ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ

Higher Education

Transforming lives through learning.

At ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ we offer a range of higher education qualifications from HNCs and HNDs to Foundation Degrees and top-ups for BA and BSc Degrees.

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ has been recognised for its focus on employability by the Quality Assurance Agency and ensures that every programme of study provides opportunities for students to develop the employability skills needed for a successful career in their chosen subject.

Our Foundation degrees and BA/BSc top-up programmes are awarded by partner universities including Oxford Brookes, University of Reading, University of Greenwich, and Kingston University.

Our Higher National Certificates (HNC) and Diplomas (HND) are awarded by Pearson.

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ offers high-quality teaching and learning outcomes for its students and has been awarded TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) Silver award by the Office for Students.

All programmes provide learners with work-based learning opportunities supported by employers, external organisations and/or professional practitioners, and significantly enhance students’ employability skills and progression opportunities. Plus, there’s funding options to help spread the financial costs. See our FUNDING YOUR HIGHER EDUCATION JOURNEY section below.

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ maintains relatively small group sizes to provide opportunities for a more personalised learning experience which supports you as an individual. Our tuition fees are very competitive and our teaching, learning and assessment methods are designed to develop your academic as well as employability skills, such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving.

Find out more about our Higher Education programmes, support and finance help in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Surrey by clicking on the college of your choice below and visiting their individual website.

You can also secure a place on a Higher Education programme through a process called Clearing. You can learn more about Clearing here.Ìý

Find out more below about what ²â´Ç³Ü’l±ô need to pay, if you can get any funding, and how we can help you manage it all. Ìý

FUNDING YOUR HIGHER EDUCATION JOURNEY

Higher Education bursaries 2023/24

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ recognises that funding is a big part of your decision to embark on a higher education programme.Ìý You will be aware of, should budget for and be able to meet, all of the pre-requisite costs associated with your course e.g. course fees, cost of necessary materials or activities (such as personal therapy for Counselling students, material costs for furniture students) and regular travel to and from college.Ìý

For eligible students we have put in place arrangements in the form of bursaries and funds to support you with other course-related expenditure during the term of your studies.Ìý

All bursaries are paid directly to you, giving you full control over how and where you spend them.ÌýÌýÌý

All bursaries and awards from funds are paid as grants and so do not need to be repaid.Ìý

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµâ€™s HE Bursary and Financial Award Panel meets on a Tuesday during term time with the first meeting in 2023.24 scheduled for 17th October 2023.Ìý You should note that applications received throughout a week will be considered by the Panel at the following Tuesday’s meeting.Ìý

If you are studying and registered on a course with either Oxford Brookes University or the University of Reading, you should in the first instance, seek support from the relevant awarding university. If you are unable to access support due to circumstances such as the fund at the university having been exhausted, you may make a subsequent claim for any of the available Bursaries or the HE Study Support/Hardship Funds.Ìý

Applications should be made using the online form available on the HE Portal within ALO or available here.Ìý

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The HE Maintenance Bursary exists to provide you with some extra financial support while you’re studying with us.  You can use this money for whatever you need, whether that’s a helping hand with your rent or travelling to campus.Ìý

ÌýWhat’s it worth?Ìý

The HE Maintenance Bursary offers a grant of up to £1000 paid in two instalments (55% at the beginning of the academic year with the balance of 45% paid in April) subject to your satisfactory attendance and academic progress. Application is not a guarantee of an award as a limited number of awards are available.Ìý

Who is eligible?Ìý

  • Be eligible for funding as a home student;Ìý
  • Be normally resident in the UK;Ìý
  • Be in receipt of the full SFE maintenance loan;Ìý
  • Have a family income of £25,000 or less; and,Ìý
  • Studying on an FdSc/BSc awarded by Kingston University, or an FdSc/BSc awarded by Middlesex University.Ìý

All applications must be made using the online form.Ìý

As part of your application, you will be required to provide evidence to show that you meet the eligibility criteria. It is important to note that you can apply for a HE Maintenance Bursary in each year of study.Ìý

You will be able to apply for an ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ HE Maintenance Bursary from September 2023 onwards, provided ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ is your firm choice through UCAS.  Awards will be made following the initial Award Panel on 10 October 2023.Ìý

You should be aware that funds are not unlimited and that applications for the HE Maintenance Bursary will be processed in the order they are received. The application process will be closed once the funding has been used. Please note that should it be necessary, preference will be given to students where neither parent holds a higher education qualification.Ìý

The HE Care Leaver Bursary is a grant of £1000 paid in one instalment in October to eligible students.Ìý

Who’s eligible?Ìý

I In order to be considered for HE Care Leaver Bursary you must meet our definition of a Care Experienced or Estranged student: someone who has been in the care of their local authority/had experience of the care system after the age of 14 for a minimum period of 3 months. You will also need to registered on a full-time undergraduate course and classed as a Home student and under the age of 25 at the start of your course.Ìý

You will receive the HE Care Leaver Bursary in each year of your course on the condition that you meet attendance requirements and progress normally on the programme.Ìý

You should be aware that you can apply for both a HE Maintenance Bursary as well as a HE Care Leaver Bursary.Ìý

All applications must be made using the online form.Ìý

You should be aware that funds are not unlimited and that applications for the HE Care Leaver Bursary will be processed in the order they are received. The application process will be closed once the funding has been used.  Payments will be made at the beginning of the academic year.Ìý

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ is aware that caring may have financial implications with students experiencing higher travel costs and/or finding themselves less able to work part-time to supplement their student finance awards. Ìý

To help ease some of these financial worries, ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ offers unpaid young carers, ie those carers who are under the age of 25 at enrolment, with an annual bursary of up to £500.Ìý

Who’s eligible?Ìý

We define a Carer as Ìý

someone who looks after a member of the family, partner or friend with a physical or sensory disability, learning disability, medical condition, mental health issues or someone addicted to drugs, alcohol or gambling.Ìý

(Please note that these duties would be in addition to the usual caring responsibilities that a parent would have for a dependent child.)Ìý

You should be aware that you can apply for both a HE Maintenance Bursary as well as a HE Carers Bursary.Ìý

All applications must be made using the online form.  You will also need to provide evidence from a professional person who is aware of the family’s situation and your caring responsibility. If you were previously in receipt of Carers Allowance, we will need evidence from the Department of Work & Pensions that this has now ceasedÌý

You should be aware that funds are not unlimited and that applications for the HE Carers Bursary will be processed in the order they are received. The application process will be closed once the funding has been used.  Payments will be made at the beginning of the academic year.Ìý

If you are a carer who is paid a salary for your caring duties or are in receipt of Carers Allowance, we regret that you are not eligible for this bursary.Ìý

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ has put in place a HE Study Support Fund to provide students with access to financial support in meeting the additional costs of their course. Such additional costs might include obtaining digital technology to aid remote/online studying, material to support studying i.e. research papers, equipment/material for coursework, travel arrangements for an event or project directly linked to their course of study i.e. field trips, off-site research * or undertaking a dyslexia assessment. This is not an exhaustive list and as such, an application will be considered for this bursary as long as the eligibility criteria is met, and financial support can be justified.Ìý

*Students studying on either a FdSc or a BSc awarded by Kingston University at Merrist Wood College can apply for a grant from the HE Study Support Fund to help in meeting the financial costs of undertaking the professional development requirement within their course.Ìý

The HE Study Support Fund also provides limited discretionary financial support for students on higher education programmes who are experiencing unforeseen financial difficulty where their ability to continue their studies is compromised because they are unable to meet basic or unexpected additional costs from other sources of support. In such circumstances the Fund is able to make small grants.Ìý Applications for such support will be assessed based on individual needs preventing attendance or full participation in the programme of study. If you are entitled to welfare benefits, these should be applied for before submitting an application to the fund. Any award from the fund may affect your benefit payments, but on request, we can produce a letter for your Job Centre Plus/Housing Benefit office, which will confirm whether or not the award will affect your benefits.Ìý

What’s it worth?Ìý

This offers a grant of up to £500 is available and will be subject to sufficient attendance (at least 80% attendance) and academic progress on the part of the student.  You will be required to provide evidence that you meet the eligibility criteria. Application is not a guarantee of an award as a limited number of awards are available. Ìý

You should be aware that requests for support in purchasing IT equipment and other study aids will be limited to £250 or 50%, whichever is the lower, of the cost of the equipment unless there are exceptional circumstances.Ìý Where an application is in respect of unforeseen financial hardship the maximum amount of grant available is £250.Ìý

Who is eligible?Ìý

You are eligible to apply for the HE Study Support Fund if you are an active student on an undergraduate programme and normally resident in the UK.  You will need to be up to date in the payment of tuition fees. Ìý

Please note that you will need to be able to demonstrate relevance to your studies of the support requested.Ìý

All applications must be made using the online form and will be limited to a maximum of two applications per student per academic year - ÌýÌý

Funds are not unlimited and applications for the HE Study Support Fund will be processed in the order they are received preference will also be given to students where neither parent has a higher education qualification. The application process will be closed once the funding has been used.  Please note that you may be required to provide receipts to validate the expenditure and applications must be submitted at least 15 working days prior to the date on which funds are required. Failure to provide evidence is likely to result in a delay in applications being considered.Ìý

You should be aware that payments will not be made until the start of the academic year and if you withdraw from your programme of study prior to the end of the academic year you may be liable to repay all or part of any HE Study Support Fund paid to you.Ìý

HE Financial Hardship Fund provides limited discretionary financial support for students on higher education programmes who are experiencing unforeseen financial difficulty where their ability to continue their studies is compromised because they are unable to meet basic or unexpected additional costs from other sources of support. The fund can also offer limited support to students who have experienced a change in financial circumstances due to unforeseen events which compromise their ability to study.

The HE Financial Hardship Fund is intended to act as a safety net for those in financial difficulty rather than as a main source of income. The size of the fund is limited and so may not be able to meet your need in full or guarantee that funds will be available, especially towards the end of the academic year. Awards are discretionary and are paid in the form of a non-repayable grant.

The HE Financial Hardship Fund cannot fully compensate for the lack of parental contribution, especially where a student has only been able to take out the non-means tested part of the Student Loan though some limited support may be available. If you already hold an HE qualification which is the same or higher than the course you plan to study, then you may not be eligible for statutory funding from the Student Loans Company; you may still be eligible to receive an award from the HE Financial Hardship Fund.

What’s it worth?

The maximum payable for each individual award is £250.Ìý

You can apply to the fund during any and every year of study, and there is no limit on the number of requests that can be made during each academic year. The fund is open to full and part-time students.

Students studying on a franchised HE course should, in the first instance, seek support from the hardship fund of the relevant awarding university.Ìý If they are unable to access support due to circumstances such as the fund at the university having been exhausted, they may make a subsequent claim to the ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ HE Hardship Fund.

Who is eligible?

  • You are eligible to apply for the HE Hardship Fund if you are an active student on an undergraduate programme or PGCE student and are normally resident in the UK.
  • You must be up to date with the payment of tuition fees.

All applications must be made using the online form and will need to be supported by evidence of financial hardship and need, including the last 3 month’s bank statements.

How are applications assessed?

Applications will be assessed based on individual needs preventing attendance or full participation in the programme of study.Ìý

If you are entitled to welfare benefits, these should be applied for before submitting an application to the fund. Any award from the fund may affect your benefit payments, but on request, we can produce a letter for your Job Centre Plus/Housing Benefit office, which will confirm whether or not the award will affect your benefits.

Fees and how to pay

Tuition fees for the full-time and part-time courses are set per academic year and payment of student fees are the responsibility of the student. Higher education students are not entitled to any fee remission.ÌýÌý

However, there are several payment methods available, and these are detailed in the sections below.Ìý

Payment may be made in person, over the phone or electronically.Ìý

  • You can make payment (cash or card) in person at your local campus Advice and Admissions.Ìý
  • To make a card payment over the phone please call 0800 612 6008.Ìý
  • If you wish to pay by bank transfer please pay to ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ, Lloyds Bank (Carfax Branch), Sort Code: 30-96-35, Account number: 03017129. Please use your student ID as the reference.Ìý
  • If you wish to set up a direct debit plan, you can speak to your local campus Advice Centre or by calling finance on 01865 551 598.Ìý

For more information and guidance please visit:Ìý

A tuition fee loan will be available to most students to cover tuition fee costs. Evidence of a tuition loan agreement or application must be provided at enrolment. A ‘University or College Payment Advice’ entitlement letter is located in the ‘letters and emails’ section of your Student Finance online account.Ìý

Application for a tuition fee loan can be made on-line at:Ìý .ÌýÌý

There is a Student Finance Calculator on the website for you to estimate the amount of funding you may be entitled to.Ìý

Tuition fees are required to be paid upon enrolment or an instalment plan arranged. For higher education it is possible to pay in four equal instalments. The first payment to be made on enrolment and then a Direct Debit to be arranged for December, February, and April.

If you are being sponsored (for example by an employer) then a confirmation letter (on company headed paper) must be provided at enrolment. This should include your name, course, sum to be paid, contact name, address, contact number and email address. An invoice will then be arranged.Ìý

Once a term has started, you are liable for the full fee for that term even if you withdraw. The fees per term are proportioned as follows:Ìý

  • Term 1 – 25%Ìý
  • Term 2 – 25%Ìý
  • Term 3 – 50%Ìý

If you withdraw part way through a term you will be liable for the whole fee for that term.  If you are receiving a Tuition Fee Loan to pay your fees, then you will still be eligible for enough Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of your fees for the term you withdraw in.Ìý

Student Finance England can be contacted at:Ìý 0300 100 0607Ìý

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A maintenance loan is to help you with living costs whilst studying. It can help with rent, food, books, travel, and other costs.Ìý

Possible amount of maintenance loan:Ìý

Living at homeÌý

The minimum you can get is £3,698 of the maximum £8,400ÌýÌý

Living away from homeÌý

The minimum you can get £4,651 of the maximum £9,978Ìý

Once you have registered and enrolled with ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ this is confirmed with Student Finance England after the first two weeks. The first payment is usually made within three – five working days after confirmation and is made direct to your bank account. Dates for the next two payment dates will be shown on your Student Finance Entitlement letter.Ìý

A Disabled Students’ Allowance is to help pay for essential costs you may because of your disability. For example:Ìý

  • Long term health conditionÌý
  • Mental health condition (anxiety or depression etc)Ìý
  • Specific learning difficulty (dyslexia etc)Ìý
  • Physical disability (partially sighted etc)Ìý

ÌýA Disabled Students’ Allowance can help with course costs such as photocopying, specialist equipment such as a computer or disability related software. You must take a Study Needs Assessment for higher education and any requirements must be included in the report. If it is recommended that you need a computer or laptop, then you will have to make a contribution of £200 towards it.Ìý

ÌýPlease note that even if you have previously had an EHCP you will still need to complete a Disabled Students’ Allowance application for HE (Higher Education) assessment.Ìý

This is not dependent on household income and is not repayable.Ìý

If you have children or an adult financially dependent upon you may be able to get extra help. You could apply for a Childcare Grant, Parents Learning Allowance or Adult Dependants’ Grant. These are paid in addition to the maintenance loan and depend on household income but are not repayable.Ìý

ÌýFull information on these grants can be found at:Ìý Ìý

Both the Tuition fee Loan and the Maintenance Loan are repayable. You do not need to pay back other student finance, for example grants and bursaries, unless you’ve been paid too much. You still have to repay your student loan if you leave your course early.Ìý

ÌýWhen you start repaying your loan and how much you pay depends .

Usually, you can only get student finance for your first degree or higher-education qualification, even if you studied a long time ago or if the course was abroad. You might get funding for a second degree if you study an exception course such as Nursing, Midwifery or Teaching.

Our policies

Academic Integrity

Maintaining academic integrity is essential for fostering a culture of learning, integrity, and ethical conduct among our students and staff. This page serves as a guide to understanding academic integrity and the expectations we have for our learners at ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ.

Academic Integrity page

Access and Participation Plan

The describes Access and Participation plans:

Access and participation plans set out how higher education providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in and progress from higher education.

They include:

  • the provider’s ambition for change
  • what it plans to do to achieve that change
  • the targets it has set
  • the investment it will make to deliver the plan

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ Access and Participation Plan 2022/23 - 2026/27

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ Access and Participation Plan 2020-2021

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ Access and Participation Plan 2019-2020

Access and Participation Monitoring Report

Student Protection Plan

The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 requires higher education providers to maintain a Student Protection Plan to protect students’ interests in the event of material change, e.g. programme changes, suspensions, closures, or institutional closure. These events may be triggered by situations such as (but not limited to) the following:

  • institutional closure
  • a strategic decision by ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ to close a course or campus
  • withdrawal of designation for student support purposes
  • removal or suspension of the Tier 4 Sponsorship Licence
  • notice given by awarding body to close a course
  • loss of accreditation from regulatory bodies eg, PSRB
  • industrial action by staff or third parties
  • the unanticipated departure of key members of staff
  • changes to regulatory framework affecting a specific course

Download our HE student protection plan

Student Transfer Arrangements

All providers of higher education in England are required to publish student transfer arrangements in accordance with the Higher Education Research Act 2017 and Office for Students Regulatory Framework 2018 (Condition F2).

This plan explains our institutional arrangements for students to transfer between programmes of study or higher education providers in a manner that facilitates the continuation of study.

Download our HE student transfer arrangement plan

Transparency Return

The information published on this page shows:

  • the number of applications for admission on to recognised, undergraduate higher education courses that we have received from UK domiciled applicants
  • the number of offers we have made in relation to those applications
  • the number of those offers accepted and the number of those who have registered with us
  • the number of students who attained a particular degree or other academic award, or a particular level of such an award, on completion of their course with us

It also shows these numbers by reference to:

  • the gender of the individuals to which they relate
  • their ethnicity
  • their socio-economic background

It is important to note that the data presented has not been contextualised. This means, for example, that you will not be able to see from this data how many of those applying to courses met the entry criteria. It is also the case that universities and colleges will often receive many more applications than they have spaces on courses and so offer rates will necessarily be lower than application rates in those circumstances.

Our HE transparency return 2023

Our HE transparency return 2022

Our HE transparency return 2021

Our HE transparency return 2019

Assessment procedures for Higher National qualifications

The Assessment Procedures for Higher National programmes are designed to safeguard the quality and academic standards of assessment practice for the benefit of learners and to ensure that learners have access to redress if they require it.

Assessment Procedures for Higher National Qualifications

Assessment Appeals Procedure for Higher National Qualifications

Assessment Board procedure for Higher National Assessment Boards

Recognition of Prior Learning Procedure

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a method of assessment [leading to the award of credit] that considers whether learners can demonstrate that they can meet the assessment requirements for a unit through knowledge, understanding or skills they already possess and do not need to develop through a course of learning.

Recognition of Prior Learning Procedure

Procedure for approval of new Higher Education provision

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ is committed to ensuring that all higher education provision within the Group continues to meet the needs of employers and students, is of high quality, and enables students to progress to employment and/or further study.

This procedure applies to the development of all higher education programmes, including those which form part of a higher or degree apprenticeship. The procedure has been written in accordance with the Expectations and Guiding principles outlined in the ‘Course Design and Development’ section of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.

Procedure for approval of new Higher Education provision

Periodic review of Higher National Programmes procedure

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ is committed to ensuring that the academic standards of the Higher National programmes it delivers are maintained and that the quality of learning opportunities provided for students on these programmes is enhanced through regular monitoring and periodic review.

All Higher Education programmes are required to undergo a Periodic Review in line with the Quality Assurance Agency’s UK Quality Code (Monitoring and Evaluation). For franchised programmes, this is undertaken by the awarding University.

Periodic review of Higher National Programmes procedure

Procedure for the closure of a Higher Education programme

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ is committed to protecting the interests of students, applicants and its own reputation in the event of the closure of a Higher Education programme to new entrants. These procedures have been established to provide a clear statement of the arrangements to secure both the quality of provision and the student experience following a decision to close a programme. The Student Protection Plan provides the main reference point for consideration of any potential impact on the student experience.
With the exception of ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ being given notice to close a programme by one of its awarding bodies, the decision to close a programme will be made by the Group Higher Education Academic Board.

Procedure for the closure of a Higher Education programme

Procedure for approving information related to Higher Education provision

ߣÍÃÊÓÆµ is committed to ensuring that published information is accessible, accurate, complete and timely in order that existing and potential students and other intended audiences are able to form an accurate impression of the higher education provision offered across the Group and to make informed decisions.

Procedure for approving information related to Higher Education provision

Fee summary

Fee summary information for 2023-24

Awarding body partners

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