List of clearing vacancies abroad published

From now until after A level results day we will be publishing a list of clearing vacancies at international universities. All of these courses are available in English and start in autumn 2011.

For further information and/or advice about applying to universities in Europe, Australia and the USA please email us: study@astarfuture.co.uk

List of Clearing Opportunities Abroad

There are opportunities to study in Holland, Czech Republic, Italy and other European countries. There are also many universities with vacancies for January 2012 where the admissions process is about to start.

How to get in to an international university during clearing

Results day 2011 promises to be a particularly arduous experience for many British students. Up to 100,000 are expected to miss out on their place at university.

Many will be able to find a place at British universities within clearing but for those students who are willing to look abroad there are some fantastic opportunities out there. Here is a testimonial from Ritwik Swain, a British student who found himself in the same situation last year.

"Results Day 2010. Dreadful news. I hadn’t gotten into university. I missed my offer to study Psychology at Warwick. My plans were shattered. What was I going to do? How could I explain this to my friends, my family, my teachers?

"I quickly realised that it was time to stop griping about the past and figure out my plans for the future. Would I re-take my A-levels and reapply next year? Would I accept a clearing place at an institution that didn’t appeal to me? Would I go to uni at all?

"I went to see my Head of Sixth Form to discuss my options when my Headmaster, overhearing my grievances, half-jokingly suggested Maastricht University in the Netherlands; after he had read about it in a newspaper. He told me about the fact that they offer courses entirely in English, that fees were around €1700 and that they were quite keen on getting students from the UK.
From that moment on, the words: “the Netherlands” began ringing in my ears. The thought excited me. I opened my laptop as soon as I got home to find out more. I scrolled down their English-taught course list but couldn’t find Psychology. However, this did not deter me. I was sure that there must be other universities in the Netherlands that could offer Psychology in English. I was right. Groningen!

"University of Groningen is a large, well respected, research university in the north of the Netherlands that offers many courses in English language; and importantly for me, it also offers Psychology. The more I began learning about Groningen, the more enticing it became for me. It is a very student-friendly city. It is the world’s cycling city. The university ranks well in international league tables. It has excellent sports facilities. What more could I have wanted?
Studying in the Netherlands has so many advantages: I’m learning languages, I’m saving a lot of money and I’m increasing my international profile – all at a young age; which I hope should bode well for the future when I start looking for a job.

"In my first year at University of Groningen, I could count on one hand how many British people I met in Groningen. But next year, this is set to change as the University has reported around 100 British applicants. "

University of Groningen is just one of many universities with places available for this academic year although its psychology degree is already full this year. Other universities in Europe with places for September 2011 include Prague College, John Cabot University, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Florida State University (London campus) and Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda. Nearly all of these options work out cheaper than British universities from 2012.

Students Respond to Lord Browne's Proposals

Further to the publication of Lord Browne's report last week, there has been a lot of reflection on how this will impact upon future students' higher education choices. We have deliberately kept a low profile on this matter for the time being because the implications are far wider than increasing the likelihood of Brits going abroad.

The Student Room website has just published a survey of 1300 students (it is unclear how many of these students are still to enter university) and their assessment of Lord Browne's recommendations. While it is clear that the Lib Dems won't be winning many friends amongst the young, there are some other results which corroborate what we have been hearing from other sources.

73% of all students will look abroad when thinking about their higher education choices. Admittedly, for many English students abroad seems to mean Scotland but there are signs that a wide range of countries from USA to Netherlands could be about to benefit from increasing applications from British students.

We will see whether this materialises. However, it is clearer than ever that schools must offer advice about international higher education as one of the range of options open to their students.

Lord Browne's University Funding Review Published Today

What does the tuition fee review mean for British students?

12th October 2010

Today Lord Browne's report in to university funding has been published.

There had been much speculation in to the precise recommendations he would make but there was never any doubt that higher education would become more expensive for British students.

It is too early to know when any changes to tuition fees will be made, not least because any change still has to be voted into law. At the moment, these are only recommendations. However, there has been so much discussion about graduate taxes, upper limits on fees etc in recent months that it seems fairly certain the government was trying to prepare the ground for the conclusions it was expecting. So while Lib Dem MPs might have some soul searching to do, it seems fairly clear that Lord Browne's recommendations will be accepted in their entirety. After all, it was the previous Labour government that set in motion this review (and postponed its reporting date until after the election because it knew the recommendations could only be unpalatable to many people).

So, there are still a number of unanswered questions regarding the change in tuition fees:

• When will they be introduced? The consensus seems to be from 2012 but we have never heard anyone say it will not be from 2011. The funding crisis in university education is about to get a lot worse with the Comprehensive Spending Review later this month so we imagine that many universities will be pushing for higher fees to be introduced as soon as possible.
  
• Will there be any guarantees offered by universities? If students are being asked to invest in their higher education on the basis of improved employment prospects will they have any recourse if these prospects fail to materialise, or if they have been misled by a university's claims. Will we see the introduction of a "gainful employment rule" such as the one under discussion in the USA.
• Will the increased revenue from tuition fees be ringfenced for tuition? Will students' contribution to university funding be invested in the areas where they benefit directly or will it be used to subsidise research activity?
  

We have always argued that British students should go abroad for some or all of their undergraduate education for a variety of positive reasons. However, it now appears as if this will be a necessity for many people.

The introduction of higher fees will herald a new range of financial support for the least well-off in society. The most well-off clearly have the least to fear from increased interest rates on student loans as they are far less likely to need them. It is those students caught in the middle who are likely to find themselves squeezed the most. Lord Browne's report does offer assurances to students who will not go on to earn vast sums in their careers. The threshold under which students do not pay back their loans will rise as part of his recommendations. However, debt is still debt and there will be no escaping it particularly as students look to take on mortgages in the future. Student loans will no longer even have the attraction of being a cheap form of borrowing.

In the last week, following articles in The Observer and in an Independent supplement, we have experienced an unprecedented increase in the number of visitors to our site. We believe that vast numbers of the "squeezed middle" are looking to avoid the uncertainties of English higher education. Student debt is not a necessity; it is possible to gain a degree abroad without taking out huge loans. While it will never be possible to live free of financial obligations for three or four years, there is no reason why you should spend decades paying for them. We will be adding more opportunities of this nature to our site over the coming weeks.

What to do with the 150,000 students who missed out?

Or rather, what can the estimated 150,000 students who missed out at university do? We addressed in an earlier post the inadequacy of government advice suggesting setting up a business or taking an unplanned gap year. A new publication through the Independent, Horizons 2010, has a few other suggestions. Naturally it includes our perspective on international higher education options but as a whole it is a good guide to some of the more constructive options out there.

Horizons 2010 has been published as an ezine, which looks great but does mean it is hard to link to. You will have to flick through the virtual pages to page 18 to find our contribution but the whole publication is worth a look.

More Options for Studying in the Netherlands

We have recently been advised of courses available to British students at INHOLLAND University of Applied Science. All courses in English are taught at their Amsterdam (Diemen) campus. Courses are available in the following subjects:

• International Business and Management
• Information Technology with Engineering
• International Leisure Management
• Tourism & Recreation Management

We will be adding more detail to our website about these courses in the near future but it is perfectly feasible for British students to apply this week and be accepted to start next month.

You can find more information at the Inholland website.

Five reasons why taking a gap year is not the answer to university shortages and clearing

Below follows the text of an article written for British students in response to press reports that students should take a gap year in order to alleviate the consequences of restrictions in UK higher education institutions.

In the right circumstances (and with the right planning) gap years can be an incredibly rewarding experience. However, as a short term solution to the problem of excess demand for university places, they may actually be worse than useless.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of not having a place at university this year and the only advice offered to you is to take a gap year, you would be well advised to ignore it. Here’s why:

1. Lots of your peers have been planning their gap year for months, if not years. Arranging relevant work placements or taking part in volunteer schemes that assist in developing your curriculum vitae can be hard at the best of times. If you are looking for an opportunity to start next month, you can be certain that there will be thousands of others in the same position as you. Looking even further on the gloomy side, this will give you excellent experience of the dispiriting process that this year’s graduates are going through when looking for that first job post-university, with up to 70 applications for every graduate vacancy. On the bright side, however, if you delay your start at university by one year, your chances of graduating in a recovered economy will probably have improved slightly.

2. Taking a year out is no guarantee that you will get a place at your chosen university next year. Yes, you will have your grades already which might make things slightly easier, but there will be intense pressure on university places next year (unless there is a massive increase in funding for undergraduate education – don’t hold your breath!) and who is to say you will be any luckier then. It is quite realistic that next year’s students will need even higher grades as universities start to see the impact of the new A* grade.


3. Is waiting a year to get on with your education a good idea? Why take a gap, particularly one that you haven’t planned and didn’t wish for. Maybe you will lose focus and end up deciding not to go to university or maybe you will end up writing the year off and sit around just waiting for your place to materialise. Both of these outcomes are possible if you do not have a clear plan and objective to your (at least) one year out. Both of them are worse than almost anything else you could do at this point in your life.

4. Money Part 1. Maybe you will find a job that pays a reasonable wage that enables you to put some money aside for going to university. Ordinarily this would be a sensible thing to do but, by taking a year out to save money you may end up losing money in the long run because...


5. Money Part 2....As you will know there is a review of university funding taking place right now. You may have seen articles talking about a graduate tax in the news. This is just one of several possible changes to how you pay for your degree. There is not only uncertainty over what changes will come into effect but also when they will happen. If they start from October 2011, you might find that university will cost you a lot more if you defer entry for a year. One estimate is that if a graduate tax is introduced, your degree could cost you closer to £50,000 in tax than the current £30,000 in debt. Now, there is no guarantee that this will happen but there is certainly no guarantee that it won’t, either.

So, these are some reasons why you should think very seriously about following advice to take a gap year. In the right circumstances, with the right planning it could still be the best route for you.

But what else can you do if you find the worst happens?

Well, here are two suggestions – one from the government and one from me.

1. Start a business – There will inevitably be some stories of students leaving school this year who go on to found massively successful businesses. There will be very little press coverage of businesses that fail. Starting a business is a risk. It could be the best thing you ever do or it could be an alternative way of racking up extensive debts. I would argue that it is somewhat irresponsible to encourage school leavers or even recent graduates to set up a business unless that is part of their existing plan. It is also somewhat baffling that David Willetts, Minister for Universities (within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills), seems to be implying that a degree is unnecessary preparation for setting up your own business as you can just as well do so without one. Where that leaves university business schools is unclear.

2. Study Abroad – We could list many reasons why you should think about studying abroad but the current situation means that you should investigate fully all options open to you. Even at this late stage we know of universities in Europe where you can study in English and get an excellent quality degree. There is no need to wait a year before entering higher education. Yes, your options are quite limited at this time of year and you may be better off waiting a while before going to do a full degree but there are lots of shorter courses that you could quite comfortably take instead of a typical gap year. For example, you might decide to learn Mandarin Chinese or take some courses at university in Canada while working in a ski resort. Rather than assume that a gap year has to mean a gap from education, have a look at some of the options abroad, ranging from getting straight on with your degree to doing something completely different yet still part of your higher education journey.