St Joseph’s College Higher Education Evening – Monday 19 th June 2017
What We Will Cover • The UCAS Application Process • Personal Statements • Student Finance
The UCAS Application – Key Facts • • Universities and Colleges Handle just under 600,000 Admissions Service (UCAS) is applications each year the central applications agency • for HE applications in England, Over 500,000 students placed Scotland, Wales and Northern in full time UK higher education Ireland in 2016 • • Around 391 institutions in the You apply on the UCAS UCAS scheme website using UCAS Apply • 35,000+ undergraduate degree courses in the UCAS system
Before Applying • • What interests you? Course structure and assessment methods • Jobs and careers you’re • interested in Entry requirements • • What can you commit to for a Outcomes/graduate minimum of 3 years? destinations • • What does the course offer? Work experience and placements
Changes in UCAS Tariff Points • • This doesn’t mean that Rather than grade offers, some universities make offers based qualifications are now worth on UCAS Tariff points. less as points offers have reduced equivalently (i.e. old • Different Level 3 qualifications offer of 320 points would now are worth so many points; the be 128 points). higher the grade, the more • points. Lots of information on the UCAS website about the • UCAS have changed the Tariff changes and why they have points system for 2017 (i.e. a been made. grade A at A Level used to be worth 120 points, now worth 48 points).
What are Universities Looking For? • Strong academic profile • Knowledge and interest in subject area • Extracurricular activities • Work experience • Key skills (teamwork, organisation, time management)
The Basics of the Personal Statement • • An important part of the UCAS Opportunity to promote yourself application – interviews are – show enthusiasm and becoming less common commitment • • 47 lines or 4000 characters Analytical, not just descriptive • • A statement that is ‘personal’ to One personal statement for all choices you • • Can be written in paragraphs Save a copy • • Roughly a 75 – 25% split Cannot use content found on between academic – extra the web curricular (for most subjects)
Questions to Answer in your Personal Statement • • Why do you want to study the Career goals/aspirations? (if chosen subject? (evidence of known, vocational courses) wider reading) • Plans for a year out? (if any) • What abilities / motivations / • knowledge you have? How will you contribute to the wider university community? • What skills do you have? (work experience, positions of responsibility, social interests)
Do! • • Think about the starting Demonstrate skills, evidence your claims – link to the sentence course/subject applied to • Make sure PS is fit for purpose (i.e . don’t tell your life story) • Be prepared to talk about your statement • Style – keep it simple • Finish with a punchy, positive • Try to inject some personality sentence
Don’t! • • Refer to any university by name Use an unsuitable email address (i.e. ‘dodgy’ email • Start with ‘I have always been addresses, school email fascinated by…’ or ‘I have address) always wanted to be …’ • Assume software has checks • Quotes, clichés and sayings – for spelling and grammar health warning • Give an incorrect award title, • Repeat information that is (e.g. BTEC Diploma / Extended elsewhere Certificate)
What Happens Next? • • Once completed, your Decision is made: application is sent to UCAS - Unconditional, Conditional, Unsuccessful, Interview • Copies of your application are • sent to your choices You make your decision: - Firm, Insurance, Decline • Application considered • simultaneously by universities Your results get confirmed on Results Day in August and you • UCAS Track: find out which university you - Allows you to view the status have got in to of your applications - Shows choices, offers and personal information - 24/7 access
Extra, Clearing and Adjustment • • If you don’t have an offer by the If you use all 5 choices on your UCAS form but don’t receive time Results Day comes any offers, you are eligible to around or if you change your use UCAS Extra mind about what you want to study, you can enter Clearing • You can add additional choices • in UCAS Apply one at a time to Clearing gives you the try to receive an offer opportunity to try to secure a place on a course that still has • Open from late February until space July • If you exceed the terms of your firm choice offer, you are eligible to try to find a place through Adjustment
Why do People need Student Finance? • • There are two main costs You can pay for your tuition associated with going to fees upfront but most people do university – tuition fees and not have the money to do so living costs • Fees need to be paid in order • You do not have to take out a to go to university, so payment loan to go to university of fees is often seen as means to an end
Graduate vs. Non-Graduate Salaries Graduates will on average earn more over their working lives than those without a degree (Sources: Times Higher Education; bestCourse4me) It’s the Keele difference.
Changes for 2017 • • Student Finance packages Student fees for 2017 entry are available change year on expected to be £9,250 for most year – the information courses at most universities provided tonight is correct • (subject to final policy Removal of current package of approval) for 2017 entry but NHS grants and bursaries; may change for 2018 entry funding for Nursing, Midwifery and Health students will be • 2018 Student Finance through the same Student packages are TBC Finance packages as for other undergraduate students
Support Available – Tuition Fees • You don’t have to pay anything • The loan is repayable, but has upfront been set up to be an affordable method of long-term borrowing. • A Tuition Fee Loan is available • to cover the fees charged by a Repayments do not need to university or college start being made until the April after you have left university • Tuition Fee Loans do not and started to earn £21,000 a depend on household income year or over • • The money is paid directly to Interest rate on loan is Retail your university or college by Price Index+3% whilst studying Student Finance England – you and until the April after leaving, never see it then on a sliding scale between RPI and up to RPI+3%, dependent on income
Support Available – Maintenance Loans • Like Tuition Fee Loans, you do • Maintenance Loans are not need to start paying back available to eligible students to your Maintenance Loan until help towards living costs while the April after you leave in higher education university and have started to earn over £21,000 a year • The amount of Maintenance • Loan you can get depends on Interest rate on loan of Retail where you live and study Price Index+3% whilst studying and until the April after leaving • Your Maintenance Loan is paid then on a sliding scale between directly into your bank account RPI up to RPI+3%, dependant each term on income • Maximum Loan Levels for 2018/19 are TBC
Interest • • Interest levels depend upon a The interest rate is updated student’s income and once a year in September circumstances using RPI from March
Support Available – Additional Support • • Universities and colleges may Other specialist financial help offer additional financial and support may be available support through bursaries and to you if you: o Have children or adult scholarships dependents • Scholarships – Linked to o Have a disability, including academic results or ability in an mental health conditions and area such as sport or music; specific learning difficulties can be subject specific, and are usually limited in numbers • Bursaries – Linked to personal circumstances, and often household income; awards can include discounted tuition fees, accommodation or cash
Support Available – Extra Support Students who start at Keele in 2017 could be eligible for the following Bursaries and Scholarships: The Keele Excellence Scholarship – £2,000 per year (pre-entry grade specific) The Keele University Bursary - £1,000 per year (household income dependent) The Care Leavers’ and Estranged Students’ Bursary – £1,000 per year (for students who are currently, or have been, in care or are estranged from their families) Article 26 Asylum Seeker Bursary – 100% tuition fee waiver (strict eligibility criteria applies, two bursaries available per year) To find out more about criteria and eligibility, please visit: https://www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding/undergraduatebursariesandscholarships/ It’s the Keele difference.
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