University

University:

Propel is brought to you by Become, the charity for children in care and young care leavers. We provide help, support and advice so that young people who spend time in care can unleash their potential and take control of their lives.

Is higher education for me?

Making the leap from care to independent life at university or college can be both scary and exciting.  If you want to be a student there is loads of support available for care leavers to make it happen.

How do I get support?

If in doubt, get in touch with a named contact at the university or college you're thinking of going to (your PA can help with this) 

Choosing a subject

It's important you choose a subject you enjoy and will help you reach your goals. Here are some things to help you choose the right subject for you:

• Think about what you enjoy day-to-day - maybe this could be part of a future job role?
• Explore different job sites and graduate career options to look for ideas on what you'd like to do once you've finished your studies.
• Think about your career goals and the qualifications required as part of a person specification.
• Take a look at our subject guides to get an idea of the types of subjects you could study, and the industries graduates go on to work in.
• Search for courses by subject to see what's available.

UK degree courses tend to be very specialised from day one, allowing students to focus on their chosen subject. However, there are others that allow you more flexibility in what you study. Make sure you read the course descriptions carefully and click through to university websites for further information.

Research the options

What to study - what the options are and how to choose between them.

Flexible and part-time study  - combining education with work, training or other responsibilities.

Alternatives to uni - training, volunteering and travel.

UCAS' career finder tool- register for personalised alerts for apprenticeships, school leaver programmes, internships, work experience placements, graduate schemes, and more.

Studying at a UK college

UK colleges offer all the subject areas you'd expect from a university, and many colleges offer full honours degrees. UK colleges are also known for more practical, vocational courses, such as Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) and foundation degrees, most of which are run in partnership with a university, and often allow students to continue to a full degree through a 'top-up' course.

UK colleges provide a very high level of teaching and learning support for students on higher education programmes, although some colleges don't offer student accommodation like universities do with halls of residence. With this in mind, it's important you research your accommodation options before you add a college-based course choice to your application

 What are the benefits?

There are many benefits to studying your course at a UK college, including:

• lower tuition fees
• smaller class sizes
• location - you can choose to stay close to home (reducing any living expenses)
• flexible study options, including part-time
• progression programmes through to full degree courses
• more class contact hours and individual study support
• Who studies HE in a college?

Around 10% of all undergraduate higher education is delivered in further education (FE) colleges, with around 187,000 students studying HE at a college in the UK.

Colleges have more part-time provision, more students in work, and more mature students than in universities.

Colleges offer a wide range of subjects, particularly vocational courses. They deliver a higher proportion of the following subjects than universities:

• business, admin, and law
• education and training
• arts, media, and publishing
• manufacturing technology/construction

Almost half of all undergraduates studying at a UK college are over 25 years old. A high proportion are also studying part-time - studying for their HE qualification alongside other responsibilities, such as working and family commitments.

Website: UCAS