Higher Education, Further Education & Study Abroad
Supporting your young person through the university process is exciting but also comes with many choices and considerations. Over 70% of BHASVIC students enter Higher Education, around 25% after taking a gap year, and we provide plenty of support for current students and those applying post-BHASVIC. For current students this is mainly delivered through the A1 and A2 tutorial system but includes guidance from teaching staff, and expertise from our careers and HE advisors.
It may well be helpful for you to know what happens in college, and how you might be able to support your young person at home.
We have an extensive UCAS HUB on our SharePoint pages so please encourage your young person to show them to you. They include all aspects of university study including university research, entry requirements, open days, bursaries, student finance, personal statement help and much more. There are also subject guide pages with university and careers information and extensive super-curricular suggestions for extra reading outside the curriculum.
Parents and carers of A1 and A2 students can access our Higher Education Information Webinars which are always updated in March. These are available on YouTube for you to view anytime.
Nikki Fabry
Guidance Manager, Higher and Further Education, Study Abroad
Higher Education Noticeboard
General HE info for Parents and Carers:
There is a huge amount of information online regarding university choices and higher education. This is just a few suggestions of websites to browse. It is worth spending time with your young person looking together researching the right courses and institutions for them.
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Moving into Year 2 (for parents of A1 students) - March 2026
A1 Higher Education Evening - March 2026
Useful Links
Options & Careers
- Career and Subject Explorer: https://sacu-student.com/?page_id=2850
- Great careers advice: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/professional-courses
- Real stories to inspire careers: http://icould.com/
- Career Planner Questionnaire: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/planner
- Careers and Uni advice for school leavers: https://targetcareers.co.uk/
- Useful Careers Guidance: http://www.plotr.co.uk/
- Lots of useful advice on life in HE: https://www.brightknowledge.org/
- Careers advice: https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/
University Research
- Essential resource: https://www.ucas.com/what-are-my-options/create-your-ucas-hub-today
- Another essential website: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/
- UCAS City Guides: https://www.ucas.com/city-guides
- UCAS points calculator: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
- Uni Fairs: Home | UK University Search
- Free student account: https://www.whatuni.com/
- Download Uni PDF Prospectuses: http://www.prospectusfinder.co.uk
- Scottish Universities: http://www.studyinscotland.org/find-a-university/
- Complete University Tables: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/
- Guardian league tables: https://www.theguardian.com/education/universityguide
- Compare courses & stats: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-information-and-data/discover-uni-and-unistats/
Finance / Scholarships
- Student Loans Company www.slc.co.uk
- UCAS www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/finance-and-support
- Student Finance England www.sfengland.slc.co.uk
- Student Finance www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
- Money Saving Expert http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loans-tuition-fees-changes
- Scholarships available http://www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk/
- Which Consumer Advice: https://www.which.co.uk/money/university-and-student-finance/student-finance?utm_source=whichcouk&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=teachers050220
Open days / Taster Days / Summer Schools / Events
- Open Day details http://www.opendays.com/
- Useful open day questions: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/open-days
- Uni taster days: https://www.unitasterdays.com/
Work Placements
- Why a work placement: http://www.thebigchoice.com/Placements/Advice/Benefits_of_a_Work_Placement.html
- Opportunities: http://www.studentladder.co.uk/work-placements.html
- Info about placements: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/work-experience-and-internships/work-placements
- Professional Development: http://www.etrust.org.uk/the-year-in-industry
Study Abroad
- Information & Advice: https://erudera.com/guides/
- Europe: http://www.eunicas.co.uk/
- Information & Advice: https://www.studyabroad.com/
- Information & Advice: https://www.topuniversities.com/
- Holland: http://studyinholland.co.uk/
- USA: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/
- Information & Advice: http://www.studyoptions.com/
- Canada: http://www.educanada.ca/
- Benefits of studying abroad: https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/studying-abroad/studying-abroad-benefits
Gap year
- Information & Advice: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/gap-year
- Information & Advice: https://www.studential.com/gap-year-guide
- Safe travel abroad: https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/
- Ideas and thoughts: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/alternatives-higher-education/gap-years
Volunteering
- Worldwide gap Volunteering: BUNAC
- UK Volunteering: Volunteering England
The following calendar gives you some idea of how we support students at BHASVIC in deciding whether to apply for higher education and if they do decide to apply, how to select their university and relevant course, and how to complete the application process. We are currently updating this information.
Applying to BHASVIC
- Careers staff available – students encouraged to book appointments with our careers staff
- How parents/carers can support: Talk to students about their BHASVIC course choices, future plans.
A1 Year (Spring)
- My Future Plans - Tutor sessions considering pathways – higher education, apprenticeships
- Futures Fair – wide range of exhibitors from all sectors
- A1-A2 Transfer - Students make their second year course choices
- Higher Education/Specialist evenings for parents/carers – parents evenings
- Careers staff available – students encouraged to book appointments with our careers staff
- How parents/carers can support: HE evening for parents/carers, talk to students about their BHASVIC course choices, future plans.
A1 Year (Summer)
- Open days – Students begin to attend open days at universities they may be interested in. There is a lot of useful info online. Students will be spending a lot of time and money at University and we strongly suggest visiting universities to check they are right for them. Prime times are June/July and September/October. Students need to plan and book online in advance. We will authorise absences on receipt of evidence (emails) to reception.
- UCAS Open Days search tool: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/events-and-open-days
- Progression Week – Students have an opportunity to attend a local university
- Skills Week - Students are able to gain an understanding of opportunities through work placements.
- Careers Enrichment Day – Students must attend pathway sessions and have an opportunity to attend a local university and begin researching options.
- Careers staff available – students encouraged to book appointments with our careers staff
- Personal Statements – Students introduced to personal statements – an important aspect of their applications
- Contextual Information – Students give draft information to tutors to help them write information in support of their UCAS application.
- Student Reports –are completed in July. Subject references are made available via Parent Advantage to parents / carers at the end of term
- Predicted Grades – are completed in July. They are made available via the Parent Portal to parents/carers at the end of term
- Tutor Contextual Information – students check and update information with tutors prior to the application being sent off to UCAS.
- Preparation work for Personal Statements – to be completed in the autumn term
- Summer schools and taster days – in preparation for applying to university
- How parents/carers can support: Support students in researching options. Support and encourage students to attend university open days. Discuss choices and encourage matching preferred choices with realistic predicted grades. Home will receive subject references.
A2 Year (Autumn)
- College Internal Deadlines for all guaranteed UCAS applications
- Early Application deadline Usually the third week of September for Oxbridge and Cambridge.
- Internal Priority Application deadline mid-November for guaranteed processing before the national deadline.
- Internal Standard deadline Early December after the Christmas break.
- Ex-student deadline Early December.
- Personal Statements – focus in tutor on writing Personal Statements (5/6 sessions) and support given by tutors on draft statements to improve quality. Additional support offered to WP students.
- UCAS Apply Sessions – BHASVIC runs regular sessions (every lunchtime through mid-October to end of November) where Guidance managers will check students online applications. Students MUST attend a session for their application to progress
- Contextual Information, Predicted Grades and Personal Statements – checked and reviewed in tutor sessions
- How parents/carers can support: Continue to support researching options. Open days will still be available early in the autumn term. Read through personal statements. Encourage to be realistic about choices reflective of predicted grades. Remind students to check their emails.
- Ensure deadlines are met: This is crucial. Our general office staff (and university staff) are term time only so do not work over Christmas.
- Encourage email checking: If there is an error on a student’s Apply form we will need to contact the student to ask them to correct the information. If students do not check their emails regularly this becomes problematic.
- Aspirational/Solid/Safe: We encourage students to make a mix of applications. Aspirational choices will be slightly above predicted grades, solid will predict their grades and safe may well be slightly under. This will ensure they are able to make effective Firm and Insurance Offers when universities make offers later on.
- Firm/Insurance offers: There is lots of really good information online regarding offers.
A2 Year (Spring)
- FINAL UCAS Application deadline January
- Tutor – University preparation - accommodation / Student Finance / Independent Living
- May – Deadline for offers and replies otherwise they disappear
- Student Finance Applications - Opens around the end of February. Deadline usually end of May.
- How parents/carers can support: Remind students to check their emails and UCAS track. Students need to register for student finance around Feb-March May. They will need their NI number. If they delay their finance maybe delayed, including their maintenance loans for September. They will confirm after results day when accepting their offers.
A2 Year (Summer)
- Deadline for University replies and offers – check UCAS website
- Clearing and UCAS Extra opens for late applications.
- Study leave and revision!
- How parents/carers can support: Support students with revision. Planning for University – discuss accommodation and finance. Encourage learning skills of Independent Living including budgeting, basic cooking skills etc.
A2 Year (Results day)
- Mid-August – BHASVIC Helpdesk opens (until end of August)
- UCAS Adjustment opens
- UCAS Apply 31st August Offer conditions must be met & Adjustment ends
- How parents/carers can support: Support students with acceptances/offers/clearing. Students may contact universities through clearing or adjustment (when grades are better than expected).
The Medical Careers tutorial pathway is intended to prepare students for making applications to medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, and meeting the early UCAS deadline for applications in these subjects.
It is enhanced by specialist enrichment activities during A1 year which students can choose to attend. Medsoc our medics enrichment society provides a wide variety of speakers across medicine, vet med and dentistry as well as wide healthcare opportunities. Students will move into a Medics tutor group in the final half term of their A1 year and during Progression Week, students will commit time to completing further detailed research into different medical schools and universities, as well as different course entry requirements and any additional requirements required or suggested by the higher education providers (for example, work experience, extra-curricular activities, entrance exams).
Please see the additional information below or contact Stella Coleman, Our Medics Coordinator through s.coleman@bhasvic.ac.uk.
As a parent/carer, you may find the following information and links helpful in preparing to support your young person with their next steps:
The Oxbridge tutorial pathway is intended to prepare prospective Oxbridge applicants for making a competitive application, and meeting the early UCAS deadline required for these colleges. Students interested in applying for an Oxbridge pathway will have the opportunity to attend enrichment after college in A1 year and can choose to join an Oxbridge tutor group in June of their first year.
During Progression Week, students follow a programme of events and activities which helped them to understand the process of applying to Oxford or Cambridge. They are expected to complete detailed research into the different colleges, as well as course entry and other special requirements. After Progression Week, they began the A2 tutorial programme led by Natalya Luck, our experienced Oxbridge Co-ordinator.
All Oxbridge tutees should expect to commit time to complete the personal statement assignments set by their Oxbridge tutor to ensure they are best placed to make a competitive application. They will also begin preparation for entrance exams.
If students require further specific information or support with their Oxbridge research, please encourage them to chat with Talya or Nikki through the Oxbridge Enrichment Team.
As a parent/carer, you may find the following information and links helpful in preparing to support your young person with their next steps.
UCAS is the application service for performance-based music, dance, drama, and musical theatre courses
at conservatoires in the UK – at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Conservatoire courses are very much based on practical training and performance, rather than the more academic courses available through UCAS Undergraduate. If your young person is interested in a practical discipline, such as instrumental or vocal performance, then a conservatoire course may be a more beneficial route for them.
BHASVIC fully supports students taking the Conservatoire route and many of the application processes are similar to a standard UCAS application.
A key difference is the need for both an academic and a practical reference. We can help. Please email HE@bhasvic.ac.uk for more information.
- Student Underground - How to Apply to Conservatoires
- Twitter.com - Conservatoires UK Student Network
- Youtube Videos UK Music Conservatoire Applications
- Conservatoires UK - FAQ's
- What's it like at a Music Conservatoire?
- UCAS Performing Arts Applications
Every year a small number of our students choose to study abroad. Popular choices have included studying in the Netherlands, where many courses are taught in English, the USA and elsewhere in Europe although in the past few years we have had students apply as far a field as Australia, Taiwan and Japan.
The application process can be complex. There is no UCAS system for Higher Education Institutions worldwide so individual deadlines, courses and entry requirements need to be carefully researched by students. A key consideration is funding as Student Finance England (student loans) do not cover study abroad.
We have a dedicated share point page for Study Abroad covering many different countries worldwide which should be a first point of call for any student interested.
Students will need to undertake their own independent research as institutions worldwide can differ.
We can support any application to an institution abroad. Institutions may require transcripts and a variety of documents to support an application and it is useful to have time to prepare these in advance. It is really helpful if students can give us plenty of notice if thinking of taking this route by emailing HE@bhasvic.ac.uk as our references here in the UK do not always match what is required worldwide.
There are options run by many universities for students to study part of their degree abroad. The benefits for this are that universities manage accommodation through link universities and it is generally covered by UK Student Finance. This is an attractive option across a range of courses and universities. More information and how to research study abroad options in UK degrees is covered in our Bitesize Study Abroad PowerPoint (please see Bitesize section above) and also on our share point page Study Abroad.