I can’t decide which course to apply for; can I apply for more than one?

Yes, you can apply for as many courses as you wish if you are not sure. After a successful application you will be invited to an interview for each course that you have applied for. This will give you a better chance to decide which course is best for you.

After a successful interview you should receive an offer of a place. Once you have decided which course is best you just need to let us know which ones you are no longer interested in and return the ‘offer of acceptance’ slip back to the relevant department.

If you are still not sure which course you would like to study you can speak with one of our Guidance Advisors who will be able to help you.

Can someone help me decide which course is best for me?

Yes, our Guidance Team are here to help you make the decision that will be best for you. They are also able to offer all sorts of advice relating to transport, finance and any other issues that you may be concerned about. If you would like to arrange an appointment you can contact our Student Services department on 01522 876000.

What is the deadline for applications?

There is not a deadline for submitting applications; however, we strongly recommend that you submit your application as early as possible (around December / January time) as spaces can fill up quite quickly.

What happens if I am not sure where I want to study?

If you are not sure what to do after Year 11 but are considering College as an option you should still submit an application as soon as possible. You can apply to as many organisations as you like.

Do I have to come to college if I have sent in an application?

No, just because you have applied for one of our courses this does not mean that you have to attend college if you change your mind. We just ask that you let us know so that we can give your place to someone else.

What happens if my grades are better than I expected?

Well that’s great news, in that case we would look at which course you have applied for and if this was not suitable for you we would endeavour to put you on the most suitable course at the level that reflects your current capabilities.

What happens if I don’t get high enough grades?

If your grades are not as high as you had hoped don’t panic, we will look at which course you have applied for and if you do not meet the entry criteria we would put you on a similar course that suits the level of your qualifications.

How can I fill in the application when I don’t know what my grades will be?

We know that you will not get your GCSE results until the summer so if you have predicted grades you can put these on your application form instead, if you do not know you can leave this section blank. On GCSE Results day the tutors will contact you to ask for your results and then they will make sure that you enrol onto the course that will suit you the most.

What happens if I change my mind?

If you decide that you no longer want to come to college just let us know and we will withdraw your application. Please let us know as soon as you know and we can give your place to someone else.

Which campus should I study at?

Really you should study at the campus that has the course that you want to study and that would be easiest to travel to. We offer a free bus service in the morning and evening to and from the Newark and Lincoln campuses. For further travel information please contact Student Services on 01522 876000.

Who can I use as my referees?

You should have one reference from your Form Tutor or Head of Year and the other reference can be from an employer if you have one.

I sent my application in and have not heard anything yet, what is happening with it?

Firstly don’t worry! Once you have submitted an application form we will write to you shortly afterwards to acknowledge receipt. This first letter is normally sent to you within two weeks of receiving your completed application. If it has been longer than two weeks and you have not heard anything then please contact us on 01522 876000 so that we can check the progress of your application.

If you have received the first letter but have not yet been invited to interview, again, don’t worry – the interview dates are possibly still being set and we will write to you as soon as possible. If you are getting concerned though please call us on 01522 876000.

My friend has already had an interview and I haven’t heard anything, what does this mean?

Don’t worry. Interview dates are booked throughout the year and it may just be that your friend has been offered one of the last slots for that particular date. You should receive an invitation for the next available date within around 3 weeks of receiving your acknowledgement letter. If you are still concerned you should contact us and we can confirm the progress of your application.

What happens at the interview?

If you need to bring anything in particular to your interview you will be advised on your interview letter. Otherwise you will normally attend a group interview at which you will be able to find out more about your course and meet your tutor and colleagues. Some courses offer an individual interview instead which would normally be carried out by one of your course tutors.

Do I need to bring anything to the interview?

Depending on the course that you have applied for you may be set an assignment to bring with you to your interview. You will be given this information in your ‘invitation to interview’ letter if this is the case.

If you have not been asked to bring anything in your letter then you don’t need to but it might be useful to bring a notepad and pen or any questions that you have thought about.

Is it like a job interview?

No, it is not like a job interview. For some courses you will be in a group with other applicants and you will be given information about your chosen course. Other courses will interview you individually, this gives you chance to meet and get to know your tutors and find out all of the information that you will need.

What is happening about EMA?

The national EMA scheme closed for all new applications on 31st December, 2010. Learners who received an EMA Agreement before 31st December, 2010 but who have not yet had a College EMA Induction can still receive EMA until the end of the 2010/11 Academic Year but should ensure that they book an induction with Student Services as soon as possible. This also applies to learners who receive their EMA Agreement from 1st January, 2011 onwards.

Payment of EMA will then be dependant on the learner satisfying the College’s attendance and behaviour rules and regulations.
Learners currently in receipt of EMA will continue to receive it until the end of the 2010/11 Academic Year, subject to them also continuing to satisfy the College’s attendance and behaviour rules and regulations.

“The EMA scheme was due to be withdrawn entirely at the end of this academic year. However, at the end of March, 2011 the government unexpectedly announced that EMA will still be available for the 2011/2012 academic year for two groups of students. The students who will be able to get EMA next academic year are as follows:-

1) All students who first successfully applied for EMA in 2009/10. These students will continue to receive payments at the same level as currently received (£10, £20 or £30 week) until the end of the 2011/12 academic year, subject to meeting College attendance and behaviour requirements.

2) All students now in the first year of post-16 study who are in receipt of the maximum weekly EMA payment of £30. These students will be eligible for £20 for each week that they are in education until the end of the 2011/12 academic year, provided that they are aged under 19 on 1/9/2011 and satisfy College attendance and behaviour requirements.

We haven’t been informed yet how students in the two groups shown above will be notified of their eligibility for EMA for next Academic Year. As soon as we receive this information we will publish details.

These revised arrangements only apply to the two groups of students mentioned above, and for the 2011/12 academic year only. There will be no EMA payments for any student after the end of the 2011/12 academic year.

Learners should note, though, that the College receives a sum of money each year from the Government to help learners with course related costs, such as books, equipment, trips and so on. This sum of money is known as the Learner Support Fund and is available to learners from low income families. Further details of help available from this fund and how to apply for it will be made available on the College’s web site once we know what our allocation will be for the 2011/12 Academic Year.

What help is available if I want to live in student accommodation?

Financial help depends on whether your course is classed as Higher or Further Education. Higher Education students may be eligible for a Student Loan or Bursary which can be used to finance the cost of student accommodation. Visit the following link for further information

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEduc...

Further Education students may be eligible for financial assistance through the Further Education Residential Support Scheme. Eligibility for the scheme depends on a number of matters, such as household income, level of qualification studied, how far you live from College and whether or not the course you want to do is available at an educational institution closer to your home. Other eligibility rules may apply. Contact Student Services for further information.

Can we use other facilities for example the gym if we are not doing a sports course?

Yes, if you wish to use the sports facilities you can become a member of the gym at a cost of £25 per year. You can also take advantage of our hair and beauty salon treatments at reduced rates.

How long will I wait to hear something.

Normally you should receive a letter within a couple of weeks of submitting your applications just to confirm that we have received it. After this you should receive another letter inviting you to an interview.

How much spare time will I have on my timetable.

This will depend on what course you are studying. We try to arrange the timetables so that your lessons are close together. If you are studying a full time course you can expect to study for at least 12.5 hours per week.

I am not sure if I have filled in an Application Form or an Enquiry Form – what is the difference?

An enquiry form is an A5 form designed simply to let us know what you are interested in. It is likely that you would have filled one in if you have attended one of our open events or if we have visited you at school. These forms are just to give us an idea of what you might like to study but they are not application forms.

Application forms are more detailed forms which ask you things like; What course are you applying for, What qualifications do you have, Why have you chosen that particular course, Who would you like us to contact as your references? Once you have completed this form you send it back to college either electronically or by post and this is the start of the application process.