PARENTS GUIDE

Helpful information about

applying to university

www.keele.ac.uk
 Welcome to Keele
For most young people, going to university is one of the most exciting and important times in their
life. However we know that the process of applying to and beginning university involves decisions
and changes that may seem daunting; decisions about which qualifications to take, where to live
and, most importantly, which university to choose.

Here at Keele University, we understand that We hope it’s useful – if you have any more
as a parent or guardian of a student about to questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us
start university you will play an important role in using the details on page 19.
helping them to select the university and course
that’s right. That’s why we’ve put together this Please note that the information in this
guide, to answer some of the questions you may document is correct at the time of print but may
have about university and help you understand be subject to change.
the process more fully.

Welcome 3
Why go to university? 5
Where to go, what to study 7
Why choose Keele? 7
Applying to university 8
Timetable of activities 11
Finance and fees 12
Student support and welfare 15
Jargon buster 18
Useful contacts 19

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 Why go to university?
This is a question that many parents and guardians will ask. So why should your son or daughter go?

There are many benefits to following a path in Higher Education, such as increased earning potential,
a wider range of employment opportunities and a more rewarding career.

Top 5 reasons for going to university

1. Career prospects 3. Learn what they love

An increasing number of jobs now ask that School and college education is quite
applicants are educated to degree level, general – going to university allows your son
meaning that people who have studied at or daughter to develop in-depth knowledge
university will have a wider variety of career and skills in a subject (or subjects) they love;
options to choose from. Many employers what’s more, studying a subject in which
target graduates in their recruitment they have a genuine interest and motivation
campaigns as they have valuable to learn often leads to excellent results.
transferable skills.
4. Social opportunities
2. Follow a vocation University gives them opportunities to
Some careers are only possible with a experience a rich cultural and social scene,
degree – the traditional roles of doctor, make new friends and become a more
dentist, pharmacist, vicar, teacher, confident and well-rounded adult, which will
scientific researcher, architect, lawyer and, help them in whatever direction they take.
increasingly, nurse, require a period of
intense study at university level (first degree 5. Financial rewards
and often beyond) and are only open to On average, graduates earn substantially
graduates with a related degree. more than people A levels who did not go
to university. Figures show that over the
last decade, graduates earned an average
of £12,000 a year more than those without
a degree*.

*Source: Office for National Statistics

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 Where to go, what to study
“ Keele University was ranked
3rd in England in 2011 for
employability of graduates
As your son or daughter starts researching into
higher education choices, there are a number
of factors to consider. These can be grouped
•
•
Entry requirements
Reputation/League tables
with 95% of students who under the following headings and their school/ • Other facilities
graduated in 2010 finding college will support them with where to find
the information and how to create a shortlist of • Student finance ‘package’
full-time employment or
institutions. Students can start researching their course
continuing to further study

”
• Type of institution choices through the Universities and Colleges
within six months. Admissions Service (UCAS) and this will show
• Type of course and subject choice the entry requirements for each course:
http://search.ucas.com/

Why choose Keele?

1. For a campus university 4. For subject breadth
As a leading example of a campus Keele’s innovative approach to education
university, Keele offers a safe and friendly means that our students leave with
environment where everything you need is the breadth of education that today’s
on the doorstep. Set in acres of landscaped employers are looking for. Many of our
parkland, fields, woodlands and lakes, undergraduate courses are Dual Honours,
Keele is also one of the most beautiful meaning that students can study two
campuses in the UK. subjects side-by-side, and all degree
programmes allow students to develop
2. For a convenient and safe location practical, transferable skills.
Keele is centrally located in Staffordshire,
only one hour from Manchester or 5. For great student satisfaction
Birmingham and under two hours from Keele is ranked in the top five UK
London. Keele is also the safest university universities for student satisfaction in the
campus in the West Midlands*. National Student Survey. High standards of
teaching and an excellent student support
3. For graduate employment system ensure that Keele students get the
Keele graduates have some of the best from their time here.
highest employment rates in the UK. The
University is currently rated 3rd in England For a list of Keele’s forthcoming Open Day
for graduate prospects (not including dates, visit www.keele.ac.uk/visiting
specialist universities)•.
*BBC news league tables for crime rates •Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

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 Applying to university
All applications to university must be made via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
(UCAS), which is the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education
courses in the UK. Once an application is made via the service it is passed on to the relevant
university for consideration.

Application deadlines UCAS Extra

Applications are made online via www.ucas.com; If an applicant declines all their offers, or does
once an application is made its progress can be not receive any offers, they may wish to use
tracked through this website. UCAS Extra which will give them an opportunity
to add an additional choice to their application.
It is important to be aware of the following This service runs from February to July.
application deadlines:
15 October Confirmation and Clearing
Application deadline for medicine, dentistry,
veterinary medicine/science and for all courses Following the publication of their exam results,
at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. students can find out if their place is confirmed
via UCAS.
15 January
Application deadline for all courses (except If they are unsuccessful, clearing takes place in
those listed above and some art and design August, and is the process where students who
courses which have a 24 March deadline). do not meet the conditions of their offers may
become eligible to look for vacancies at other
24 March universities. It is important that students are
Application deadline for art and design courses available to discuss their options, as due to the
except those listed with a 15 January deadline. Data Protection Act, you will not be able to act
on their behalf.
Receiving a decision www.keele.ac.uk/clearing
Some universities require applicants to attend
an interview before making a decision on the
application. This will depend on the course and
the university.
University decisions are sent to applicants from
UCAS. Offers can be either:
Conditional – dependent on exam results
Unconditional – this means that the applicant
already meets entry requirements
If successful in being offered a place at more
than one university, applicants need to make a
‘firm’ (first) choice and an ‘insurance’ (second)
choice. There will be a deadline for making this
decision which is communicated via UCAS.

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 Timetable of activities
Year one / First Year of A level study
Action When to do it (suggested)
Start thinking about university options Post-Christmas
Start researching course choices From March
Attend a higher education convention March to July
Attend Open Days at shortlisted universities May to October
Undertake relevant work or voluntary experience On-going/summer holiday
to support application
Register for and sit any necessary admissions tests
e.g. LNAT for Law From 1 August
e.g. UKCAT for Medicine From 1 May
Prepare personal statement From July/over summer holiday

Year two / Second year of A level study

Action When to do it (suggested)
Finalise application and personal statement From September
Submit application to UCAS 15 October deadline for Medicine,
Dentistry, Veterinary Science/
Medicine, Oxford and Cambridge
15 January deadline for all other
courses
24 March deadline for some Art
and Design courses
Submit details for student funding application to Student Service launched from February
Loans Company
Prepare for any interviews September – April
Log into UCAS Track to view university decisions October onwards
(Re)visit universities holding offers with October onwards
UCAS Extra available for students who have declined Open from February onwards
all their offers or who have not received any
Accept/decline offers: make firm (first) choice End of April/early May – UCAS will
and insurance (second) choice decisions advise you of the deadline
Apply for university accommodation or look May onwards
for accommodation in the private sector
Take exams May onwards
Publication of exam results July onwards
Place confirmed at firm or insurance institution On/after results day
or entered into Clearing if unsuccessful
Prepare for start of semester; receive Fresher’s September
pack and complete any necessary forms

NB. Not all students will need to undertake all activities. The details provided in the table above are
indicative; full details should be checked with the relevant organisation.

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 Finance and fees
Tuition fees at Keele University for UK and Maintenance grant
EU students are currently £9,000 a year for This grant is non-repayable and depends on
undergraduate, full-time degree courses. household income.
However, it is important to remember that: For further information please visit
• Most English students studying in the www.gov.uk/student-finance
UK, and EU students studying at English NHS-funded courses
universities, won’t have to pay up front for For information about financial support
tuition; the cost will be covered by a loan for students studying courses funded
supplied by the Government and paid direct by the NHS, including Nursing, please visit
to the institution for you. www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students
• Most students can also get a loan to help
with living costs from the Government.
Financial support from Keele University
• These loans are rolled into one. You only pay
back your loan once you’ve left university Universities are working hard to ensure there
and are earning over £21,000. are financial support packages in place to help
students coming from families with low incomes.
• Your monthly payment rate will be based
on how much you earn, not how much you
borrowed. So if your salary is £25,000 a The Keele Excellence Scholarship
year, you pay nine per cent of £4,000, which
This is a non-repayable cash award of £ 2,000,
works out as £6.92 a week.
£1,000 or £500 per year for each year of your
• You will pay 9p for every pound you earn undergraduate course at Keele, depending on
over the £21,000 repayment threshold. the A level* grades you achieve. You will be
• Government grants, which you don’t have awarded the following amounts relevant to
to pay back, are also available to help with your grades:
living costs, though these depend on your
£2,000 per year for three A levels at AAA
household income.
£1,000 per year for three A levels at AAB
Financial support from the £500 per year for three A levels at ABB The Keele University National Please note: there are certain qualifying criteria
Scholarship Award for all of the loans, grants and bursaries listed
UK Government
above. For further information please visit the
Tuition fee loan The Keele University Bursary Of the students who meet the criteria for the websites listed above or contact Keele Student
This loan is paid directly to the university to Keele University Bursary, a proportion will Financial Support Office (contact details on
This is a non-repayable cash award of £1,000
cover the cost of tuition fees. receive a National Scholarship Programme page 19).
per year for students who have a gross annual
Award (NSP) worth £3,000.
Maintenance loan household income of less than £25,000. For further information about the full
This loan is paid directly to the student to help range of financial support available,
with the cost of living. visit www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding

*Other qualifications are also eligible - for further details please visit www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding

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 Student support and welfare
Living on campus Keele Student Support
Many students have the opportunity to live on Other support services at Keele University
campus. The Keele campus is a safe and secure include:
environment and was recently rated the safest • Careers and Employability
university campus in the West Midlands. The
campus provides easy access to services and • Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing
facilities with everything within a few minutes • Curriculum Support and Development
walk. There is even a doctor’s surgery and • Disability and Dyslexia Support
dental practice on campus.
• International Student Support
Students living on campus have access to • Residence Support
24 hour support via their Resident Support
• Student Financial Support
Assistant. In each accommodation block (Hall
of Residence), there is someone from this team • Student Life and Learning
on duty each night to respond to issues or
complaints. The team also organise a number Peer Mentoring
of social events throughout the year.
At Keele, we operate Keele Mentors, a
Mentoring scheme that aims to welcome and
Living off-campus settle new students to the University. Our Keele
At Keele, students who live off-campus are Mentors scheme begins with email contact
encouraged to enjoy campus life as much as before arrival at Keele, and continues during
possible. Off-campus students are represented the first few weeks and months after arrival and
through an off-campus officer. in some cases, beyond this. The scheme aims
to ease the transition for new students starting
They also have access to: with us, and provide a welcoming start to their
• Social spaces in halls time at Keele.
• Lockers to store personal belongings
• A regular bus service through campus

The Keele Safety Bus

After a night at the Students’ Union, students
can access the Keele Safety Bus. The Safety Bus
is a free service to ensure that Keele students
can return home safely to accommodation both
on and off campus.

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Accommodation If your son or daughter is interested in looking
for somewhere to live off campus, Keele
For students moving away from home has a list of properties that are accredited
for the first time, making sure they have to make sure that they meet a list of
accommodation that’s right for them will be a minimum standards. To help students find
high priority. accommodation off campus, we also run a
At Keele University we offer affordable, clean landlord registration scheme.
and secure accommodation with staff available Rents in the local area are amongst the lowest
24 hours a day to offer support and advice, and in the country. They vary depending on the
campus living makes it easy to make friends. facilities available, but typical costs are £55-£65
Keele has over 3,000 bedrooms on campus, per week with utility bills on top.
all within a short walk of the main facilities.
Additionally, there is en-suite accommodation Settling in
in Liberty Court for first year students, which is
based in Stoke-on-Trent. For many students, starting university also
means leaving home for the first time and
University study bedrooms cost between £71 almost always means working and socialising in
per week (self-catered) and £151 per week new places. The sooner they feel comfortable in
(catered). Specially adapted accommodation their new environment, the better.
is also available for students with additional
needs (please contact us after accepting Keele works hard to support our new students
an offer, if your son or daughter has special in feeling comfortable quickly. Encourage your
requirements). son or daughter to make the most of Welcome
Week (sometimes called Freshers’ Week) and
Keele offers 33, 37, 42 and 51 week lets with the to take advantage of new opportunities.
majority of first years in 33 or 37 weeks, to fit in
with teaching terms.
Each study bedroom is fully furnished and the
cost of accommodation includes a furnished
room, utility bills, basic level of insurance and
internet access. There are shared kitchens,
dining areas and bathrooms (unless en-suite
accommodation). The rooms are cleaned once
a fortnight; kitchens and shared bathrooms
cleaned weekly. The campus has 24 hour
security presence and there is support from our
team of Residence Support Assistants.

“ Keele is the safest campus in the West

Midlands according to the BBC News

”
league tables for crime rates.

16 17
 Jargon buster Useful contacts at Keele
University jargon can be a bit of a minefield! Joint honours: As with a combined honours Internal Contacts External Contacts
Below is a list of commonly used words and degree, a joint honours degree is a course
phrases, together with a summary of their involving two subjects. UK/EU Admissions NUS
meanings. For queries regarding applications National Union of Students
Means-testing: A financial assessment made Email: [email protected] www.nus.org.uk
Bursary: Contributes towards student fees to determine whether or not a student is Telephone: 01782 734005 or 733994
and/or living costs. Is often means-tested eligible for financial assistance from the UK www.keele.ac.uk/paa/admissions UCAS
and is non-repayable. government and for university scholarships and Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
bursaries. Student Finance Provides information on how to apply and
Campus: A university situated on one site, with For information about financial support guidance for parents and students
student accommodation, teaching and research NUS: National Union of Students provides and fees www.ucas.com
facilities, and leisure activities all together. information about all aspects of university life. Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01782 734240/734087 GOV.UK
Clearing: A system used towards the end of Scholarship: A financial award in recognition Provides information on financial support
www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding
the academic cycle, which enables an applicant of excellence to help support students through www.gov.uk/studentfinance
who has not yet secured a place to apply for university. Awarded purely on merit in areas of Accommodation
course vacancies. academia, music or sport, they do not have to Email: [email protected] NHS
be repaid. Telephone: 01782 734152 Provides information on financial support for
Conditional offer: An offer made to an students enrolling on NHS courses
www.keele.ac.uk/studyatkeele/
applicant by a university or college, whereby Single honours: An undergraduate degree www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students
accommodation
the applicant must fulfil certain criteria before involving one main subject.
they can be accepted on the relevant course. UK/EU Recruitment icould
Tuition fees: The maximum amount universities Careers information
To request a prospectus or book onto an Open
Deferral: Holding an offer until the can charge for tuition is set by the Government. www.icould.com
Day or Visit Day
following year. The fees are paid to the university directly once
Email: [email protected]
a student has successfully applied for financial Brightside Student Calculator
Dissertation: An essay or report usually of Telephone: 01782 733949/ 734009
assistance via Student Finance England. Use this website to check eligibility
several thousand words on a specific subject www.keele.ac.uk/visiting
for loans and grants.
that is completed during a course of study, UCAS: The Universities and Colleges and www.studentcalculator.org
often in the final year. Admissions Service. They process applications
on behalf of universities and provide a range of
Firm offer: The offer of a university place that resources and advice.
the applicant has accepted as their first choice.
Unconditional offer: An offer given to an
Foundation year: If a student’s qualifications applicant by a university or college, whereby
are not in the right subjects or at the right the applicant has satisfied the criteria and can
grades to meet the entry requirements for their attend the course.
chosen course (usually a science or engineering
course), they may be able to do one year’s Undergraduate: A student at a university who
foundation study. has not yet received a degree.
Fresher: First year students are often referred Welcome week: This is the first week of
to as ‘Freshers’. the first term of the first year of a student’s
university career. It will include lectures, tours
Graduate: Someone who has successfully and social events. Welcome week is designed
completed a degree course and been awarded to help them settle in, make friends and find
their degree. their way around.
Insurance offer: The offer that the applicant
has accepted as their second choice, in case
they do not meet the requirements for their
firm offer.

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 Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG
T +44 (0) 1782 732000
www.keele.ac.uk

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