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Higher Education (HE) qualifications are courses such as degrees, foundation degrees and HE diplomas, studied mainly at universities (although some colleges offer HE courses).

Many students progress to university from sixth form or college, but this is not the only time you can do it – we have many mature students, and people who study part time while they work…our oldest graduate was 84 years old!

Why go to university?

Those with HE qualifications have a wider selection of jobs available to them and often start on higher salaries - many careers require higher qualifications, such as teaching and medicine. Completing a university qualification will also show employers you have a high standard of team work, IT, presentation and communication skills.

And finally…going to university guarantees you a great time! There are loads of things to get involved with, and most graduates will tell you that the friends they met as students became their friends for life - going to university will introduce you to people from all over the world.

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How is university different from school or college?

You don’t have to be at university between 9am – 3pm, in fact you could be timetabled for as little as 12 hours per week.

You have more independent study, but you will still find time to join university sports c lub and societies, get a job or do some volunteering (good for future job prospects!)
Teaching methods are different too - you will have small seminars, but you may also attend lectures with over 300 people, or have your own studio to display work in.

The key difference will be your independence. Making it to lectures, meeting deadlines and attending assessments is your responsibility – lecturers won’t chase you. It’s your qualification, so it’s up to you to do as well as you can…but you can enjoy your freedom as well!

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Useful links

For more information about the different qualifications and routes available, the Aimhigher Learning Pathways site is a good place to start.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority site also has details of the different types of qualifications you can study.

If you would like further information about Foundation Degrees, please download the University's brochure.

Which course?

There are over 50,000 HE courses available in the UK, from traditional subjects to those you can’t study at school or college - for example, The University of Northampton offers a course in Entertainment Marketing. Remember, whatever you choose you will be spending a lot of time studying, so make sure it’s something you enjoy.

Not all courses last for three years - foundation degrees and Higher National Diplomas take two years full-time (degree courses usually last three years). You can also study part-time, meaning you can work and earn money at the same time.

To find out more about which courses are on offer, at which universities, the ucas course search facility is a good place to start.

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Part time study

If you are considering studying within Higher Education (HE) it is important to remember that there are lots of options available to you.  Higher Education offers over 50,000 course options and more than 160 institutions to choose from, within these institutions there are also options regarding how you study your course.

There are many reasons students study part time such as, existing commitments or time constarints, part time study is also a perfect solution if you plan to continut or commence work while you study.

Finance

Student choosing to study a part time route will find that their finaice options are different from those studying on a fulll time basis.  Students opting for a part time mode of study will be eligible for very little maintenance support, however, part time students will be eligible to apply for a means tests, non-repayable grant towards course fees.

To find out more about finance for part time students visit
Direct.gov

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