GUIDE TO UNIVERSITY PARENT &CARER
3 2 When choosing to move up to university, we understand there may be many questions about how the process works. Help, however, is on hand. Whether you are familiar with the university process or not, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about supporting your child with the move from college to university here at University College Birmingham. As your child comes to the end of their Level 3 course, they may be wondering what direction to take next. For some, it may be entering into employment, while for others, it may be taking their studies to the next level by progressing to university. WHY CHOOSE UNIVERSITY? Study what you love. Develop and expand skills and knowledge. Broaden employment opportunities and increase earning potential. Develop essential skills for personal and working life, as well as those necessary for your career. Meet new people, build confidence and expand horizons. TAKING THE NEXT STEP UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
5 4 SEVEN STEPS TO UNIVERSITY FIND YOUR COURSE Search online or contact us to find the course that is right for your child. 01 BE INSPIRED Come to one of our open days and find out more about University College Birmingham from our student ambassadors. 02 FOUND THE RIGHT COURSE Now it’s time to apply via UCAS or directly to University College Birmingham. 03 APPLY FOR A PLACE IN OUR HALLS To secure a place in our accommodation at The Maltings. 06 APPLY FOR STUDENT FINANCE For tuition fee and maintenance loans. 05 ATTEND AN APPLICANT DAY You will be able to explore the course further and your child will meet potential course mates. 04 RESULTS AND ENROLMENT If your child gets the results they need, great, you can relax! If they have not quite achieved what they expected, please give us a call. 07 CLEARING If your child had conditional offers, but their exam results didn’t go to plan, don’t worry, you can use Clearing from results day. All courses that are available through Clearing at University College Birmingham will be listed on our website. Vacancies are also listed on UCAS in the search tool from July. They are updated regularly by the universities until mid-September. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
6 7 BUSTER JARGON HIGHER EDUCATION The next level of education after further education. Higher education includes studying on a course from level 4 to 7 and may consist of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. FOUNDATION DEGREE Typically, a two-year course you can take in undergraduate higher education after you’ve finished further education. Once completed, it may be possible for students to transfer directly onto the final year of a bachelor’s degree such as a BA or BSc (Hons) course, if the transfer criteria is met. (Note: This is not the same as a foundation year, which is a course taken before you can start on the first year of a full bachelor’s degree.) BACHELOR’S DEGREE A three or four-year course you can take in undergraduate higher education after you’ve finished further education. Also known as a first or undergraduate degree, it is usually either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BSc), depending on what subject you choose. ACCREDITED Many of our degree courses are accredited by the University of Warwick, which means that while we have delivered the course, graduates receive their awards from the University of Warwick. UCAS UCAS is the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK. They provide a centralised service for applying to university. DIRECT APPLICATIONS An application system you can use to apply for university courses here at University College Birmingham. The good news is there are no lengthy or complicated forms, no need for a personal statement, and no application fee required with this service. CONDITIONAL OFFER This is an offer of a place on a course, subject to conditions set out by the University’s Admissions department. To be accepted on the course, you will need to meet the conditions. When you and your child start looking into progressing to university, there will be a lot of new words and abbreviations that you will come across. To help you understand what these mean, we have listed a few common ones and their meanings below. UNCONDITIONAL OFFER This means you’ve already met the entry requirements, although there might be a few things to arrange. UNIBUDDY Unibuddy is an online platform designed for you to interact with current students via the University College Birmingham website. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions regarding a course you’re interested in, life on campus or anything else University related. UNICONNECT A programme which encourages young people into higher education and to achieve their ambitions by providing activities, advice and information. CLEARING Clearing matches applicants to university places that are yet to be filled. Clearing usually starts in July and runs until October. You can apply through clearing if: 4 you’re applying to university after 5 July you didn’t receive any offers or don’t want to accept the offers you’ve received you had a conditional offer and didn’t get the grades you needed UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
8 9 WHAT TO STUDY Some people will have had a dream job from childhood but most young people (and adults) aren’t sure yet! The variety of courses can seem overwhelming but selecting the best possible course is a key decision for any student. COURSES If your child has a future career in mind, then encourage them to research the job and what qualifications they’ll need. Some courses offer a clear pathway (nursing, teaching etc.) while others like history, English and psychology are more broad and have several employment options afterwards. NOT SURE WHAT TO STUDY? If your child is unsure about what to study, encourage them to explore what they enjoy, what they’re good at, and then which careers involve a combination of the two. They should also base their decision on what’s important to them. Are they motivated by money and therefore want to pursue a career with high earning potential? Consider law or finance. Are they an adventurer who wants a future career that involves travel and variety? Consider international business management or journalism. Are they passionate about saving the planet or supporting others? Consider environmental science or social work. As well as handling applications, ucas.com has a wealth of information on higher education and the wide range of courses available. icould.com/buzz-quiz could give them ideas about what degree to study. As well as the careers quiz, prospects.ac.uk have hundreds of job profiles. If your child has a career in mind, they can find out what qualifications they’ll need here. You can take a look at whatuni.com to compare courses, read reviews and get advice from students. CHOOSING THE RIGHT SUBJECT As well as asking questions about what your child wishes to study, there are also questions that need to be asked about where to study. CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNIVERSITY DO THEY WANT A BIG OR SMALL UNIVERSITY? Did you know that University College Birmingham is considered a small university, with just under 5,000 undergraduate students? DO THEY WANT TO LIVE AT UNIVERSITY OR COMMUTE? Did you know that University College Birmingham manages accommodation for more than 800 students in our purpose-built hall of residence in central Birmingham? DOES THE UNIVERSITY OFFER ANY FINANCIAL SUPPORT? Have you heard of our Kick-start Scheme? Students can receive £300 in each year of study! For more information, go to page 13. WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES ON OFFER LIKE? Having invested more than £160 million in our student facilities and resources over the last ten years, there is no better time than now to join University College Birmingham. ARE THERE ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PURSUE HOBBIES AND INTERESTS? We have a wide variety of sports and societies that are available to students when they become a member of our Guild of Students. As well as asking questions about what your child wishes to study, there are also questions that need to be asked about where to study. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
11 10 STEPS APPLY DIRECT If your child has their heart set on joining us for university, why not make the application process a breeze by applying direct to University College Birmingham. To apply direct to University College Birmingham, students must satisfy the following criteria: They must only wish to apply to University College Birmingham (if they would like to apply to more than one institution, they must apply via UCAS) They must not have previously applied via UCAS Current college students at University College Birmingham can apply direct WHY APPLY DIRECT? X No application fee No lengthy or complex application forms No need for a personal statement Dedicated admissions team on hand to help X X THE NEXT WHY CHOOSE HIGHER EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM? We are a small and friendly specialist vocational institution that has invested £160 million in superb student facilities and resources over the last ten years. Our lecturers have a wealth of industry experience. 1,000+ employers work with us to broaden student opportunities. Our courses feature an extensive variety of work placements in the UK and overseas – 3,000 undergraduate students are currently on work placements. Many of our degrees are accredited by the University of Warwick. We won University of the Year and Best Student Support as voted by students in the 2022 Whatuni Student Choice Awards. 1 2 3 4 5 6 APPLYING THROUGH UCAS If you would like to apply for more than one university then your child must apply through UCAS. This service is available to Home, EU and Overseas applicants. To apply through UCAS, you must register in the UCAS Hub and complete the registration questions. You’ll then be taken to the UCAS Hub dashboard, where you’ll see a tile called ‘Your application’. Simply click ‘Start’ to begin your application. Before you can send your application, you’ll need to pay an application fee which is £22.50 for a single choice, or £27 for more than one choice. We offer support workshops for applicants applying for higher education who are not familiar with the UCAS process. If you would like to make an appointment, please email hired@ucb.ac.uk to arrange a booking slot. If you have any questions regarding your UCAS application, please contact the Admissions team: Call 0121 604 1040 Email admissions@ucb.ac.uk UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
12 13 Many of our degrees are accredited by the University of Warwick. We also recently won the University of the Year and Best Student Support awards at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2022 – as voted for by our students themselves. OPEN DAYS (UNDERGRADUATE) SATURDAY 25 MARCH 2023 10AM-2PM (ON CAMPUS) SATURDAY 1 JULY 2023 10AM-2PM (ON CAMPUS) APPLICANT DAYS When we have made you an offer, we will also send you details about our applicant days. These are designed to provide you with a more in-depth picture of your chosen course. Applicant days are held in March and April. APPLICANT DAYS (UNDERGRADUATE) SATURDAY 4 MARCH 2023 10AM-2PM (ON CAMPUS) SATURDAY 29 APRIL 2023 10AM-2PM (ON CAMPUS) HEALTH AND WELLBEING We recognise that good health and wellbeing are fundamental for effective study and a positive student experience. That is why we have a free and confidential Health and Wellbeing Service. DISABILITY SUPPORT Support for students who disclose a disability, health condition or mental health condition starts from application. We offer a variety of services and support, which will be tailored to suit your specific needs and additional support requirements. CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC SKILLS AND ENGLISH (CASE) CASE provides tailored support for all students during their time with us. Its mission is to enhance the student experience while helping students achieve their academic goals. COST OF LIVING SUPPORT We understand that it may be difficult to make ends meet at the moment, so we have introduced free breakfast, fruit and soup for all students, and while we can’t help everybody, we do have funding set aside for students who are in need of emergency cash. HIRED Hired is the University’s one-stop shop for all careers, placements, work experience and employability support. They help students with invaluable advice, tips and support as they plan their future career. UNITEMPS A part-time job at university can not only provide students with extra money, it can also help them develop key employability skills. Unitemps is our in-house recruitment agency. They source part-time and seasonal work for students and often have roles that offer flexible hours of work. KICK-START SCHEME Our Kick-Start Scheme helps improve access to the tools and resources students need to support their studies. All eligible students receive £300 credit per year of study that they don’t have to pay back. A further £500 is also available for households with an income below £25,000. This credit does not have to be paid back at the end of their studies. The funds can be used on anything related to your child’s course – some students spend it on their course equipment, others use it on food in our catering outlets. Funds can be spent on a dedicated website to purchase course-related materials, or on selected items on campus such as society membership fees, university branded clothing, optional trips, printing credits and in our cafes. Find out more about student finance on page 16. AWARD-WINNING SUPPORT FOLLOW YOUR PASSION There are so many reasons why your child should choose to study at University College Birmingham. OPEN DAYS During our open days, you will have a chance to meet our students and ask them all about their experience at University College Birmingham. You can also: GAIN INSIGHT ABOUT YOUR COURSE MEET OUR EXPERT STAFF SPEAK WITH OUR SUPPORT STAFF EXPLORE STUDENT ACCOMMODATION APPLY DIRECT Want to find out more about what it’s like to study with us? Why not come to one of our undergraduate open days – details can be found below. At University College Birmingham, we go above and beyond to support our students. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
15 14 STUDENTS WHAT OUR SAY Medicine had always been Kevin’s aim, but physio was a real eye-opener. KEVIN SHENOUDA PHYSIOTHERAPY BSC (HONS) “Working with the patients really suited me and I decided it was more of a fit for what I wanted to do and my lifestyle. I wanted to get the very best quality education and training and as an international student, I applied to eight universities that met my criteria. I had online interviews with them all, but University College Birmingham impressed me most. Progressing onto university has enabled me to get a job within the industry on a more technical level that I wouldn’t have been able to do with just my Level 2 and 3 diploma. Having a degree that looks at the science behind baking is also desired by a lot of employers in the industry, so when they see this on your CV or on LinkedIn, it really sets you apart. You get to showcase all the skills you learned in every module throughout your degree. “ ” NATALIE BROWN BAKERY LEVEL 2 AND 3, GRADUATED FROM BAKERY AND PATISSERIE TECHNOLOGY BSC (HONS) We were delighted when Natalie decided to go on to degree level after her college course. We felt it would be an excellent transition into higher education, as her time at college was an amazing and positive experience. We feel Natalie has benefited massively from doing her degree in Bakery and Patisserie Technology, as she has grown in confidence, become more creative and knowledgeable, explored new opportunities and excelled as a student. “ ” MAXINE & JOEL BROWN MAXINE’S PARENTS ” Shania was seriously contemplating studying maths at degree level when she was introduced to coding and instantly “clicked” with computer science. She decided to pursue her newfound passion and, after doing lots of research, discovered the Computer Science degree at University College Birmingham. What I liked the most was the resources. The University had excellent looking computer rooms, and the variety of selfstudy environments was a huge attraction for me. SHANIA SHELDON COMPUTER SCIENCE BSC (HONS) “ ” UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
16 17 FEES AND LOANS Student Finance is the organisation set up by the UK Government to provide students with financial support to pay for their course and assist with living costs while studying. There are two main types of support students can apply for: Tuition Fee Loan English students studying their first full-time undergraduate qualification have the opportunity to get a loan to cover the full amount of tuition fees without making any upfront payments. Maintenance Loan This is available to students to help with general living costs while studying. SOME STUDENTS MIGHT ALSO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR: CHILDCARE GRANT PARENTS’ LEARNING ALLOWANCE DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCE ADULT DEPENDANTS’ GRANT NHS BURSARIES STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS You do not need to pay anything upfront! Not only do students not have to pay anything upfront, but after graduation, they pay less than £10 a month back when on a salary of £27,000 a year. Students will only start to repay tuition fees or maintenance loans from the April after they leave their course, and only if they are earning over the repayment threshold. Repayment will be at 9% of income above the threshold. If their salary falls below the repayment threshold, their payments will be suspended. Repayments are based on earning as opposed to the amount borrowed. If a student loan has not been repaid after 30 years, the outstanding balance will be written off. FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION AND TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH YOUR CHILD IS ENTITLED TO, VISIT www.gov.uk/student-finance QUIZ!Why not have some fun with your child and have a go at our quiz... Approximately how many undergraduate students does University College Birmingham have? A. 7,000 B. 5,000 C. 1,000 1. How many universities are there in Birmingham? A. 5 B. 3 C. 8 2. How much has University College Birmingham invested in student resources and facilities over the past 10 years? A. £160 million B. £110 million C. £90 million 3. After how many years is the outstanding balance of a student loan written off? A. Never B. 50 years C. 30 years 4. How many campus buildings does University College Birmingham have? A. 4 B. 6 C. 9 5. How much credit per course year do all eligible students receive as part of University College Birmingham’s Kick-Start Scheme? A. £100 B. £200 C. £300 6. For answers, see back page. STUDENT FINANCE START REPAYING A STUDENT LOAN WHEN YOUR INCOME EXCEEDS £27,000 A YEAR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
19 18 DATES IMPORTANT STUDENT FINANCE DEADLINE To ensure funds are received in time for the start of the course in September. MID-MAY APPLICATIONS FOR ACCOMMODATION OPEN Applications open for accommodation at The Maltings. Find out more on the accommodation page of our website. MAY APPLICATIONS FOR STUDENT FINANCE OPEN For details on funding your studies, please visit page 16. For further information on our Kick-Start Scheme, see page 13. FEB - MAY UCAS APPLICATION DEADLINE If your child would like to apply for more than one university then you must apply through UCAS. This service is available to Home, EU and Overseas applicants. In addition, University College Birmingham offers support workshops for applicants applying for higher education who are not familiar with the UCAS process. Further details on the UCAS application process can be found on the UCAS website. JAN UNIVERSITY ENROLMENT AND INDUCTION SEP LEVEL 3 COURSE RESULTS RELEASED JUL-AUG JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
KEY CONTACTS ADMISSIONS Email: admissions@ucb.ac.uk Phone: 0121 604 1040 University College Birmingham Summer Row, Birmingham B3 1JB 0121 232 4300 / 0121 604 1000 ucb.ac.uk marketing@ucb.ac.uk ICC/Symphony Hall Library of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Snow Hill Station The Maltings New Street Station 01 02 04 03 05 06 01 SUMMER ROW 02 THE LINK 03 CAMDEN HOUSE 04 MCINTYRE HOUSE 05 MOSS HOUSE 06 THE MALTINGS Quiz answers: 1.B, 2.A, 3.A, 4.C, 5.B, 6.C (with an additional £500 if your household income is below £25,000, plus don’t forget this doesn’t have to be paid back!)
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