Universities and the UCAS Process Information for Parents
Cirencester College March 4th 2010
Tonight’s Agenda
A quick Guide to• Making choices• Applying• Support from College
The view from Home• Supporting the application• Questions & Concerns
Making Choices
• Over 50,000 different courses
• 2,3 & 4 year degrees
• Foundation Degrees, many offered in local FE Colleges
• Some courses vocationally linked
• Sandwiches with ‘thin’ and ‘thick’ fillings
• Different approaches to teaching and assessment
• Use the Times and Guardian Education Guides, and ask for quality information – research rating, drop-out rates, employment rates etc.
Making Choices: Where to Start?Your best resource is the UCAS website, www.ucas.com, for• subject searches• Entry Profiles - many layers of data• Parents section • Wealth of data under ‘About Us/Media Enquiries’ tab
Additional Resources• Lots of information in the Careers Library• Bristol UCAS Convention in March• Our Futures Days on June 21st & 22nd • University websites • Open Days, College Trips
A Range of Subjects
• Animation
• Biblical Studies
• Brewing and Distilling
• Dutch Studies
• Equine Science
• Footwear Technology
• Golf Course Management
• Jazz Studies
• Knitwear
• Museum Studies
• Packaging Design
• Parasitology
• Police Studies
• Puppetry
• Ship Science
• Sound Recording
• Valuation & Auctioneering
• Wine Studies
Narrowing the Choices
• Students apply to up to 5 universities
• Once there is an initial shortlist, Open Days and campus visits really help – you’re not just choosing a course, but also a home for 2-4 years
– Rural or Urban?
– Living accommodation – cost, quality etc.
– Other facilities – sports, music etc
What if they’re stuck?
• Use diagnostic tools on the UCAS website such as Stamford Test
• Our Futures Day really helps
• Talk to a Guidance Tutor; perhaps use Course Discover?
• Year in Industry or a structured Gap Year can help
• Go with the best guess… you can always turn a place down later!
Applying
• UCAS: Apply Online• Art & Performing Arts Colleges: apply directly• 5 choices• Personal details – qualifications, disabilities etc.• Personal Statement
– The student’s ‘sales pitch’– Explain: why this course choice?
Two types of University
• ‘Selecting’ universities: interested in selecting applicants with highest grades + other evidence of interest, such as additional reading, or work experience. Can have over 30 applicants for every place on some courses.
• ‘Recruiting’ universities: often more interested in students’ study skills than in grades and qualifications
NB due to funding cuts & rising applications even the ‘recruiting’ universities are now selecting for some courses…
The Process
• Offers from Universities
• The UCAS Tariff (and General Studies)
• Monitor through TRACK
• Replies through UCAS
• Firm and Insurance Offers
• UCAS EXTRA
• Results Day
• Clearing
Crunch time!
• We’d like a Personal Statement at the beginning of Year Two
• We advise the application should be in by the end of first half-term
• For Oxbridge, vets and medical applications, by late September
• Many universities interview any time between January and March
Our Support…
• To give advice through personal tutors, guidance tutors and LRC staff
• Once the student has finished the application they submit it to us electronically…
• We add a reference and send the completed application to UCAS
• We collect the UCAS fee and send it off
• We operate three separate levels of checking to ensure the best possible applications go out
• We may delay sending the application while we try to help the student improve it
Support from Home• Encourage students to do their research
• If they aren’t sure whether they want to apply, encourage them to do it – they can always decline later
• Encourage them to make use of the facilities we offer
• Encourage preparation – reading around the subject, possible work experience, etc.
• Offer help in drafting personal statements
• Encourage them to apply early
Money worries?
• By and large, students pay, not parents…
• The Government does expect some contribution will be made by high-earning parents – but they can’t dictate what you will do
• Up to half of all students will receive some form of non-repayable grant, and up to a third will receive
the full grant
• All students are eligible for a loan to cover tuition fees and living costs
• Many students can also receive bursary or scholarship grants
Any concerns?
What will it all cost? The Current System
Tuition Fees
• No upfront fee
• Universities charge variable fees, up to £3,290 per year
• Students take out loans for fees and repay from later earnings over £15,000 per year
• Universities charging over £1,200 per year must take steps to ensure access for all
Living Costs
• Roughly £18,000 over 3 years
• Student loans at rate of inflation, up to £4,950 pa outside
London, £6,928 in London
• Grants up to £2,906 per year for those from lower-income families; around 50% of students
eligible for some grant
• Most students have a part-time job to help with living expenses
Not as scary as it looks…
• Students do not begin to repay their loans until they are earning more than £15,000 a year.
• Rate of interest currently 0%
• They pay 9% of earnings over £15,000
• For example, someone earning £18,000 a year would repay £22.50 per month.
• The Student Loan does not affect their credit rating (for mortgages etc.)
• Outstanding loans written off after 25 years; possible 5 year payment ‘holiday’
• Find all the details on www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Don’t forget
• Many institutions are offering bursaries and scholarships
• Details of these are available on the UCAS website, and in university prospectuses & websites
• Universities’ offerings of financial aid vary widely – it pays to do research!
• Many scholarships are also attached to unconditional offers.
21st & 22nd June: FuturesHE & Careers Days
March 20010Start thinking and researching your options.
March 20010 Sign up for ‘yougo’ on the UCAS site
4th MarchHigher Education Parents’ EveningTheatre/J2707-8pm
18th March Bristol UCAS Convention
Y2 Starter PeriodPractise on UCASApply
Summer 2010Draft Personal Statement, investigate courses, visit universities, make your choices
18 & 25 June Bristol and Reading University Open Days
4 September Personal Statement to Tutor on Y2 Induction Day
Follow UCAS Tracking Form
24 SeptemberDeadline for medical, veterinary and Oxbridge applications
22 OctoberDeadline for UCAS applications
The UCAS Process
