Who is foundation year in uni for?

I am an EU student and I’m currently thinking about going to uni, starting 2020. I’m planning to do Business Management. However... Can anyone tell me what is the difference between BA Hons, and a foundation year in uni? Why do people prefer to do foundation year instead of moving on to BA Hons straight away? Is it because universities offer foundation year for students with lower grades? And BA Hons for students with better grades?

A foundation year aims to bridge the gap between level 3 study and undergraduate study- it's aimed at people who haven't got good enough grades to move on to year 1 of the undergraduate course, or maybe people who didn't study the right subject at A-level.

For lots of unis, it's a way of generating extra income.

Some non-UK students will use a foundation year to get used to studying in English, but in general if you think you can get straight onto the undergrad course, this is the more usual route.

Foundation years are designed for people who did badly in school. Don't take them unless you also did badly or are chronically under-confident in yourself.

Wow another loaded foundation year attack...

I did a foundation year and went to a RG.

So it's not only for people with bad grades, it can also be used by people who have certificates that aren't accepted for UK study.. Such as my US highschool Diploma.

"For lot's of uni's it's a way of generating extra income"

So what are undergraduate courses then a cost center? 😂 😂

Really awkward statement, foundation years give people second sometimes third chances to go to university and are very positive. But should only be used when necessary.

People do foundation years also to go onto quite good RG universities due to sometimes being a grade off or having had a break from education.

I did not realise that foundation years were how unis fixed foreign qualification incompatibilities. It wasn't an attack.

Not sure what the Russell Group has to do with anything.

Interesting you felt the need to mess up the punctuation in my statement.

It's an extra year of fees from the student- if you can get 4 years of fees from a student, rather than 3, at a time of lowering student numbers, that's extra money. In general, foundation years often have large classes and are relatively cheap to run- especially if you compare a science foundation degree against the undegrad, often there's less lab time etc, which is a big expense for unis.

To be clear, I'm not saying foundation years are bad for everyone, and for some people they are the right choice- especially if you've changed your mind about the career you want between choosing your A-levels and going to uni.

Equally, last results day saw lots of unis offering very near miss students a place on their foundation years. Now, maybe for some students this is the right option, but many of those students might be better served by going to their insurance choice and doing a 3 year degree or finding a place in clearing. To me, this suggests some unis are perhaps using their foundation years in a cynical way to get extra fees from students. And yes, in general, I am cynical about the ways unis behave these days.

It's also worth bearing in mind that not all foundation years guarantee progression to an undergrad degree at the same uni, even if you pass the year. Other institutions are often skeptical of another uni's program and this can leave students a bit high and dry.

I'll agree universities do use some aggressive tactics.

But let's not dismiss all foundation years. They can be lifesavers and yield to good outcomes. All I'm trying to stress.

Has to do with the fact you eluded to only people with bad grades and me providing you evidence that in fact it is possible that foundation can be completed with good results and lead to good universities.

It's you that's inserting the quality of universities into this mate. You've taken this thread far more personally than you need to.

Foundation years are designed for people who did badly in school. Don't take them unless you also did badly or are chronically under-confident in yourself.

Has to do with the fact you eluded to only people with bad grades and me providing you evidence that in fact it is possible that foundation can be completed with good results and lead to good universities.

It is for people with bad grades. There's nothing wrong with that, nor do you need to get aggressive over it. It's just a fact.

Like i said i converted my foreign education through a foundation course that was A level equivalent and achieved AAB. And went to a top 20 Uni. So it isn't just for people with bad grades.

That's just your ignorant view.

I am an EU student and I’m currently thinking about going to uni, starting 2020. I’m planning to do Business Management. However... Can anyone tell me what is the difference between BA Hons, and a foundation year in uni? Why do people prefer to do foundation year instead of moving on to BA Hons straight away? Is it because universities offer foundation year for students with lower grades? And BA Hons for students with better grades?