Parents/Students' Information - Post 18 Options

There are many different routes available to students after completing Level 3.

HTQ

Higher Technical Qualifications are a great option for anyone who has competed Level 3 and wants to take a technical or career focused route.

They are typically classroom-based and taught in further education colleges, universities and institutes of technology.

They can be taken full-time or part-time while working. They can be in person or hybrid – a combination of in person and remote working. They can be started in September or January.

Students have to be 18 and will usually have to have a Level 3 qualification.

HTQs can lead to a full university degree or work. They can be taken as the qualification part of an apprenticeship.

University Degree

A degree is a qualification that students achieve from completing an academic course at University. The length of time it takes to complete a degree can differ between courses and universities. Although, typically, a bachelor’s degree lasts for 3 years. 

Whereas previously students may have studied multiple subjects, at university you tend to narrow this down to just one or two subject areas.

Students have to fund their own degree tuition fees and living costs.

The government offers loans for both. See more information on student finance here.

Loan recipients have to start paying them back once they earn £25,000. Student loans accrue interest at a current rate of 4.1%. They are written off after 40 years.

Higher or Degree Apprenticeship

A degree apprenticeship enables you to gain a full undergraduate or master’s degree while you work. Degree apprenticeships take three to six years to complete, depending on the course level.

You’ll spend most of your time working and you’ll also study part-time at university. For example, you might go to university one or two days per week, or in short blocks, such as a week at a time. Overall, you spend about 20% of your time studying vs. 80% of your time working.
Employers fund degree apprenticeships so students avoid having to take out loans for study.

Gap year

A gap year is a way to develop yourself and your skills before taking the next step in your education or career.

Some of the advantages include the opportunity to:

• Think about your career plans.
• Travel and experience other cultures.
• Earn money to support yourself in future study.
• Improve your CV by doing work experience.
• Get skills you cannot learn in a classroom.
• Become more mature, focused and motivated.

Employment

At this stage, young people can get a full-time job.

They should be paid the minimum wage which is currently £10.85 an hour.