Why choose us?
We are the largest provider of Access to Higher Education Diplomas in the region, and each year 85% of our students progress on to higher education.
Studying with us means you can choose from a wide range of subject pathways, which can be studied from as little as 12 hours per week for one year. Access to HE courses are often a faster and more affordable route to university, making it a flexible option if you are balancing study with other commitments.
Download Our Booklet
Explore our Access to Higher Education booklet and learn more about what we offer.
Expert tutors and top-class facilities
With small class sizes compared to universities, and all the individual support you need to get back into education, we will help you succeed and reach your goal. Our experienced tutors have been teaching Access to Higher Education Diplomas and developing the programme over a number of years. Many of our tutors are industry professionals, helping to inspire your learning.
You will gain a good introduction to your chosen subject, develop your study skills and increase your confidence and ability with this level of study. All pathways will include compulsory English & maths, as well as research skills units. You will also need to have good IT skills as all of your assignments will be carried out using either Word, Excel or PowerPoint. You can undertake IT Skills classes at our Learning Centre, if needed.
Student success
Access courses are widely recognised by UK universities for entry on to undergraduate courses. Last year, over 20,000 Access students achieved their Diploma and progressed to university courses across the UK. (Source: www.accesstohe.ac.uk)
Our degree-level qualifications are run in partnership with local universities. Once you complete your Access to Higher Education course, however, you don’t have to go straight to university. If you prefer, you can go on to study a higher education course with us at The Bedford College Group, and then just do your final year at university to top-up to a full degree. Staying local while studying will help you reduce your student debt and will also allow you to study alongside other commitments, such as family and work life.
How to get into University without A-Levels
A-Levels were traditionally seen as the be all or end all when it came to getting in to university, but they aren’t suited to everyone.
All too often we hear people talking about how they wish they had stayed on at school or that they had worked just a bit harder when at school. The good news is that there are other alternatives for those who are over 19 and looking to return to education.
Find out more
Funding your Access to HE course
If you are aged 19 or over, you may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan to help you pay the tuition fees for your course. Alternatively, you can pay by instalments to help make the cost more affordable.
If you complete one of our Access to Higher Education courses and use an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for your tuition fee, the Student Loans Company will write off the balance on the Advanced Learner Loan if you then go on to complete an undergraduate course.