Unit10
Pauls role is to look after 3 courses HND ,FD and BA. HND is the level up from the national diploma I am doing now, and is a two year course. Foundation degrees is like a HND still 2 years but is more industrial and vocational learning, not just basic lessons all the time and you get work placements. At the end of the 2 years you can go onto do the BA which is the final top up year which is equivalent to a degree.
About: HND and FD are both 2 year courses, the first year concentrates on skills to become a graphic designer and you learn about typography, layout, mapping, environments, web, interactive videos, the second year focuses on brands, corporate identities and includes live briefs. Also both years get end of year shows where you get the opportunity to show and display your work.
Fees: You will either get a maintenance grant, combined grant or support grant depending on your parents income, tuition fees 2010 and 2011 are currently £3290 per year to pay for course fees but as of 2012 they will change and then be able to charge up to £7900 per year so you will have to borrow more money and then courses could cost up to £24000 for the three years, maintenance loan is the we will get which pays for your standard living cost and you will usually get about £5000, but depending if you live near your uni you may get about £3000.
For next year we are looking at fees of £3375 per year, you will have to pay extra if the fees go up and also if you want to do the BA top up. Its not the right time to take a gap year as the fees go up and we will save money going to uni or HND this year. It is defiantly cheaper to do a 2 year program at HND as its half the cost. The money you borrow from whatever loan you will come out of uni/HND in debt, you only start paying it back when you are earning £16000, but now it might be raised to £21000 as the fees will be going up so there for more money to pay out.
Applying: UCAS online, complete application and need a UCAS code and then you get 5 choices check deadlines for when these need to be in by, so not long left each course has a course code that must be entered in.
Always have a back up plan, as you might not get accepted so you must have an alternative. Have what you want to do but then have a back up because the structure may change in courses due to fees.
