If you live in England, you might be able to do this course for FREE, see ‘Additional Information’ tab for more details.
Apply today and our team will confirm if you could qualify for free place, with no obligation.
The Guildford College Access course provides a fast-track route into university for mature applicants who do not have formal qualifications.
Access courses are appropriate for those returning to education after a number of years, for example, in employment, bringing up a family or having a career break.
This programme is for mature students (19+) who wish to progress to Higher Education at Guildford College or a British university to study for a business related degree e.g. Business Studies, Accounts, Marketing, and possibly Law or Finance (students are advised to check with individual universities if there is a particular course they wish to pursue).
The course is taught by highly qualified staff who have considerable experience in teaching adult students.
Benefits of studying with Activate Learning:
- Designed exclusively for adults (19+)
- Supportive environment provided through tutors with subject expertise and includes guidance webinars for every module.
- One year programme equivalent to three A Levels, allowing you to achieve the qualification you need to progress to university.
- Widely recognised and accepted qualification by UK universities. This is validated and moderated by Ascentis under licence from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
- Help and guidance on writing your personal statement and completing your UCAS application
- Flexible learning enabling you to study whilst working and around personal commitments
- Funding with the Advanced Learner Loan available.
Course Fees £3022
Remember:if you go to university and complete a degree, the loan for your Access course is written off by the Government.
What you'll learn
You will study various units, some of these are: Micro and small Businesses, Business and organisation structures, Principles of business strategy, Business Law and Psychology.
How you'll learn and be assessed
A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be employed including lectures, seminars, small group work and class discussions.
You will be provided with a course handbook detailing the structure and processes of the programme. Guidance is given throughout the course in subject choices, study skills, careers and Higher Education opportunities. Assistance will be given in making applications to university.
Homework:
You will be expected to work on assignments at home – hours required varies depending on time of year, e.g. 2 – 8 hours per week.
Progression
Guidance is given throughout the course in Higher Education opportunities and careers. Assistance in making applications to Higher Education at Guildford College or universities will be provided by personal tutors.
Entry requirements
Although there are no formal entry requirements for this course*, for university, you will need to have a GCSE at grade 4 (C) or above in both English and maths, or a Functional Skills Level 2 qualification.
*The Engineering and some Science pathways do require you to already have achieved a grade 4 (C) in Maths. These pathways will also require an additional entrance assessment which will be held on campus.
It is advisable that you have these qualifications prior to starting your Access level 3 course as the skills you will have gained from studying these qualifications will really help you on this programme.
*Please note: If you wish to go on to study a medicine degree, most universities require five GCSEs, including English, maths, and science at grades 7–9 (A–A* equivalent).
Applicants must be aged over 19
Applicants must have been out of full-time education for one year
Applicants are advised to contact their university of choice to confirm the criteria
Some degrees require that you have some relevant paid or voluntary work experience
You will have a numeracy and literacy assessment to check your suitability to study at Level 3 and may have the opportunity to re-take either a maths or English GCSE alongside this course*
*Please note, it will not be possible to resit both English and maths GCSE alongside an Access to HE programme
If you don’t meet the entry criteria, don’t worry! Some campuses offer a Pre-Access course to get you ready, or our part time GCSE maths and English classes, available at all sites, could support you to readiness for an Access to HE programme.
There is also a wide range of support available at the college for students, including financial support.
Additional information
Funding Options:
To be eligible for funding, you will need to live in England. Anyone in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland will need to self-fund the course.
Level 3 Entitlement fee remission: If you are aged 19-23 and do not hold a prior full Level 3 qualification, you may be eligible to study the course for free. This would also depend on your location within the UK, but we would check this for you during your application process.
19+ Advanced Learner Loan:If you are aged over 23, or you are 19-23 with a full Level 3 qualification, you can fund the course with the Advanced Learner Loan supplied by Student Finance England. This loan will be wiped from your records if you progress to university and complete your studies! If you do not progress to university or a higher education course, you will not need to start paying back the loan until you earn over £25,725.00.
Remember: If you go on to study at university and complete a degree, the loan for your Access course is written off by the government.
