HE APPLICATION & F.A.Q’S

Applications:

Applications for full-time Higher Education courses are made through the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Apply online on the UCAS website and use institution code N79 and select Campus Code.

If you cannot find your course on the UCAS website, this may be because it is delivered in partnership with a university. In this case, please contact HEenquiries@nwslc.ac.uk, who will be able to provide you with a university-specific application form.

• To apply, go to UCAS.com and create an account or if you already have an account, log in.
• Make a note of your personal ID. This could be on paper or on a note on your phone.
• You don’t have to fill it in all in one go, you can save your progress and come back to it at a later date.
• Fill in each section carefully and read it though. Remember to save often!
• There is a personal details section, where important information will be gathered. Make sure this is all correct as the college will use these to contact you and they’ll also get transferred to our systems on the appointment of offer.
• In the choices section, select the college and any other institutions you have chosen. The college’s institution code is N79.
• Select the course you’d like and which campus it’s running at.
• The next section is about your education. Enter the details of the schools you have been to, the qualifications you have and if you’re currently studying.
• The employment history section is to record if you’ve had any jobs or volunteer positions.
• Next is the personal statement. This is where you get to tell us why you want to study that course and tell us about your passions.
• Include anything that is relevant, including odd jobs you do. For example, babysitting gives you responsibility and time management skills, both are valued skills. TIP: Write your statement in a separate program (such as word) and ask someone to read over it.
• You can request a reference next. You can ask for a written recommendation from a teacher, adviser, or professional who knows you academically or professionally. Everyone needs a reference, unless you get special permission from the college. If the application is done alongside schooling, you can often find that the references will be provided by the school you are attending.
• Before submitting, please read through all your details, checking that it is all correct.

Some of the information on this page is provided from UCAS. For more information, please visit their website:
Link – Filling in your UCAS undergraduate application
UCAS Booklet – Filling in your UCAS application

Frequently Asked Questions

Clearing is the recognised post-qualification application route for undergraduate courses. It is normally open July to the middle of September. This is set up via UCAS and we often have courses available through this process.

You need to be 18 or above for our HNC, HND and Degree courses and aged 19 or above for our Access courses.

We take applications from adults that are returning to learning. We find that older adults prefer this environment to university as we can offer more flexibility and support.

Our courses are spread across most campuses. Hinckley is the main hub but courses are offered at Nuneaton, Wigston and MTI. Check the course features box, when viewing a course, to see its information.

This is your own choice. We offer a different environment to university, and it’s up to you which you prefer. We do offer some benefits, for example, our lower fees and personalised approach, but everyone has a different opinion on which they prefer.

You can see a general overview of the courses we offer through UCAS. Applications for most courses are open now.

Unfortunately, we don’t offer accommodation. We find that a lot of students like to stay at home and use transport links to get to college.

There are many advantages to studying a higher level course with us.

• Our fees are lower than university tuition. Universities can charge up to £9,250 per year and ours are around £5,950 or less.

• We offer personalised support; we have open doors, mental health first aiders, and a range of services available to students. We also have smaller class sizes which mean our friendly tutors will be on hand to give you the support you need throughout your studies.

• Many of our tutors have come from industry and are practitioners, bringing their experience with them and applying it to their teaching.

• We have certification with QAA for our HE provision and are regulated by the Office for Students too. Also, we are an accredited centre for delivering professional qualifications. We are working alongside universities to deliver degree top-ups, foundation degrees and full degree programmes.

• Flexibility is a priority concern so we offer a range of study options made to fit your lifestyle and/or work commitments.

You apply through UCAS where you can choose five choices at more than one university or college. The 2023 application fee is £22 for a single choice, rising to £26.50 for two choices or more.

Once your application has been processed by the college, you will be notified via email to check your UCAS track to see if you have been made an offer.

The cut off for courses starting Sep/Oct is mid-October. Although we take applications past the January deadline, we advise getting your application to us as soon as possible as we can’t guarantee there will be available spaces for you.

If you are planning to take out a loan for the course you will need to apply to Student Finance England. Once approved, this loan gets paid directly to the college and you do not need to worry about paying anything upfront.

Access to Higher Education is equivalent to a Level 3 course, which is similar to BTECs or A levels. It is compacted into a one year course, learning full-time. The Access to HE Diploma is widely recognised by universities and has a variety of course topics. We accept people who have studied an Access course as entry to our HE courses. Specific criteria applies.

If you choose to study an HNC or HND with the college you can choose to top it up at college or university to gain a full undergraduate degree, or you can go directly into employment.

At NWSLC, we always aim to support you with applying to study. Our HE admission team can help with general application enquiries, and our IAG advisors (Information, Advice and Guidance) can sit down and go through the whole application with you.

You can contact our HE team by emailing HEenquiries@nwslc.ac.uk

You can contact our IAG advisors by email: guidance.team@nwslc.ac.uk

At NWSLC, we always aim to support you by giving you a range of information, advice and guidance. If you would like to talk to anyone regarding your career options, please do get in touch. You can contact our IAG advisors by email: guidance.team@nwslc.ac.uk or by ringing 0330 058 3000.

Have a question that we haven’t answered? Tell it to us here, on our contact us page