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Access to Higher Education Diplomas

Important changes from September 2014 and how they affect you.

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Key Changes• The diplomas will no longer include GCSE

equivalences.• These were available in maths, English and

science. • Access learners did not need to have formal

GCSE in these subjects in order to enrol on the diplomas.

• Access learners did not need to take formal GCSE exams in these subject in order to progress to university. Now they must.

• Some universities are unlikely to consider applications from Access learners before they achieve GCSE grade C in maths, English and science as appropriate.

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Course Structure• All diplomas will remain at 60 credits• They will all include 15 credits of Study Skills. These

will not be graded. • Units will only be available at level 3 only in most

cases. • Learners need to achieve 45 graded units all of which

are subject specialist units.• Learners will have to be registered with the exam

board (OCNLR) against specific units totalling a maximum 60 credits. There will no longer be the opportunity to take extra units and select the best set of results to go in the diploma.

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• Registration must be within six weeks from start of the course so learners need to be clear about what degrees they are wishing to progress to before attending interview.

Assessments• Learners can have referral at any time in the year and

there are no caps on the number of these referrals at present.

• Referrals are made to moderators.

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How to get on an access diploma course.• The college has decided that GCSE maths and English grade

C are prerequisites to enrolling on any of the access diplomas.

• Course teams will however consider exceptions on a case by case basis.

• There will be the opportunity for those who do not yet have a GCSE maths / English / Science to obtain those qualifications on part-time courses in these subjects or as part of a L2 preparation for progression to access programme which learners will be informed about.

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Funding your studies:• Access courses are co-funded by the SFA for learners 19

– 24. That means the learner has to pay at least half of the full course fee.

• Learners who are over the age of 24 can fund their courses themselves or can do so by applying for the 24+ loans from the student loan company.