Degree courses on your doorstep!

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1 The University Centre at... DISCOVER THE POWER OF LEARNING AT ANY AGE! A guide for mature students including those with no formal qualifications Degree courses on your doorstep! Let us help you along the way Please contact: Higher Education Information & Advice Oice: or he@northlindsey.ac.uk Working in Partnership with and and and

2 Education is such a good thing, it is not reserved for young people Rt Hon David Willetts MP We have written this booklet to be of particular interest to mature students. By this we mean anyone who left full time education just a few years ago, or even several decades ago! We have a long and successful track record of providing higher education (HE) and university courses here in Scunthorpe. Please read the following pages and hopefully you will be inspired to come and join our learning community! When you are 18 it may seem a chore, but by my age it is a great pleasure MATURE STUDENTS Increasingly students at all stages of life are choosing to take up Higher Education (HE). Here are some reasons why: Improve job prospects; career change Prepare to re-enter the job market after a break/raising a family etc Balance part time study along with looking after dependants Benefit through financial assistance while studying especially for lone parents or those from low income backgrounds Make new friends and mix with like minded people Gain personal satisfaction through lifelong learning Just to further a pure interest in a subject or as a hobby! THE LEARNING VILLAGE Come and join our community We have a self-contained campus at North Lindsey College which is specifically for our HE students. The Dransfield Building sits at the heart of the Higher Education Learning Village. Either side there are buildings housing HE sta and students. These consist of quality teaching rooms, sta oices, social accommodation including Costa Coee, and the HE Library Suite learning resource.

3 HIGHER EDUCATION FEES ESSENTIAL FACTS! You have most probably seen the publicity and heard some of the concerns around student fees. Here are some facts on financial support for applicants from work/life experiences backgrounds to either full time or part courses. Don t be put o applying! There are No upfront costs for tuition, even if you are working There are No costs for tuition whilst you are a student (up to 2 or 3 years full time; 4-8 years part-time) You can get a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan (living) but you only ever start to pay back if you later get and stay in a job earning over 21,000/year You could also be eligible for non-repayable grants and bursaries Any repayments due on loans once you are earning 21,000 will be at a rate of 9% on the balance over the 21k threshold E.g. at a salary of 25,000, 9% of 4,000 = 30/month only that equals less than the price of a daily coee! Rates of interest on loans are only applied at inflation plus up to 3% IF YOU TAKE A CAREER BREAK, BECOME UNEMPLOYED OR EARN BELOW 21,000/YEAR AFTER YOUR COURSE NO REPAYMENTS APPLY! Loan applications can be made by individuals up to 60 years of age! f f A student loan could be the ultimate freebie for pensioners (The Telegraph, 14/01/13) In summary, you don t have to find the money to pay for tuition costs before or while you are studying. And you don t have to start repaying the loan until you are earning over 21,000 a year (source: Department for Business Innovation & Skills) Loans and Grants All full-time eligible students can apply for: Tuition fee loan Maintenance loan ranging from 4,375 to 5,500 For students starting on a 2 year course in September 2013 any repayments due would start April 2016; for 3 year courses, any repayments would start April Please see table below for illustration. Income/year before tax Up to 21, , , , , Monthly repayment In addition, depending on household income, full-time students may apply for non-repayable grants. Children or Adult dependants grants For full-time students who have these responsibilities, there are additional grants which may be available to support you through your studies. These include: Childcare Grant Parents Learning Allowance Adult Dependants Grant

4 COURSE AND SUBJECT CHOICES We oer a wide range of courses with qualifications at dierent levels. These include: Higher National Certificate [HNC] Certificate in Education [CertEd] Higher National Diploma [HND] Foundation Degree [FdA; FdSc; FdEng] Bachelor of Arts [BA] Bachelor of Arts with classified honours [BA (Hons)] Bachelor of Science with honours [BSc (Hons)] Professional Graduate Certificate in Education [PGCE] The range of subjects currently includes: Business Studies Bio Sciences Computing and Computer Systems Development Counselling Early Childhood Engineering Education English and History Health and Social Care Leadership and Management Learning Support Social Sciences (Sociology, Criminology, Social Policy) Sports Performance and Exercise Development HOW AND WHEN CAN I STUDY? Full Time Please note a few facts which show how we provide a flexible approach which suits the needs of many students: A student on a full-time course will attend classes for approximately 12 hours per week This is usually over 2-3 days Some courses may run on an afternoon into evening model (just 1 day) Some modules can be studied either during the day or evening There are also extensive learning resources on our virtual learning website which is accessible anytime, anywhere Part Time HNC courses are usually taken over two years (sometimes 3) Foundation degrees are studied over either 3 or 4 years The part-time degrees are as flexible as you wish. You can study at your own pace for a part time degree. It is studied on a module by module approach, each of which has university credits eg 1 module = 30 credits. You can take up to 90 credits per year which could lead to a full degree in just 4 years. Some prefer a more relaxed and leisurely approach and you can then take up to 8 years if you choose. Each module successfully completed gains credits. If you are unable to continue, the following intermediate awards may be claimed. Credits Awards 60 University Certificate 120 Certificate in Higher Education* *Cert HE which entitles you to use Cert HE letters after your name 240 Diploma in Higher Education* *DipHE letters after your name 300 BA degree 360 BA (Hons) degree As a mum of 3 who hadn t studied since leaving school at 15, I was nervous about how I would cope with degree level work. I had been a new age traveller and worked for various community groups such as the Crosby Playbus so I had plenty of life experience but no real academic qualifications other than my GCSEs. The course oered me a real opportunity to improve myself and go places through studying for a BA (Hons) Social Science. I was suprised at how well I did and was so proud to achieve First Class Honours in I am now at University of Lincoln studying for a Masters Degree in Social Work. I could not have done this without the supportive studying environment at the University Centre at NLC. Louisa

5 Here are 2 degrees which are particularly attractive to mature students: BA (HONS) ENGLISH AND HISTORY STUDIES Do you enjoy watching history programmes on TV and would like to know more? How accurate is the history in the films and dramas you watch? Do you enjoy reading novels and want to develop your ideas further? What can the works of Charles Dickens tell us about disease and poverty in the 19th century? Nature or Nurture? discover how children were brought up in the 1700s and 1800s. How do contemporary novelists and film adaptations of novels describe the world we live in? This degree is long established, very successful and popular amongst a range of students. The sta team is made up of highly enthusiastic lecturers who are specialists in their disciplines. Some, including the Programme Leader, have developed through the route from being mature students themselves following through to post graduate study and then reinvesting their intellectual wealth back into the community. BA (HONS) SOCIAL SCIENCE This degree has traditionally attracted students who are eager to learn and understand more about the society we live in. Provocative TV documentaries and dramas may fuel this interest. We have lively debates and a range of guest speakers who enrich the course with real life experiences. Issues such as poverty, welfare benefits, social class and marginalised groups including disabled people, ethnic minority groups and older adults and how politics aims to address these are explored. We study crime and punishment including youth crime, violent and white collar crime and their eects on society. We study Britain s relationship with America, the EU, China and the role of multinational corporations; this includes protest groups such as the anti-capitalist and anti- globalisation movements. We investigate identities and understanding the self focusing on gender, sexuality, body image and the new arena of social networks such as Facebook. I left school with no qualifications before joining the army and drifting through a range of jobs. It took a job refusal in my 40s to make me serious about doing a degree. Family and work commitments were a limitation as was a lack of experience of formal study. The English and History degree was recommended by a relative who had completed her degree in her late twenties and then used it to build a successful teaching career. The degree taught me that iron-clad attitudes can change when you challenge them honestly. In the beginning I struggled with Literature, Social History and the Victorians. By Year 3, I was lecturing my children about the genius of Coleridge and Blake and had completed a 10,000 word dissertation on alcohol consumption among the Victorian working class! I still can t say I m an avid consumer of poetry, but I can say I appreciate and admire it. I eventually achieved a 1st and won an academic prize for my dissertation. As important as that was the encouragement it gave my GCSE and A-Level aged children to see their Dad study with purpose and focus. I m now studying a history MA and then hope to go on to a PhD. Simon, Mid 40 s, Ex Army I originally signed up to the BA Social Science course as I d reached a glass ceiling in my previous job. The course was perfect as it allowed me to continue work and fit my studies around it with the flexible timetable and the evening classes. Without such flexibility, I simply would not have been in a position to complete it. The course was well presented and oered opportunities to experience volunteering. The sta always encouraged students, who had the desire, to push themselves as far as possible. I always felt like I was respected and my opinions and contributions to debates were valued. Studying along such diverse peers, some of whom had little previous education added greatly to the experience. On a deeper level, the degree has made a massive dierence to my life. I ve changed both personally and professionally for the better. It s enabled me to secure an exciting and demanding job with a thriving local employer, putting my knowledge of social housing into practice. On a personal level, I enjoy the confidence the course has instilled in me, meeting new people and feeling knowledgeable about the subject - it s instigated a genuine interest in politics which I previously had little interest in. All in all, it s been a fantastic three years and I wouldn t have changed anything. Thanks for the opportunity. Rob

6 I didn t really know what I wanted to do when I left school, and I ended up on a secretarial course at North Lindsey College, which I really enjoyed. I undertook work experience as a Medical Secretary at Scunthorpe Hospital, which helped me to secure a job. I moved into other jobs within the NHS at varying levels, but still felt unfulfilled academically. I always felt that I had missed out on something by not going into higher education and I had relied on experience alone, to progress my career. When I reached a certain age milestone, I was motivated to take the plunge and plug that gap on my CV. I had heard about the BA (Hons) in English and History from a few former students and the feedback had always been positive. I am so glad that I decided to do it, as I have really enjoyed the experience and find the topics covered interesting and inspiring. It is extremely convenient to be able to study locally, and to have the flexibility of attending lectures either during the daytime or in the evenings. Reducing my working hours and studying alongside has enabled me to strike a good work-life balance. I was delighted (and very surprised) when I heard that I had won a prize for my project in Themes in Regional and Local History and it really made me feel that my hard work had been worth it. I am now looking forward to completing my third and final year and the huge sense of achievement when I finally get that degree (fingers crossed)! Julie Being away from education for sometime I was a little apprehensive at the time of my initial interview for the HND Business Studies. The course content was thoroughly explained to me backed by a clear network of support to help me through the process. Surprising myself with how I easily adjusted, my potential was spotted by the teaching sta where upon I was encouraged to take the opportunity of embarking on the MBA route. After the 1st year of my MBA, equipped with a post graduate qualification I was able to embark on some part time teaching at North Lindsey where I remained doing so for 3 years. The close alliance between North Lindsey College and the University of Lincoln led to a part time teaching role at the University. The decision to embark on the HND has provided me with a brand new lucrative career path at the age of 45, I can honestly say I have never looked back. Carol Degree Start The University Centre at... Get your teeth into Higher Education with a... Part-time preparation route into Higher Education These short courses have been designed to appeal to those students who are considering embarking on a higher education course after a period away from study. They are taught informally by discussion, group work, oral and written assignments. Students will be encouraged to proceed at their own pace; the groups are small and every member is given individual help and advice. Cost There is no charge for these short courses, which usually run up to four days. For more Information Please contact the Higher Education Information and Advice Oice on or HE@northlindsey.ac.uk for further details. Working in Partnership with and and and

7 IN SUMMARY Reasons to take this life changing step The lowest tuition fees in the region for higher education in colleges An outstanding quality inspection report Small learning groups led by enthusiastic and highly qualified subject sta High student satisfaction in the 2012 National Student Survey, we were 6% above the national sector average Enjoy learning and make new friends Help provide your family with a better future Become a role model for others in your family to enter higher education Mature students make a significant contribution to enriching campus life Discover your full potential Fulfil your ambitions Whether your study choice is for career enhancement or simply to satisfy your personal ambitions or interest, The University Centre will help you to achieve your goals! So what s stopping you? Working in Partnership with and and and