Do I have to pay to sit A-Levels?

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(edited 9 years ago)

At my college it is free if you're under 19. I don't think it's anywhere near as expensive as £10,000 a semester unless you're looking at private schools. You'd have to do AS and A levels though so it's probably not that worth it to be honest, although if take the same subjects you could probably fast track as you've already done the courses (relatively)

Reply 2

rayquaza17

Are looking to move to any particular area? Speak to the colleges there and ask them.

Are you going to be sorted for living costs?

Have you thought about doing a foundation year at uni?

Reply 3

parentlurker

Original post by Delenelie

I just finished high school in Scotland.
I have very average Highers (Scottish AS level) and I have failed the one Advanced Higher I was doings (Scottish A2 level).
I failed to meet the condition for my course at uni and I was rejected.
My school won't let me resit the Advanced Higher and I can't resit it anywhere else.

That's why I'm thinking about moving to England and doing A-levels.
But I'm really confused about fees.
Most colleges I've looked at want £10,000 per semester, and others says it's free if I'm under 19. (Like this one: http://www.west-thames.ac.uk/en/courses/subject/a-levels/courses.cfm/cid/39854 )

Do I still qualify for this if I have completed my education in Scotland?
Is there another way I can find colleges other than typing "A-levels, College" into google? Some sort of database or something?

Do you think it's a good idea?
I want to apply for Veterinary Medicine

In England you can resit exams as a private candidate as long as you can find an exam centre to take you, schools do not generally tell students this. There are also private providers who you can study with. Is there really nothing like this in Scotland as it would probably be cheaper than moving to England? Where is your nearest large town?

This is one way to find state funded colleges http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report and I believe you wouldn't have to pay.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 4

dragonkeeper999

The under 19 thing might only apply to people who don't already have A level/ equivalent qualifications... Not sure on this though, so double check (probably easiest to phone the college and ask).
10,000 pounds sounds rather expensive!!! I would be a LOT cheaper to self-teach/ get a private tutor and sit the exams as an external candidate in an exam centre/ school.

Have you considered alternatives to basically redoing two years of studying? A foundation degree might be a better way of getting into university, or an access course. I think I remember Nottingham uni running one for Vet Med, you may need to have done non-scientific A levels/ come from a disadvantage background or something though too... Remember that you are applying for one of the most competitive degrees - perhaps consider alternatives such as Animal Sciences?

I've heard that for Medicine universities really don't like applicants who had to retake whole years of A levels - I don't know if this is also true for Vet Med, but I would have thought any university for any course would question your academic ability/ motivation if you had to spend twice as long as the average applicant getting the same qualifications... Did you have any extenuating circumstances?

I've heard that for Vet Med universities want to see lots of work experience etc. too - so make sure you allow time for that. I had a friend who spend pretty much every weekend and every holiday doing work experience for two years, since apparently long-term commitment was something universities were looking for (for example she volunteered on a farm every weekend for a year or so).

Reply 5

Delenelie

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 6

parentlurker

Original post by dragonkeeper999

The under 19 thing might only apply to people who don't already have A level/ equivalent qualifications... Not sure on this though, .

I can assure you that it is possible to get funding for one year with previous qualifications as I know people who have done it.

Original post by Delenelie

But everytime I mention the last option my mother has this "I'm going to kill you" look in her eyes, as she want me to go to a good uni, so I don't think she would let me do it.

Your mother could, quite rightly, be concerned about the financial implications. Student loans are often not available.

Reply 7

dragonkeeper999

Original post by Delenelie

Thanks everybody for answering...

I originally planned to apply for VetMed. I had all the work experience I needed, I even had a personal statement. But then I had this huge argument with my chemistry teacher and I had to drop it. I was quite depressed for some time as no chemistry meant no VetMed. Then adding to that my grandfather died, so I stopped studying altogether ending up with DCC in my final year.
Knowing I couldn't do vetmed anymore I applied to Bioveterinary Sciences and I had an offer from Glasgow uni. I failed to meet the conditions, but as the course is in clearing, I asked them to reconsider. They said there is no way they can accept me with a D in Biology.

Also, I don't qualify for any of the access to VetMed courses as I only have 1 Advanced Higher and most of them require 2 or even 3 at grade C or above (and I have a D).

Other than sitting A-levels, my options are:
- Doing Access to HE diploma (1 year, but I would have to move to England as well)
-Redoing my highers and applying for less competitive degree that doesn't require advanced highers.
- Applying to VetMed in Europe (They only require an entrance exam)

But everytime I mention the last option my mother has this "I'm going to kill you" look in her eyes, as she want me to go to a good uni, so I don't think she would let me do it.

Vet Med is apparently a very challenging degree course - hence why universities have to be so strict on their grades. However, don't let past grades let you down - you still have all the options you mentioned :smile:

Regarding the access to HE diploma - make sure you check that Vet schools will actually accept it, they may want more academic/ biology related qualifications. A VetMed foundation degree might be a better option (e.g. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ugstudy/courses/veterinarymedicineandscience/veterinary-medicine-surgery-gateway-year.aspx - you will have to retake your A levels though first since they require BBC).

I personally would suggest taking whatever the normal number of Advanced Highers are (3? I assume they're basically A2 levels...) and spending a year working hard to get the best grades you can. If they're anything like A levels, you can easily get a good grade in science subjects just by memorising all the facts and practicing tonnes of past papers to get exam technique sorted. Buy yourself a few textbooks and start self-teaching, if necessary get a private tutor for a few hours a week to help out - this will still be cheaper than the 9k a year foundation courses etc. would cost. Find an exam centre that will accept external candidates (do this soon so you know which exam boards to buy your textbooks for and so you can book your exam ASAP - this is generally cheaper and will give you a deadline/ motivation).

I don't know anything about VetMed in Europe, however make sure if you do go down this route that your degree will be recognised in the UK - otherwise you won't be able to be a vet here. If as you say there are no specific entrance requirements, make sure you prepare VERY well for the entrance exams - they will probably be very tough/ A level standard science material. Don't assume that this is an easy route. Also check out the finances - I don't think you will be able to get a student loan/ grant from the government as you would studying in the UK, however tuition fees/ accommodation etc. may be a lot cheaper, or a lot more expensive. Keep an eye out for hidden costs and try and get in touch with UK students who had studied at each university before to get their opinion of it. European universities aren't necessarily worse than UK ones! If you look at the QS world university rankings several from Europe rank highly - certainly higher than some of the ex-polys etc. here. Tbh, the very top UK universities (Oxbridge, most of the Russel Group) rank highly, but the rest don't stand out globally.