Taking them to higher education

What is Higher Education?

Higher Education (HE) refers to any qualification studied at Level 4 or above, i.e. qualifications taken after A Levels or Level 3 vocational courses. A well-known route is studying for a degree at a University, however there are many HE qualifications that allow young people to study at a College, University, or in the workplace such as Higher Apprenticeships, HNDs/ HNCs, Foundation Degrees and Degrees.

Why Higher Education?

Higher Education will bring benefits to your son/daughter that last throughout their life, no matter which pathway they take including:

Access to a wider range of jobs and the opportunity to earn a higher wage

Gaining transferable skills which can be applied to the world of work and to adult life Opportunity to try new activities and meet new people

Opportunity to gain real work experience whilst studying

Increased confidence through presenting work and working in teams

Applying to Higher Education

The first step to applying is for your son/daughter to decide what and where they would like to study. Key things to consider are:

What subjects they are good at and are interested in

What courses would help them with any career plans they have

How they best like to learn

What different institutions can offer them in terms of facilities, price and support

Where they would like to study

Applications for HE are usually made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Your son/daughter will need to register and create an account on UCAS.

The deadline for most applications is 15th January in the year a course would begin, however there are earlier deadlines for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine or applications to Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Universities and Colleges will send their responses to applicants through a service called UCAS Track. These will either be Conditional, Unconditional or Decline. Once your son/daughter has received replies from all of the institutions they have applied to they will need to choose a first (firm) and second (insurance)

choice and decline other offers. On results day UCAS Track will notify your child to let them know whether their firm or insurance choice has accepted them onto their chosen course.

Help and Support

Students will receive a range of talks and a helpful booklet in College which will help guide them as to how to apply to UCAS and they will receive 1:1 support from our expert careers team.

Helpful websites: www.futureme.ac.uk www.apprenticeships.gov.uk www.gov.uk/student-finance