Higher education (HE) applies to any form of education that results in a level 4+ qualification. This includes HND, foundation degree, university degree or degree apprenticeship.
HND (Higher National Diploma)
A Higher National Diploma (HND) is a work-related course provided by higher and further education colleges in the UK. It takes two years to complete full-time, or three to four years part-time. An HND is generally considered to be the equivalent to two years at university.
Foundation degree
Introduced in 2001, a foundation degree is a combined academic and vocational qualification, equivalent to two thirds of an honours bachelor's degree. They are well suited to those who are unsure about taking a full degree or if they want to study while you work.
University degree
Most people mean a bachelor's degree when they talk about a university degree, but they can also lead to a master's and doctoral degrees.
Applying to university
With over 60 universities in the UK it should be relatively easy to find an institution and course that fits a student's capabilities and both current interests and future hopes whilst extending and challenging them academically.
A level / tariff point chart
As well as using grades, UCAS and some universities choose to make their offers based on tariff points. Tariffs are the average results that current students achieved for entry the previous year. Some students will, of course, have gained higher than the average, but as a rule, tariffs are a good indicator of the entry level.
Degree apprenticeship
These are a new type of programme offered by some universities, in which students achieve a full bachelor’s or master’s degree as part of their apprenticeship with an employer. They are ideal for combining working with studying part-time at a university.
