Access course

Access courses, also called Access to Higher Education courses, are designed to prepare students, without any other qualifications, for entry into university and to help provide the knowledge and skills needed to progress on to a university degree course. A database of Access courses in the Greater Manchester area is available in the Course Search section of this website.

For Adult Learners, this scheme can be used by colleges to recognise your experiences in work and voluntary situations as well as to account for any qualifications you already have.

An admissions tutor is someone employed by the college who is responsible for application forms and other enquiries about the admissions process. Some admissions staff will offer help if you have any queries about your application.

These are qualifications in practical work-related skills which can be gained while you are in a job with a local employer. They are an opportunity to earn money, learn new skills and gain a qualification at the same time. During the AMA you work towards gaining an NVQ level 3. For more information check out the website at http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

Advanced Extension Awards – these are advanced examinations which are aimed at the top 10% of AGCE (A level) students and are designed to challenge the most able pupils. AEAs offer a chance for students to demonstrate a greater depth of understanding than that required at AGCE (A level).

A Levels are qualifications that can be studied in schools, colleges, evening classes, or at home by distance learning. There are about 80 different A Level subjects which can be studied, but not all schools or colleges offer every subject. Colleges can usually offer a wider choice of A Level subjects than schools.

Advanced Subsidiary Levels – these are qualifications you can study for at school or at college. They can be combined with A2 levels to form a full A level (AGCE). You can study up to five AS levels in one year (usually in Year 12). Each AS level is gained by completing three AS units. Three AS units are considered as one half of an A Level (AGCE).

A2 levels – these are qualifications you can study for at school or at college. They can be combined with AS levels to form a full A level (AGCE). In the second half of an AGCE (A level) course three A2 units can be studied to complete the A level (AGCE) qualification.

People who have completed a course and gained a qualification from a college can be described as alumni of that college. Some colleges have alumni associations that enable past students to keep in touch with each other.

Assessment is the term used to describe how colleges measure your progress. Assessment will vary according to the course you are taking and could be by project work, coursework or examinations.

An AVCE is an AGCE (A level) in a vocational subject. An AVCE usually offers the student an academic overview of a particular industry so that the student can decide if they want to continue to work or study further in that industry. From 2005, all AVCE courses will be renamed AGCEs (A levels).

A BTEC qualification prepares students for jobs or for further study. A BTEC course is usually more practical and more work-based than an AVCE. BTEC students usually learn by completing projects and assignments that are based on workplace situations and activities. BTEC courses can be taken part-time or full-time. Most BTEC courses are not assessed by examination but are assessed through the marking of coursework.

The BTEC 6-unit National Award is equivalent to one AGCE (A level). The BTEC 12-unit National Certificate is equivalent to two AGCEs (A levels). The BTEC 18-unit National Diploma is equivalent to three AGCEs (A levels).

This usually refers to the buildings, teaching areas, accommodation halls (if there are any) and surroundings of a college.

These provide a very important service for all students, whatever stage they are at in their course. They can help by providing guidance about a vast range of career possibilities. Many colleges are also able to provide information about opportunities for part-time and temporary jobs for students. See also Connexions.

Sometimes it is possible to gain credit for completing parts of a qualification which can be transferred to another educational institution. If you have already studied to HND level, on part of a degree programme or for relevant professional qualifications, you may be able to transfer credits to a university or another college under the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). This can allow greater flexibility and means that you can take the credits with you if you change course, move to another institution, take a break from study or change from full- to part-time.

City & Guilds is the main provider of vocational qualifications in the United Kingdom. City & Guilds offers over 500 different qualifications which assess skills that are of practical value in the workplace. City & Guilds qualifications are recognised for their quality and are valued by employers.

This is the system operated by UCAS to allocate students places on courses that still have vacancies after the publication of the AGCE (A level) results. Although it is often for those who have not made the grades required by their chosen colleges, it can also allow last-minute applications to new institutions.

Connexions is an advice and guidance service that offers help to 13 to 19 year olds. They can provide free advice and information about learning, careers, health, housing and money.

Many AGCE (A level) and college courses do not assess the performance of students through examinations, but instead they assess reports, projects or essays which are done and handed in throughout the duration of the course.

Since 2000, anyone studying post-16 courses has been able to study a broader range of courses. This is known as Curriculum 2000. Students can study a mix of academic and vocational subjects, and the two are equally valued.

This is the amount of money that many students find they need to repay at the end of their studies. Most students do leave college with some debt: either to the Student Loans Company or to a bank. Student Loans do not have to be repaid until you reach a certain level of income (currently £15,000.00 per year) and the repayment amount varies each year according to your average earnings. Bank loans often have to be repaid on graduating.

A qualification awarded by a college or university after the satisfactory completion of the equivalent of 3 years of full-time study. Foundation degrees may be awarded after 2 years of study.

The Education Maintenance Allowance is a weekly payment (of up to £30.00 per week) for students who are planning to continue in further education from September 2004. You will be entitled to an EMA payment if you are aged 16 or older, your household income is below £30,000 and you are studying on further education courses (such as AS/A2, GNVQs, NVQs and GCSEs) in school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and colleges. For further information check out the EMA website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ema.

Essays are pieces of written work that are submitted by students to the college for marking and are one of the forms of assessment used by colleges. In an essay, students are expected to answer a question (usually within a set number of words) showing that they have done some research and are able to discuss the issues clearly and logically. Essays are more common with some subjects (e.g. humanities subjects) than others (e.g. science subjects).

The main AGCE (A level) examination boards in the UK are the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, CCEA (for Northern Ireland), Edexcel, OCR (for Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations) and the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC). The school or college usually decides which examination board sets and marks the examinations offered in each subject.

A foundation degree is a Level 4 work-related qualification designed together with employers. Studying for a foundation degree is a way of combining academic knowledge with job-related training. You can usually progress from a foundation degree to an honours degree at university or college in the same subject. For more information check out the foundation degree website at http://www.foundationdegree.org.uk/.

General Certificate of Secondary Education in a variety of subjects. GCSEs can be studied in schools, colleges, evening classes, or at home by distance learning.

A graduate is a person who has been awarded a degree from a college or university, usually for studying at Level 4 for three years.

Some, but not all, colleges have halls of residence. Halls of residence are blocks of student accommodation, which provide rooms plus either meals or self-catering facilities. There are usually a variety of other facilities in halls of residence, such as launderettes, common rooms, TVs and cleaners. Often there are shared amenities such as bathrooms and showers, but some rooms do have en-suite facilities.

Study at Level 4 at a college or institute of higher education. Most people studying at this level are aiming for a degree, a Certificate of Higher Education or a Diploma of Higher Education.

You are classed as an independent student if one of the following applies:

• You are 25 or over before the start of the academic year for which you are applying.
• You have been married for at least two years before the start of the academic year for which you are applying for support. (Your LEA will need to see your marriage certificate.)
• You have supported yourself for at least three years before the start of the academic year of your course. This includes any time when you:
  • were in paid full-time employment
  • received income support or unemployment benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance or were registered for unemployment
  • held a state studentship or similar award, for example from a research council
  • received incapacity benefits, invalidity pension or maternity allowance
  • received training under any scheme for the unemployed or other funding by any state authority or agency or
  • could not support yourself out of earnings because you had to care for a person under 18 who depended on you.
• You have no living parents.

A lecture is usually a formal speech or presentation of ideas and information by a member of the academic staff to a fairly large number of students. Many lectures are accompanied with student handouts, although you will generally be encouraged to make your own notes too. In recent times lectures have become less formal in many colleges with lecturers encouraging active participation from students.

Lecturers and tutors are members of college staff who are responsible for the teaching of college courses and in helping students to learn.

Level 3 are pre-degree qualifications such as A levels, BTECs, AVCEs, NVQs, AMAs and Access to Higher Education courses.

Level 4 qualifications are degree-level qualifications.

Level 5 qualifications are postgraduate qualifications.

Local Education Authorities are the local government organisations responsible for education for those up to 18 years old. Each LEA has a Student Awards Section, which deals with request for funding for people living in that area who wish to go to Further Education, college or university.

Generally, mature students are students over 21 who do not enter higher education directly, or after a gap year, from school. Mature students often have wider experience of the workplace and life as a whole, or have spent some time away from study. Specific definitions of mature students may be applied by funding organisations when financial help is sought to support studies.

These are high-quality, job-related vocational training programmes that enable workers to gain NVQs and technical certificates while also learning a job.

Some college courses are divided into modules, and students receive credits for each module they complete successfully and are required to pass a number of modules to complete a qualification. To achieve a qualification you will usually have to study a number of compulsory and a number of optional modules.

National Vocational Qualifications are practical qualifications which confirm the competence and skills of a worker in a specific profession or job. Each NVQ is broken down into smaller units and each unit tests a specific skill. NVQs are available from Level 1 (the lowest level) to Level 5 (the highest level).

Many students spend time in the library reading and researching for essays. As well as books the library contains specialist periodicals or journals which are published regularly and contain articles written mainly by academic researchers. These can be a useful and important source of information.

Plagiarism is when someone uses someone else’s writing or ideas and pretends that they are their own. Colleges are very keen that students should not cheat in this way and so if you do refer to anyone else's work you should always make it clear where you have copied the information from.

Courses that are usually available only for those who have already passed a degree. Postgraduate study can lead to a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma or even a Master degree or a doctorate (PhD).

A prospectus is a booklet (or CD-ROM) which gives the details of courses, activities and student life at a college or university. A prospectus is normally designed to give information to anyone who wishes to study with that college and can be obtained from the Admissions Office. Often they can be ordered via the institution’s website.

Research involves collecting information about a subject from a variety of sources including books, journals and the internet or by carrying out experiments or talking to people.

Sandwich courses are degree courses which include an extra year 'sandwiched' between the years of study. During the extra year the student usually goes on work experience with an organisation or employer in their subject field. If the degree is in languages, the extra year will usually involve a trip abroad (e.g. a sandwich course in French may involve a year living and working in France).

A group of students meet to discuss a subject with a tutor; usually someone (or a group) prepares a paper for discussion and shares the research they have done and their opinions on the subject. Seminars are more interactive than a lecture and are often student-led.

Some students are given money by a business that may wish to employ them in the future. Often the students that receive sponsorship will study a vocational subject relevant to the job they are going to do.

Student Loans are low-interest loans to help students pay their living and study costs while they are at college. The student loan does not have to be paid back until after the student has left college and is earning a good salary of at least £15,000.00 per year.

Tuition fees for full-time courses are set by the Government and paid to the college directly by the student or by the local authority if the student is eligible for fees support. Depending on your (or your family’s) circumstances, the entire fees may be paid for you by the Local Education Authority. The tuition fees for part-time courses will vary according to the length of the course and to the college.

Members of staff responsible for teaching students in colleges and for assisting students with their learning.

A small group (average size about 10 to 15 students) meets to discuss with each other and their tutor the work they are doing and more general course issues. Tutorials can be used to monitor your progress on the course and discuss with you what you have learned. Tutorials can also be on an individual basis with a student discussing work with a tutor.

The main applications and admissions system for the UK. All students applying for full-time degree courses at college or university must apply through UCAS.

Someone studying either full- or part-time for a first degree, including Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Education (BEd), LLB (Law), etc.

Vocational qualifications mean a qualification relevant to a particular career or industry. Vocational qualifications will prepare students for employment as well as for further or higher education. A wide range of vocational qualifications can be studied in practical subjects. You can study for vocational GCSEs and vocational AGCEs (A levels).