1. APPLYING TO HIGHER EDUCATION SEPTEMBER 2012

2. Why bother going to Uni? The average graduate starting salary is £20,964 and for a non-graduate is £13,721 Graduates entering law, banking, IT and engineering can expect salaries above this the average lifetime earnings of a graduate are £2270,000 more than those of a non-graduate with two A-levels The top earning graduate jobs of 2010 are law, investment banking, consultancy and confectionary manufacturing

3. Which Course?? There are three main types of course available Vocational Course – these are courses that lead to a particular career eg education or nursing Non-vocational Course – these are courses in a particular subject that do not necessarily lead to a particular career eg biology (check out www.prospects.ac.uk for “What do Graduates Do?) Sandwich Course – these are courses usually in engineering or languages where study an university is broken by a year of employment or living in another country

4. The Process Most applications will be through UCAS Pupils complete an on-line application form. This includes personal details, their qualifications, their five choices of courses and their personal statement School advises that pupils select one course from Queen’s, one from the University of Ulster and one in Great Britain Pupils make an appointment with their allocated interviewer in order to check the form

5. The Personal Statement A personal statement is probably the single most important piece of work that pupils have had to do so far Justify course choice (very important for a vocational course) Work experience Activities inside & outside school Positions of responsibility Concluding statement

6. Timetable Oxbridge + Medical Courses - Closing Date 15th October 2011 All 0ther Applications Closing Date 15 th January 2012 Student Guidance Interviews - September 26 th 2011 – 14 th October 2011 Oxbridge + Medical Applications - Sent by 12th October 2011 All Other Applications - Sent by 11 th November 2009

7. What happens next?? After the interview, pupils are asked to make any corrections as quickly as possible Pupils then bring a finalised paper copy of their form to Mrs Browne The form is checked one more time and pupils now pay (£21 online by debit/credit card) and then sends the electronic version to school The school now writes the confidential reference and attached this to their electronic form and sends this to UCAS

8. What happens then?? UCAS then sends the form electronically to all the universities Admissions tutors then make a decision based on the personal statement, predicted A-Level grades, GCSE grades & A/S grades, evidence of motivation and the school reference Some pupils may have to go to interview before a decision is made They will reject an applicant or make a conditional offer

9. What next?? If rejected, the decision is final but pupils can ask for feedback Pupils must wait until all five decisions are made before they can confirm any decision By early May, pupils accept a Firm Conditional offer and an Insurance Conditional offer which should have lower grades These are binding but there may be some leeway

10. Finance 1 – Tuition fees Universities in England, Scotland and Wales are now able to set their own tuition fees to a maximum of £9000 NI have set fees for NI students at £3465 All students will be eligible for a loan to cover their tuition fees (or may be paid up front) The student takes the responsibility for the loan It is repaid directly from their salary when they earn over £21,000

11. Earnings (annually £) Annual tax (£)Monthly pay reduction (£) 1500000 1600000 2100000 22000907.50 3000081067.50 400001710142.50 500002610217.50

12. Finance 2 – Maintenance Loans Loans are also available for living expenses All eligible students are entitled to 65% of the maximum figure The remaining 35% is means tested and depends on residual income pre-tax income minus pensions and allowances for dependents) London £4988 - £7675 Living away from home £3575 - £ 5500 Living at home £2845 - £4375

13. Other info about loans Loans are repaid at 9% of earnings above £21000 After 30 years, any remaining debt is wiped Above interest inflation will be charged Allowed to earn more before repaying (previous limit was £15000). This means that those earning £21000+ will be £540 better off annually BUT, this means that you will owe the money for longer and potentially repay more Loans do NOT go on credit files

14. Finance 3 - Grants Grants are non-repayable Students from lower income households will be eligible for a non-repayable grant up to £3250 If residual income is less than £25000, student is eligible for the whole grant If income is more than £45000, student is eligible for none of the grant A sliding scale works in between the upper and lower limits If a student is entitled to the maximum grant, the maximum maintenance loan is reduced

15. Finance 4 - Bursaries Universities have to provide additional (non repayable) support to students who receive the full grant These are non-repayable A number of bursaries are available in healthcare A number of scholarships are available in engineering and IT Universities also have “Access to Learning Funds” which are available to students on low incomes

16. Information available www.hotcourses.com www.prospects.ac.uk (What do graduates do? Section) DEL – “Financial Support for Higher Education Students” (Apply in February/March) DEL – Student Finance Branch Education & Library Boards www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport www.studentfinanceni.com www.moneysavingexpert.com

17. What if I need help?? www ucas.com/parents (sign up to receive the UCAS parent guide and quarterly email bulletins) Contact Mrs Browne at school (90702777 or fmcauley789@c2kni.net Check the school’s website – updated monthly to allow parents to see what is happening that month