Tips on completing the different sections
Higher Futures' guide to applying for a higher education course (127KB PDF) >
NB. All the information given on the form must be accurate and complete. If it later comes to light that information has been withheld or is inaccurate, your application may be refused.
Personal Details
The information you give to register on the site will automatically appear in this section of the form, but there is other information to be added, mostly self-explanatory.
Always use the drop down menus in this section - the information required is not always obvious and you could enter the wrong thing.
Student Support: this part is asking who will finance your studies. Select 02 (LA = Local Authority). If you select 01 (self - financing) it will be assumed that you do not require any grants, loans or bursaries even where you are eligible for them. When you later apply for finance this confusion will need correcting.
Criminal convictions: you must declare these so that the higher education provider can assess any risks. Be assured that this will only rarely prevent you from getting a place in higher education, particularly if the conviction is spent or was for a less serious offence - exceptions are for offences against children and for physical violence. If you have any conviction you can expect the university to contact you for more details.
Disability/ special needs: universities and colleges need this information to ensure that you receive any support that you may need (e.g. for dyslexia), and also to be informed about any health conditions which they would need to know about for safety reasons whilst you are on your course (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes). As well as a drop down menu to indicate your disability or medical condition, there is a free text box. In this, you should put details of any support you are currently receiving or would need in higher education.
Choices
Enter up to five course choices in the boxes. Use the drop down menus to find the institutions, course codes and campus codes you need.
It is acceptable to choose more than one course at the same institution. However, you should not choose courses which are very different from each other as this will make it very difficult to write a Personal Statement which supports your choice. If you find yourself in this position, seek help from your adviser for guidance on making appropriate choices.
The Start Date / Year of Entry should be left blank unless you have the agreement of the university to start the course at a point other than first year (which may be the case if you have completed a Foundation degree or HND).
Use the 'Defer' box if you are applying for a course to start a year later (e.g. if you are taking a 'Gap' year). Use the 'Home' box only if you are absolutely sure you will want to stay at home. Ticking this indicates that you will not require student accommodation (and you may change your mind about where you want to live) and you will also be offered a lower rate of student finance. If you leave this option open, you can still opt to stay at home.
Further Details: this section is only used when applicants need to make a choice between course options. The course code entry will indicate if it is necessary to complete this.
Education
Enter the secondary schools and colleges you attended, with dates of entry and leaving. There is a 'search' facility here for all UK secondary schools.
Next, add all your qualifications including GCSE / equivalents, whenever taken. Awarding bodies and dates of achievement (or dates when these are expected) will also be needed.
You must include all qualifications, including those failed. If you have taken a qualification more than once on different dates, you should enter it more than once. If you have taken it six times, you should enter it six times.
Include qualifications yet to be taken as well as those achieved, entering a future date for completion. Enter the month and year the course will end but leave the result box blank - don't insert your predicted grade.
Available qualifications, including international and historical qualifications, are listed alphabetically, by both title and by awarding body. The most common qualifications for Higher Futures students are listed as Access, Advanced Modern Apprenticeship, BTEC National Diploma, CACHE, GCSE and NVQ.
Take particular care if selecting BTEC National that you choose the correct one (pre- or post-2003) since the new National Diploma has 18 units of study whilst the old one had 12 units of study. This can make a difference in terms of the acceptability of the qualification for some higher education courses.
If you have an unusual qualification and can't find it, look under 'Other'.
In most cases it is clear how you should record the results achieved. In some cases you will be asked to enter module or unit titles in free text format. These are stated on your achievement certificates.
Employment
In this section enter details of your paid employment experience - dates, employer and job details. It is particularly aimed at mature and employed applicants with considerable work experience. There is only a limited amount of space, so focus on the most relevant and / or most recent jobs you've had.
If you are a full-time student with a part-time job, by all means include it, but there's no need to include every Saturday job you've ever done. However, do include any work which is relevant to the course you have applied for.
NB Be careful when stating the hours you work if you are a full-time student; too many may not be seen as an advantage, particularly if the impression is given that this takes up too much of your time - it will look as if studying is not your priority!
Voluntary work does not go in this section - include details of this in your Personal Statement instead.
Help and advice
If you need any help or advice on the application process or completing your form, please contact the Higher Futures adviser in your nearest college or university.
Contact your Higher Futures adviser >