This is a guest post by Bryony Merritt, spokesperson for Birkbeck, University of London, and is in repsonse to the news article ‘Average students debts set to exceed £53k‘ we published on 16th August 2011. All views are those of Birkbeck, University of London, and may not wholly reflect the views of compareandsave.com.
There have been a lot of reports over the last month about the competition for university places this year, with many applicants being left without a place for 2011. Applicants who decide to reapply next year will be facing higher tuition fees, as universities across the country increase their fees in response to the Government’s changes to higher education funding.
However, for those who don’t have a place for October 2011, there is still an opportunity to find a course. Birkbeck, University of London, offer over 76 undergraduate degree programmes, taught part-time in the evenings, and are still accepting applications for courses starting this October.
There are sound financial incentives for applying this year; students will remain on the current funding system and will not be asked to pay the much higher fees being introduced for new students from 2012. This is also the last year that students will be able to access non-refundable government grants, which are assessed on their own income, rather than that of their parents or household.
Applicants to part-time degrees apply direct to Birkbeck, and don’t have to go through the UCAS clearing system. Evening teaching, enables students to combine study with work or other commitments. In four years, students can obtain a prestigious University of London degree. Part-time fees for home and EU students starting courses in October this year range from £2,478 to £3,090 depending on the course chosen, which is much more affordable than the current fee of £3,375 a year for a full-time University of London degree.
The College also offers an alternative to re-sits for students who missed out on the grades they needed for university or for mature applicants who don’t hold traditional qualifications. Birkbeck’s Certificates of Higher Education are flexible, modular programmes taught at undergraduate level, which give students an alternative route into undergraduate study and, in some cases, allow them to progress onto the second year of an undergraduate degree.
Birkbeck students are the most satisfied students in London; the College was voted number one for quality of teaching in the 2011 National Student Survey and ranks among the top 200 universities in the world, according to the 2010-2011 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Monica Law, Birkbeck’s Head of Marketing and Recruitment, comments: “Birkbeck’s part-time courses are an attractive alternative to full-time study. Our university of London qualifications are well respected by employers and combining work and study enables our students to minimise the debts that they build up while studying. It also means that they can develop their careers alongside their studies, and apply the knowledge that they gain through their studies directly to their working lives. This gives them a competitive edge in the job market and shows commitment and capacity to work hard and achieve their goals.”
Visit the Birkbeck website to find out more about the courses and opportunities on offer.
