How would applying with a foundation year to university work?

Please, read & contribute any information if you can with regards to my situation.

Hi. I was studying 3 A levels & my 3rd A level maths I studied independently at home. However of course that exam was cancelled & so now I only have 2 A levels (from BBB to BB). This led me to apply for a foundation year at Aberystwyth & hopefully then transfer after completing that foundation year to perhaps Swansea, Royal Holloway, Northampton, maybe even Durham/Newcastle. So how would this work.

Do I apply when I get my Foundation year results? But when I get those results won’t it be august already so would that be in time to start year 1 of my course at the new university that September because I do not want to take a year out.

Also does anyone have experience in transferring with a foundation year from a not so reputable university to a good one?

I was planning on doing computer science at a reputable university & since computer science is pretty much maths I decided to apply for a mathematics foundation year at Aberystwyth in hopes to fit more of the module requirements.

Please please respond to this message as soon as possible or link it to anyone who has had experience with my problems, thanks.

Please, read & contribute any information if you can with regards to my situation.

Hi. I was studying 3 A levels & my 3rd A level maths I studied independently at home. However of course that exam was cancelled & so now I only have 2 A levels (from BBB to BB). This led me to apply for a foundation year at Aberystwyth & hopefully then transfer after completing that foundation year to perhaps Swansea, Royal Holloway, Northampton, maybe even Durham/Newcastle. So how would this work.

Do I apply when I get my Foundation year results? But when I get those results won’t it be august already so would that be in time to start year 1 of my course at the new university that September because I do not want to take a year out.

Also does anyone have experience in transferring with a foundation year from a not so reputable university to a good one?

I was planning on doing computer science at a reputable university & since computer science is pretty much maths I decided to apply for a mathematics foundation year at Aberystwyth in hopes to fit more of the module requirements.

Please please respond to this message as soon as possible or link it to anyone who has had experience with my problems, thanks.

You need to look at foundation year’s you are interested in, make sure you meet the entry requirements and apply via UCAS.

You should probably also ensure the undergraduate degrees you wish to study accept the foundation program you plan to enrol on.

You should also be aware a foundation year will burn 1 year of student finance.

Have you considered re-doing year 13, when you can sit maths A-level and just enrol onto a degree normally, this way you wouldn’t take any debt and start at the same place, and keep all your options open for universities.

You can move out while sitting one A level. No one is forcing you to live at home. With a summer job and a full time job alongside your A level you should be able to afford to live somewhere else.

If you want to go down the foundation year route then you’ll need to talk to that university about whether they’ll support a ucas application submitted by the January deadline. To transfer universities needs a ucas application - and for 1st year entry that means one before the deadline to maximise your chances. A ucas application will need a new PS and a reference from your foundation year tutor. It’s worth asking if this is something that the foundation university has done before and the universities that students transferred to.

You also need to talk to the universities that you hope to transfer to and ask them about what they consider in applications from foundation year students. Foundation years are NOT a standard curriculum or quality and so the content and suitability varies enormously. Generally you will be able to apply for courses with the same requirements as the yr 1 entry requirements for your foundation university but even within that some universities won’t be happy with foundation applications.

It’s an expensive option to take any foundation year. To take a foundation year with the plan to transfer is expensive and risky.

Can someone please explain why taking a foundation course is a bad idea regarding student finance? Is it simply because I would have to repay 4 years not 3? Or would I only get 3 years of loan if I transferred uni after my foundation?


Can someone please explain why taking a foundation course is a bad idea regarding student finance? Is it simply because I would have to repay 4 years not 3? Or would I only get 3 years of loan if I transferred uni after my foundation?

Hi, I have done this. I started off doing a foundation year of a degree and then I changed my mind to which degree I wanted to do. I applied for the uni and the degree I wanted and I'm just waiting for a reply after my application and interview (it was all really positive and I'm just waiting written confirmation really). I would definitely see if one of the courses you want to do has a foundation year at the uni of your choice. It's always worth a call to their admissions team to talk it through as well. Good luck

Hi. I’m in a similar position. Did you tell your former Uni that you are leaving them & what evidence of results did you have to send (from your foundation year)