Rough guide to going to University
Dr Lindsay Vare
University of Hertfordshire
Why go to university?
The main reasons
• You will get to study a
subject you love
• You will have an experience
that you’ll never forget
• Develop independence
• Employment prospects
Choosing your course
• Which subjects interest me?
• What are my talents?
• What job would I like to do after
university or college?
• Which academic skills would
I like to improve?
• Vocational or academic?
Choosing a university
• Your predicted grades
• Geographic considerations
• University or College
Choosing a university
• University type
• Facilities
• Opportunities
• Costs
How do I choose?
• Look on ucas.com for
courses
Choices - UCAS
Choices - UCAS
How do I choose?
• University Websites and
attend open days
opendays.com
How do I choose?
• Investigate career
options prospects.ac.uk
• Careers / personal
advisers / teachers /
parents
• 5 options to put onto
your UCAS form
Choices - Prospects
Student Finance for September 2012
Entry
Student Expenditure
• Cost of tuition fees
-Money paid directly to the university from Student Finance
England loan company to cover the cost of your studies
• Living costs
-This can include rent, study materials, household bills, food,
socialising, insurance, TV Licence, travel, leisure, household
items, clothes, telephone
Financial Support
• Tuition Fees Loan
-Repayable
-Available to everyone
• Living Costs Loan
-Repayable
- Available to all but dependent on
household income
• Living Costs Grant
- Non-repayable
- Dependent on household
income
• Scholarships
-Non-repayable
-Vary across institutions
-National Scholarship
Programme
Tuition Fees
• No up-front fees for Home and EU full-time undergraduate
courses
• Students will receive a repayable loan to cover the cost of
tuition
• Paid directly from Student Finance England to the institution
• Variable tuition fees across institutions and possibly within
each institution
• From Sept 2012, universities and colleges charging more than
£6,000 per year will participate in the National Scholarship
Programme
Living Costs Support – Loan
• Full-time students can apply for a Living Costs Loan
which is repayable
• The exact amount you can borrow will depend on
several factors such as:
-your household income
-where you decide to live
-what help you get through the Living Costs Grant
Living Costs Loan Figures
Living situation
Full rate
(100%)
Doesn’t depend on
household income
(65%)
Depends on
household income
(35%)
Living at home
£4,375
£2,843
£1,532
Living away from
home and
studying outside
London
£5,500
£3,575
£1,925
Living away from
home and
studying in
London
£7,675
£4,988
£2,687
Living and
studying abroad
for at least one
academic term
£6,535
£4,247
£2,288
Repayments
•
•
•
•
Taken automatically out of your wages
Repay from the April following graduation
Only repay if you are in employment and earning £21,000
If you don’t pay back the full balance after 30 years, the
outstanding balance will be written off
• Interest is payable on student loans, variable depending
on income
Repayments proposal
Subject to approval
Gross Salary
Amount of salary from which 9% will
be deducted
0
Monthly repayment
£21,000
£
£ 0
£25,000
£4,000
£30.00
£30,000
£9,000
£67.50
£35,000
£14,000
£105.00
£40,000
£19,000
£142.50
£45,000
£24,000
£180.00
£50,000
£29,000
£217.50
£55,000
£34,000
£255.00
£60,000
£39,000
£292.50
Financial Support
• Tuition Fees Loan
-Repayable
-Available to everyone
• Living Costs Loan
-Repayable
- Available to all but dependent on
household income
• Living Costs Grant
- Non-repayable
- Dependent on household
income
• Scholarships
-Non-repayable
-Vary across institutions
-National Scholarship
Programme
Living Costs Support – Grant
• The Living Costs Grant is non-repayable
• You will receive the maximum Living Costs Grant of
£3,250 if your household income is £25,000 or
under
• If your household income is between £25,001£42,600 you will get a partial sum of this grant
• For every £1 of grant to which you are entitled, your
living costs loan entitlement is reduced by £0.50
In addition
• Special support grant - If you qualify for Income Support or
Housing Benefit you may get the Special Support Grant
instead of the Living Costs Grant
• A range of scholarships
• National Scholarship programme
• Scholarships from individual universities
The University of Hertfordshire
National Scholarship Programme
The University will award scholarships worth £1,488,000 to eligible UK
students on programmes charging fees above £6,000 and who fall into
one or more of the following groups:
• Live an area with low level of progression to University and with a
household income of £25,000 or less
• In receipt of incapacity benefit
• Identified as a Looked After Child (using the statutory definition)
Check your eligibility on our website.
The University of Hertfordshire
Scholarships
•
60 Chancellor’s Diamond Scholarships worth £3,000 per year for the duration
of your studies
– You need a minimum of 400 UCAS points and support from your school
•
Higher Achievers’ Diamond Scholarship providing £2000 fee waiver and
access to professional support and placement opportunities
– You need a minimum of 450 UCAS points
•
See our website for full details of these scholarships
•
You must apply by April 13th 2012 to be considered
•
The University has a number of other Scholarship programmes; please see
our website for further details or speak to your admissions tutor
•
http://www.herts.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding/scholarships/home.cfm
The University of Hertfordshire
Fees
• Range of fees from £5,800 (for Foundation Degrees in
our partner colleges) to £8,500
• University-based programmes fall into one of three fee
bands: £7,400, £7,800 and £8,500
• Most of our courses are in the lower two bands with
an average fee of £7,500
For further information
http://yourfuture.direct.gov.uk/
For further information
http://direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Start planning
your finances now
Income
•
Living Costs Loan
•
Living Costs Grant
•
Parental contributions
•
Gap Year earnings
•
Part-time work
•
Scholarships / Sponsorships
•
Savings from holiday work
•
Placement earnings
Expenditure
•
Rent
•
Socialising
•
Household bills
•
Sports and clubs
•
TV Licence
•
Insurance
•
Phone
•
Car expenses
•
Food
•
Travel
•
Household items
•
Books/Stationery
•
Clothes
•
Toiletries
UCAS Website
• UCAS: University & College
Admissions Service
• One online form to apply for your
five courses
• Act as a bridge between you and
universities
What goes on a UCAS form?
• Your GCSE grades
• AS grades and predicted A Level grades (or equivalent course)
• Reference from a teacher
• Personal statement written by you
• Most universities will use only this application to decide if they
should make you an offer –
MAKE IT STAND OUT
Personal Statements
A good template
Paragraph/s
Content
Opening
• Why do you want to study the course?
2 and 3
• How your interest in the subject/s developed
• Include details of wider reading and exploration
• Work experience relevant to the subject
Closing
• Extra-Curricular Activities
• Positions of responsibility
• How you will make the most of your place outside your
studies
• Career goals
Deadlines 2011/2012
Be aware of the deadlines –
For this year:
• 15 October - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all professional
medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science courses, and for all courses
at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
•
15 January - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all courses
except those listed above with a 15 October deadline, and art and design courses with a 24
March deadline.
•
24 March - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for art and design
courses except those listed with a 15 January deadline.
What happens next?
•
•
•
•
Tracking number from UCAS
Universities must let you know their decisions by the end of March
Invitation to interview
Conditional offer
– A place is offered if the applicant meets certain conditions,
usually based on exam results
• Unconditional offer
• Unsuccessful application
• Select Firm and Insurance choices
What to do next - Advice
• Work to get the best grades that
you can achieve
• Have a look at www.ucas.com
• Go on Open Days
• Ask advice from
teachers/parents/Year 13s
Research options and make the best choice for you
What to do next
• Work to get the best grades that
you can achieve
• Have a look at www.ucas.com
•
Research options and make the best
choice for you
Go on Open Days
• Ask advice from
teachers/parents/Year 13s
Thank you for your attention
Any questions?