1. After Aquinas -
Support For
Students
Parents’ Information Evening
2013

2.  Advice
 Guidance
 Support
 Subject Tutors
 Group Tutors
 Senior Tutors
 Vice Principal
 Principal
 Careers Team
 Parents

3. Tutorials
 Kudos Inspire - Interest Guide
 Career Sectors and Labour Market
 Making choices – debate on options
 Apprenticeships – guest speaker
 Student finance – cost of university
 Researching information on UCAS
and individual university websites
 UCAS Tariff
 Gap Year

4. Summer Term
• Open days - www.opendays.com
• Personal profiling – skills and subject
interests
• Work Experience Week 24th – 28th June
• Careers Day – Wednesday 3rd
July
• Applications Day – Thursday 4th July

5. The Application Process
Thursday 4th July 2013
 Registration day for
▪ UCAS Apply
▪ National Apprenticeship Service
▪ National Careers Service
 Personal statement writing – guest
speaker from Sheffield University will
be giving a presentation on ‘Writing
an excellent personal statement’
 Ex-students on ‘University Life’

6.  Two of the most important things to include are:
 Why they are applying for the course?
▪ reasons why that subject interests them
▪ include evidence that they understand the
content of the course
▪ explain why they want to go to University –
career progression
 Why they are suitable for the course?
▪ explain the skills and experience they have that
will help them to succeed on the course
▪ explain how current studies relate to the course
Personal Statement

7.  Reasons given by Universities for rejecting a
personal statement
 Your personal statement does not strongly
support your desire to study your chosen
degree.
 Your personal statement did not show
sufficient understanding, relevance or
knowledge about the course you are
applying for.
 You failed to demonstrate sufficient
knowledge and interest in the subject in your
personal statement.
Personal Statement

8. Summer Holidays
 Additional work experience
 Further research – university or
apprenticeship
 University open days
 Complete draft of personal
statement
 AS level results – Thursday August
15th
 Enrolment interviews in college –
week beginning 19th August

9. Additional Entrance Tests
 BMAT Medicine – Oxford, Cambridge,
UCL, Imperial College, Royal
Veterinary College
 UKCAT Medicine – National test for
medicine
 LNAT Law
 HAT History - Oxford
 ELAT English - Oxford

10. UCAS Application Process
 students complete the application
form
 application form given to Group
Tutor
 reference written by Group Tutor
 student then pays online
 application and reference linked by
the college
 application form sent by the college
to UCAS

11. Autumn Term Deadlines!!
 Medicine, Veterinary Medicine,
Dentistry, Oxford & Cambridge –
▪ 21st September (college deadline)
▪ 15th October (UCAS deadline)
 all other applications
▪ 30th November (college deadline)
▪ 15th January (UCAS deadline)
For Competitive Courses
THE SOONER THE BETTER!!

12. Autumn and Spring Term
 mock interviews if required
 university interviews
 offers – conditional or unconditional
 decisions – firm and insurance usually
to be made at the start of May 2014.

13. If things don’t go to plan
 UCAS Extra – March/June 2014
 Results day 14th August 2014
 Come into college for advice !!
 Clearing – August 2014

14.  Get your son/daughter to talk about what they would like to
do – discuss their strengths, skills, interests
 Discuss their results from Kudos Inspire or do it with them –
details are on Careers Moodle
 Look on the National Careers Service website at different job
descriptions with them – does anything appeal?
 Look on the www.opendays.com website – attend a
University Open Day with them. There are often parent talks
 Help them with their personal statement – check the spelling
and grammar
 Help them with their CV – make sure they keep it up-to-date
 Encourage them to gain a work experience placement or
volunteer over the summer
How you can help

15. Financial Support
For Students
www.direct.gov.uk/
studentfinance

16.  Some Careers require a degree.
 Students should think about the cost of
University as an investment in their future
not a loan.
 Don’t have to pay anything up front.
 Don’t pay anything back unless earning
more that £21,000 per year.
 If a career break is taken – repayments stop.
 Loan cleared after 30 years.
Student Finance

17.  Expenses at University fall broadly
 into two categories:
 Tuition fees – which help meet the cost of a
course.
 General living costs – including
accommodation, educational expenses,
books.
Financial Support for
Students

18.  All students can take out a Tuition Fee Loan
to cover the tuition fees. Universities can
charge new students up to a maximum of
£9000 a year for their courses.
 All students can take out a Maintenance
Loan to cover their living and study costs.
 Loan up to £5,500 living away from home
outside London,
 Loan up to £7,675 if studying in London,
 Loan up to £4,375 if living with parents.
 These loans have to be repaid
Loans

19.  Maintenance grant – help with living and study
costs.
 It is income assessed.
 Household income £25,000 or less- full grant
£3,354.
 Household income between £25,001 and
£42,611 - grant between £50 and £3,354.
 Above £42,611 – no grant.
 It does not have to be paid back.
 If a grant is received the amount of maintenance
loan is reduced.
 http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk
Maintenance Grant

20.  The amount a student gets depends on the
type of help they need and it does not have
to be re-paid.
 What can DSAs be used for?
▪ specialist equipment e.g. computer software
▪ non-medical helpers, such as a note-taker or
reader
▪ extra travel costs you have to pay because of
your disability
▪ other costs - for example, tapes or Braille paper
Disabled Student Allowances

21.  Universities charging the maximum tuition
fees must provide extra help to students
from low income households.
 These could be in the form of bursaries, fee
waivers, help with accommodation fees.
 Details will be contained on the individual
university websites.
 Students must research what is available.
 As a general rule, it is more beneficial to
take the cash rather than accept a fee
waiver.
Help from the University

22. Income each year
before tax
Monthly Gross Salary Approximate
monthly repayment – 9% over
£21,000
£21,000 orbelow £1,750 £0
£24,000 £2,000 £22
£27,000 £2,250 £45
£30,000 £2,500 £67
£33,000 £2,750 £90
£36,000 £3,000 £112
£40,000 £3,333 £142
Interest is paid at RPI plus 3% whilst the student is studying then at
different rates once they are earning up to RPI plus 3%
Loan Repayment depends on income not
on what has been borrowed

23.  Students register and apply on-line
 Students can apply from around January.
 Deadline usually 31st
May.
 The sooner the better – it does not matter if
the student has not made their firm choice
as details can be changed.
 They will need help from home to complete
the application.
 Further information is available on the
College Careers Moodle site and from
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
How to apply

24. Thank you for listening