Course description
An Access to Higher Education course is for students (19+) who have been out of full-time education for one or more years and would like to go on to higher education but do not have the formal qualifications needed. It is appropriate for those returning to education after a number of years, for example in employment, bringing up a family or having a career break. A high level of motivation is required to complete the course.
Access programmes are intensive courses designed for mature students who wish to progress to a British university. They have been developed to enable mature students to gain the skills and knowledge to cope with the academic demands of Higher Education.
Study our one year Access to HE: Nursing Level 3 Diploma programme and gain the skills, experience and confidence you need for a career where you can make a difference to the lives of hundreds of patients.
On successful completion of this course you will be awarded the following qualification certificate: Access to HE Diploma (Nursing and Midwifery).
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.
Each year, around 95% of our Access to HE students progress to university on completion of their programme, going on to over 100 different universities across many different degrees and disciplines.
Course Fees £3384
Remember: if you go to university and complete a degree, the loan for your Access course is written off by the Government.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
To be eligible for a place on this programme, you do not need any formal qualifications.
For university however, 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. 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 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, and this will also be checked at interview.
- Applicants must be aged over 19 and have been out of full-time education for a year.
- 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.
If you don't meet the entry criteria, don't worry! We have a range of one-year, Pre-Access courses available to help you get started.
There is also a wide range of support available at the college for students, including financial support.
Training Course Content
You will study psychology, professional healthcare practice (PHP) and human physiology, among other topics.
The main aim of this course is to prepare students for study at university. Students will receive subject specific study skills preparation, as well as tuition in subjects that are relevant to their chosen degree course.
Once awarded the Access to HE Diploma, students will be able to start a university degree, provided they have met the entrance criteria for their chosen universities.
Course delivery details
You will learn through various teaching methods such as:
- lectures
- seminars
- workshops
- tutorials
- court visits
- group discussions
- debates
- case studies
Credits are gained for a variety of tasks such as essays, reports, presentations and timed assignments.
As well as developing subject knowledge, you will improve your communication, personal and study skills through a common core programme that also provides one-to-one tutorial support. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will agree performance targets with you and support you to achieve these targets. Your tutor is also the first port of call for any pastoral issues.
Our committed team of staff and careers specialists will also guide and support you with your higher education choices and applications. Almost all of our Access students progress to higher education. You will benefit from socialising in an educational environment and working collaboratively on projects.
All of this is excellent preparation for higher education.
Assessment on the Access to HE Nursing programme is via a combination of exams (approximately 30%) and coursework (approximately 70%).
Assessments are a mixture of:
- essays
- structured questions
- projects
- presentations
- examinations
Expenses
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.
Nursing Bursary for those going on to degree-level courses:Nursing students starting university will benefit from guaranteed, additional support of at least £5,000 a year to help with living costs. The funding will be given to all new and continuing degree-level nursing, midwifery and many allied health students from September 2020. Read more about how it is expected to benefit more than 35,000 students every year.
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.
Activate Learning
Activate Learning is a forward-thinking education group that aims for far-reaching, progressive change and impact through learning. We work with learners as individuals, helping them make the choice of course and career pathway that’s right for them. Our mission is to provide work-ready talent for business, and...