As students in universities in England are facing a rise in tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year from 2012, local Colleges offering HE provision are becoming a real option for many students worried about debt.

Even before the changes to HE funding come into force, an annual survey by Push, the UK’s leading independent resource for prospective students, found that those students who started at university last year can expect to owe over £23,200 by the time they leave. In contrast a new study from the Association of Colleges (AoC) reveals that the average student who gains their HE qualification at a college will leave with a debt of around £17,500 less than their university peers.

Bury College has worked successfully in partnership with The University of Bolton for over 10 years delivering a wide range of HE courses and has a growing community of university students, with over 180 students studying a higher level course.  Although the College’s tuition fees are not lower than those of universities, its students are able to minimise their debt because HE courses are offered in a flexible way. Bury College offers flexible full-time and part-time courses including Foundation Degrees, Higher National Certificates (HNC), Higher National Diplomas (HND) and Professional Diplomas including the PGDE (Post Graduate Diploma in Education) in a variety of subjects.

Tim Robson, Director of HE at Bury College says, “Bury College offers affordable, high quality university courses at a local level, and with the government’s plans to increase tuition fees, it’s becoming a real choice for students who are worried about getting into debt. Our HE courses are very flexible, which means students can study in the evening and on a part-time basis. Many of our students work part-time and live at home which keeps their accommodation and travelling costs to a minimum.”
 
One student who chose to study a University Foundation Degree at Bury College is Sophie Mawdsley. After completing her A Levels, 20 year old Sophie knew she wanted to go to university and study for a degree but did not want to move away from home and get into debt.

Sophie from Tottington, Bury says, “I was originally going to study my degree at university but had concerns about getting into debt. After weighing up the cost and effort of travelling everyday I looked for a different option. I saw that Bury College offered part time degree courses and that I may be able to apply for funding so I could get a grant to pay for my degree. As the college is around the corner from where I live and after weighing up the debt that I would accumulate at university, Bury College was the obvious choice.”

To minimise her debt, Sophie works part-time at the Schools Library Service, she says, “I liked the idea of studying part time which meant that I could work along side studying for my degree. Having received a grant and not a student loan I needed money to live off and I now have a part time job where I work 15 hours a week.”

As part of her course Sophie also works voluntarily 12 hours a week at her placement at Holly Mount School. She says, “There are lots of advantages to studying at a local college. I really liked the fact that the course offered me a placement so I could gain experience whilst I studied. I get a lot of support here, the class sizes are smaller and I have one to one tutorials on a frequent basis. I would recommend Bury College to students, who like me who don’t want to move away from home and get into debt. I definitely think it was the best choice for me.”

Bury College offers the same high standard of education as a traditional university, with all courses approved by the same body that inspects universities – the Quality Assurance Agency. Courses are however, distinct from the traditional university experience, being deliberately vocational with a focus on work-based learning and employability, something which is very attractive in today’s competitive climate.

Tim Robson, Director of HE at Bury College, says, “Students should consider all the options available to them when considering which route to higher education is best for them. We offer excellent teaching, support and facilities for all our university students and the flexibility of our courses means studying for a university qualification at Bury College can often cost less.”

To help students even further, The University of Bolton also offers a scholarship of at least £700 per annum for Bury College students who study a course with them. This is dependent on conditions such as immediate progression from a pre-university course at Bury College and holding The University of Bolton as a first choice.

For further information please contact Michelle Lynch on 0161 280 8316 or email michelle.lynch@burycollege.ac.uk