- Dilemma 1
- “University is too expensive - I do not want to have a life time of debt.”
Yes the maximum fee for university is £9,000 but student loans and bursaries can help you to cope with this:
Student Loans
When many people hear 'student loans' they become scared of a life time of debt. They do not want to be in a debt at such a young stage of their lives. However, don't forget that you only start to repay the loan when you earn £21,000 a year, and after 30 years, the loan is wiped off!
Bursaries
A bursary is a special grant that is given to students whose family/household income is less than £25,000. Here are some key bursary facts:
- Bursaries are free
- Bursaries given to the entitled student each year
- Some universities pay much more than others. Sometimes £3,000 a year
- Bursaries don’t affect eligibility for state support such as maintenance grants and loans for tuition fees and living costs
- Eligible students are entitled to receive bursaries as well as any scholarships they are offered
- Dilemma 2
- “I want to start working straight away”
I respect the decision if you want to work but if you are stuck on whether you should enter the working world or stay in education here are my suggestions:
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is when you learn the important details about your job while working. It basically focuses on experience and preparation for work rather than just learning. A key website that is very beneficial for finding out about apprenticeships is http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/ which I suggest you visit if you want to work rather than stay in education.
Part time university course
A part time university course is basically when you spend some part of your week studying at University, leaving the rest of the week for you to work and earn some money and experience. Courses do generally take longer to complete this way. Its is marketed by universities as a great way to balance your life and can develop time management skills.
Here are some key facts which Birmingham City University state about their part time courses:
- same course and qualification as full-time study
- work while you study
- balance your studies with other commitments
- employers may contribute to your tuition fees
- same great levels of student support and facilities
- study can fit in around family and work commitments
- potential to progress in your career
- large group of like-minded people
http://www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/types-of-study/part-time
Placement Year
While a traditional university course is likely to be three years long a placement year course is in fact four years. The extra year is in the middle of the course and is a work experience/placement year in which the student is paid for their work.
Aston University state:
“75% of Aston students take on graduate level job while studying, making them better prepared for industry and the professions.”
I am actually applying to an Aston University placement year course myself as I believe the work experience element of the course will help support my future (like it has done to my cousin) this is because it is very likely the work experience provider will take you on for a fully paid job after university and if not you will have the advantage of work experience and will be more desirable to recruiters in comparison to graduates who have little or none.
- Dilemma 3
- “I do not think I have the grades for the course I want.”
Why not consider these options:
Foundation year
A foundation year is basically when you take an extra year before your course which is the equivalent to your A levels. Basically this extra year prepares you for the university course assessing your knowledge on the course. It takes dedication and hard work to get on the actual course via the foundation year. A lot of universities offer foundation years including Wolverhampton University who states “FDs combine the teaching of an undergraduate degree with practical, work-based learning, and show you how theory applies to the realities of business. That means what you study is always relevant to your day-to-day operations.”
A2B scheme
The access to Birmingham University scheme is a way of helping local low income families from areas with less access to higher education get into to The University of Birmingham by lowering the grade boundaries dependent on the applicant (I can assure you though that a typical offer may be AAB or BBB etc.)
The University of Birmingham state “The Access to Birmingham (A2B) scheme is designed to help students from families and communities in the West Midlands who have little or no experience of Higher Education find out about what studying at university involves. ”
In conclusion I recommend that you at least think about these options and hopefully you will find the path way for you.
