Further your Career with a Part Time HE Course

St Helens College has a wide range of part time higher education programmes and professional qualifications that allow students to successfully balance work and family commitments with studying. We have developed flexible part time provision to enable students to progress in their career and improve their opportunities for promotion within their organisation.

Figures show that individuals with a degree earn 85% more than those only educated to GCSE A*-C level and people with a higher education qualification earn 45% more. Over the past decade, those with degrees have earned an average of £12,000 a year more than non-graduates.  We have many part time Foundation Degree and Honours Degree programmes from Complementary Therapy and Early Years to Theatre and Performance and Criminal Justice. Our degree programmes are validated by one of the College’s prestigious university partners, this means that you can save money on travelling costs by studying at your local College, but you will still graduate with a university degree.

The College’s Higher Education programmes were recently inspected and the inspection report was excellent.  You may want to consider studying on a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) programme at St Helens College. We have HNC and HND programmes in Engineering, Science, Construction, Business and Sport.  The changes in tuition fees and funding for part time higher education can be difficult to understand and many people believe that they can no

longer afford to study on a degree programme. St Helens College is committed to providing value for money education programmes, therefore part time tuition fees for September 2012/13 programmes

start from £1,650 per year.  As a part time higher education student, the number of financial support options has increased from previous years. Part time students studying in September will be entitled to apply for a student loan. 

St Helens College is also participating in the Government’s new National Scholarship Programme (NSP). The scheme has been introduced to support students from low income households who wish to study higher education. If you are already employed, it may be worth speaking to your employer to find out if your organisation would fund your course through professional development.  For further information about part time higher education at St Helens College, including individual programme fees and financial support, please visit www.sthelens.ac.uk

Discover how learning can change your life

Sylvia Mitchell

Last week St Helens College celebrated Adult Learners Week,the UK’s largest annual festival of learning; inspiring thousands of people each year to discover how learning can change their lives.

St Helens College produces inspiring adult student success stories on a weekly basis like Thomas Bartley, a 64 year old health and social care apprentice who decided to embark on a new profession and 65 year old IT student Sylvia Mitchell, who has developed her IT skills as well as her confidence during her studies at College.

As we celebrate the success of our adult learners, a recent survey indicates that more than one-third of adults have not participated in learning since leaving full-time education.  The annual survey by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) also found that 62 per cent of adults have not participated in learning in the last three years – a five per cent decline since 2010.

Developing existing or new skills can help people secure jobs, advance their career or progress into new career opportunities.  Did you know that on average a person with a level 3 qualification earns on average £3,000 more per year than those without.  Learning can also help to keep you healthy and stimulate your mind.

The best way for you to maximise your full potential is to choose a course that you enjoy and find interesting.  St Helens College provide part time and full time courses for adults across the region.   We know from the success of our previous adult students, that when people are given the right opportunities, their lives really do change for the better.  We have taught and trained thousands of adult learners, who have progressed in their chosen career or developed new opportunities as a result of studying on a course at St Helens College.

We currently have a range of courses for adults starting in June, for more information visit our website www.sthelens.ac.uk or contact Student Services on 0800 99 66 99.

Higher Education at St Helens College

If you are thinking about studying higher education in September, have you considered staying local and studying at St Helens College? 

We have a wide range of Foundation Degrees and Honours Degrees validated by our prestigious university partners.  This means that you can save money on living and travelling costs by studying at your local College, but you will still graduate with a university degree.  Many of our degree programmes can be studied on a part time or full time basis.  We also offer a variety of HNC/D’s and professional qualifications. 

St Helens College delivers higher education programmes that will enhance your skills and knowledge and provide you with a learning experience of the highest standard.  Student satisfaction is important to us and we were pleased to announce that in 2011, we received 91% student satisfaction rates according to the National Student Survey.  This score was the highest score by any college or university in the North West of England.

The changes in tuition fees and funding for higher education can be difficult to understand and many people believe that they can no longer afford to study on a degree programme.  St Helens College is committed to providing value for money higher education programmes.  Therefore 2012/13 tuition fees for full time Foundation Degree and Honours Degree programmes will be £5,850.  First year students studying on a full time programme will also be entitled to a Programme Learning Resources Package, worth up to the value of £450.

In addition to student loans and maintenance grants, St Helens College has a number of scholarships available through the Government’s new National Scholarship Programme (NSP).  The scheme has been introduced to support students from low income households who wish to study higher education.

For more information about studying higher education at St Helens College, visit our website www.sthelens.ac.uk