his family, he ended up staying on friends' sofas and spending 12 hours a day in the college library, as well as commuting 45 minutes.

“I was on a zero hours contract and my employer wouldn’t let me have time off for an exam,” he recalled.

“I had never missed a shift and I wasn’t prepared to jeopardise my A-levels for £6.50 an hour.”

He received support from his college’s student hardship fund, which helped him with his travel costs and living expenses, including putting him up in a hotel when he had nowhere to go.

Jacob, who will be the first member of his family to go to university, achieved A*s in history, law, sociology and Welsh Baccalaureate.

“I’m so incredibly grateful to the college for all they did for me. It’s been a trying time but it has been worth it,” he said.

“I’m absolutely delighted with my results and I hope this shows Welsh students that with hard work and dedication dreams can come true.”

He added: “I haven’t got any firm career plans, but I have a sincere commitment to try and make the world a better place with the advantages that elite education will give me.”

Judith Evans, principal of Coleg y Cymoedd, said: “Our exceptional performance at A-level is the deserved reward of two years’ hard work by the learners and staff who support them.”