Jargon Buster

If you need some help unravelling Higher Education jargon, then please use our A to Z guide.

Access to Learning Bursaries

Full time students who may need extra financial help can be awarded Access to Learning bursaries. They are assessed on individual needs and paid according to need. It is possible to apply for these before your course starts.

Access Course

Access courses are designed to prepare mature students without other qualifications for entry into university or college and to provide the underpinning knowledge and skills needed to progress on to a Degree or Higher Diploma course.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

For Adult Learners, this scheme can be used by universities to recognise your experiences in work and voluntary situations and qualifications you already have. Prior learning can be used either as an entry qualification or may be counted directly towards an HE qualification.

Admissions Tutors

Each department or faculty will have someone who is responsible for application forms and other enquiries about the admissions process.

Adult Learning Grants

New grants to help people doing their first full time Level 2 and 3 courses in further education, provided that they meet income and residence requirements and live in certain areas. For more information go to www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/Adultlearninggrant/index.htm

Alumni

People who have graduated (i.e. completed a course and gained a qualification) from a particular university are described as alumni. Being an alumnus can give you ongoing access to Careers Services. Most universities have active alumni associations that enable past students to keep in touch with each other and the university.

Athletic Union (Sports Union)

This is usually a part of the main Students Union and is organised by students to provide a wide range of sporting opportunities (from tennis to kickboxing) that will suit people of a whole range of abilities. Competitions are organised between universities too.

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree (also called a first degree) is the qualification you receive after successfully completing a three (or four) year programme of degree-level study at university, or college. You should usually complete a bachelor’s degree before going on to postgraduate study.

British Council

This is the main organisation to advise international students about study in the UK. Their website is www.educationUK.org

Campus

This usually refers to the buildings and surroundings of a university where the university is the principal or sole occupier of an area. Many of the universities founded in the 1960’s and built outside towns and cities are called “Campus Universities” e.g. Lancaster, York. Universities where the buildings are more integrated with the city or town such as Liverpool and Manchester do not have readily definable “campuses”.

Care Leavers’ Grants

Extra support is available for help with accommodation costs in the long (usually summer) vacation.

Career Development Loans

Loans to help with study costs if you can’t get student support from your LEA. More information on: www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/CareerDevelopmentLoans/index.htm

Careers Services

These provide a very important service for all students whatever stage they are at in their course. They can help in terms of providing advice and guidance about a vast range of career possibilities that students might want to consider once they have completed their course. Many universities are also able to provide information about opportunities for part-time and temporary jobs during their time as a student. Often future employers will visit universities to recruit students for employment and the Careers Service will have details of these “milk round” events.

CATS – Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme

It may be possible to gain credit for completing parts of a degree. If you have already studied to HND level, on a degree programme or for relevant professional qualifications before you start your degree, you may be able to transfer credits under the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme, CATS. This can allow greater flexibility and means that if you change course, move to another institution or take a break from study or change from full to part-time, you can take the credits with you.

Childcare Grant

Full-time students with children may be able to get help with the cost of childcare. The amount payable depends on household income and actual childcare costs. The maximum grant available is 85% of weekly childcare costs up to a maximum of £148.75 per week (for one child) or up to a maximum of £255 per week (for two or more children). This financial help does not have to be repaid. Childcare payments are paid direct to the registered childcare provider.

Clearing

This is the system operated by UCAS to allocate students places on courses that still have vacancies after the publication of the A Level results. Although it is often for those who have not made the grades required by their chosen universities, it can also allow last minute applications to new institutions.

Curriculum 2000

Anyone studying post-16 courses after September 2000 will study a broader range of courses. This is part of the New Qualifications Framework, more commonly known as Curriculum 2000. There is now greater parity between vocational and academic qualifications in terms of their recognition and assessment and students can mix academic and vocational subjects. Additionally students can acquire Key Skills in Communication, Application of Number and ICT.

Dance and Drama Awards

These are awards for talented people to take up courses at some of the private Dance & Drama Colleges. Visit: www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/14To19/MoneyToLearn/DanceandDrama/DG_066991 or call 0845 60 222 60 (choose option four).

Dean

The Dean is a senior member of university staff who is responsible for all matters concerning the operation of a faculty, including teaching.

Debt

This is the amount of money that many students find they need to repay at the end of their studies. Most students do leave university with some debt – either to the Student Loans Company or to a bank. Student Loans do not have to be repaid until you reach a certain level of income – the amount varies each year according to average earnings. Bank loans often have to be repaid on graduating.

Degree

A degree (also called a bachelor’s degree or an undergraduate degree) is a qualification awarded by a university after the satisfactory completion of the equivalent of 3 or more years of full-time study at university level. Foundation degrees may be awarded after 2 years of study.

Dependants’ Grant

If you are a lone parent or if you have another member of your family who is financially dependent on you and you are under 55 you may be eligible for financial help. You may be eligible for up to £2,335 per year. The amount depends on household income. This help is non-repayable.

Diploma of Higher Education

This is a qualification that may be awarded by some universities after two years of study.

Disabled Students’ Allowance

This helps with the extra costs involved with studying and includes mental health problems and learning difficulties like dyslexia.

Dissertation

This is a long report, which can be anything from 5,000 to 40,000 words, describing the results of original study and research. A dissertation can be submitted as part of the assessment on a first degree, but is more frequently submitted in order to achieve a higher degree (such as a Master of Science).

Elective

An elective is a course (or subject of study) freely selected by the student at university or college. On some courses an elective is a period of course-related work experience.

Essays

Essays are a piece of written work, which are submitted by students to the university and is one form of assessment. Essays usually have a set number of words (depending on the subject or tutor but often around 2000 words) and students are expected to answer a question, showing that they have done some research and are able to discuss the issues clearly and logically. Essays are more common with some subjects than others such as science subjects.

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