Want to gain a degree, but don't have the qualifications?
Our Access to Higher Education courses are a great option for anyone over 19 who wants to return to education and progress onto a university-level course, but does not have the right qualifications to do so. They are one year long, very flexible and are a route into everything from computer science to the health professions. With the Diploma, you can apply to various universities around the UK. Being out of education for a while can be daunting, but our courses aim to make the transition to university a smooth one.
All our courses come with award-winning support and will give you opportunities to learn from experts and we offer a huge range of degrees you can progress onto when you finish. Whatever your career path, we'll make sure you leave college with the skills, knowledge and experience to play a vital part in shaping the future of education.
Take a look at our courses below and find the best access college course for you. You can also find out the careers you could go into and how much you could earn.
Explore our access to higher education college courses
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Professions)
Our Access to Higher Education Diploma is a highly recognised Level 3 qualification (equivalent to A-Levels) that can help you take the…
Find out more
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Data Science)
Are you an adult learner looking to take your first step towards a career in the world of IT and computing? This one-year diploma will give y…
Find out more
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Business)
If you aspire to study business at university but don’t currently meet the entry requirements for higher education, this one-year course will sup…
Find out more
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Computer Science)
Are you an adult learner looking to take your first step towards a career in the world of IT and computing? This one-year diploma will gi…
Find out more
Award-winning support for college students
We are committed to giving you all the support you need to achieve your very best. We offer everything from one-to-one academic support, English and maths support, including helping you re-sit your GCSEs, online skills materials, in-class skills and development sessions to help with placements, careers, and more.
We also know how important your health and wellbeing are to successful study and have support in place to help you with this, alongside teams dedicated to everything from financial help to disability and neurodiversity support.
Our facilities
Why should you study an access to higher education course here?
We know you will want to be reassured you will be happy with your choice of college and fulfilled and excited by what you will be learning during your studies. If you want to get a better idea of why you should choose University College Birmingham for your college course, check our our video.
FAQs on Access to HE courses
Is an Access to HE course right for me?
An Access to HE course is right for you if:
- You look back in time and regret not going to university. Or feel like you missed the opportunity to further your education, because of having to prioritise other things.
- You want to progress on to a university course, but do not have the traditional qualifications needed to apply to one.
- You need greater flexibility to complete your course, but also want to get things moving and gain your qualification within a year’s’ time.
What is an Access to HE Diploma equivalent to / what can I do with one?
- Access to HE courses are equivalent to 3 A-levels; and between 48 and 148 UCAS points.
- These courses have been around for a long time, and over 20,000 Access to HE students apply for a degree course at a UK university, every year
- We offer progression opportunities onto our undergraduate courses, here at University College Birmingham; for all Access to HE students – subject to individual course entry requirements.
Take a look at our specific course pages above!
What are the entry requirements for starting an Access to HE course?
GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4 (grade C) or equivalent.
Fees and tuition
- If you are aged 19 – 23 and studying your first full Level 3 qualification, you will not need to pay the course fee for your access course.
- You can find a full list of who is/isn't expected to pay for their course fees on our fees and tuition page. And you can access our college course fees pdf for a list of tuition fees by course.
- If you are aged 19 and over on the first day of your course, and are expected to pay for your fees, you may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan. This is a non-means tested loan available from the UK Government to pay the tuition fees of full level 3 qualifications. The loan is paid directly to University College Birmnigham to cover the cost of your tuition and does not have to be repaid until you are earning over £27,295 a year.
- Student Finance England will also ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a higher education course. This means you do not have to repay it. The higher education course must be eligible for student finance.
Request a prospectus
If you are looking to learn more about our college offer, please request a copy of our prospectus.