Unit 3. Admission to uk colleges and universities and tuition fees

Task 1. You will hear a radio report about ways to get into a British university. For questions 1-8, fill the gaps with a word or short phrase.

University applicants can choose from tens of thousands of .

Students may take either A-levels or or a mixture of both.

Others may study full-time for to obtain an HND.

Students with poor A-level results may do a .

The new Hospitality degree combines academic study with .

students should contact admissions staff directly.

Return-to-study courses are available at education colleges.

is a way of obtaining funding for university study and opportunities for work experience.

Task 2. Read the article on lowering entrance requirements at British universities and fill in the blanks with the expressions from the table below.

admission policies; HND; completing an entire year;

unconditional offer; course leader; extended degree course;

foundation course; foundation year; half a dozen GCSEs;

mature students; inappropriate A-levels; underqualified entrants;

pro vice-chancellor; progressing to a degree; to fill degree courses;

minimum entry requirements; engineering foundation course;

statutory-minimum requirements; transferring onto a degree course.

Desperate universities accept a-level failures

by Judith O'Reilly and Dipesh Gadher

In a desperate bid _________________________ (1), universities are offering places to students who have failed all their A-levels.

A Sunday Times investigation found that some universities were willing to ignore their own _________________________ (2) and take school-leavers with little more than _________________________ (3)."

"As part of the investigation, reporters posing as failed A-level students approached universities through the "clearing" system, which is mostly used to find vacancies.

At the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside, a reporter who said he had failed A-levels in physics, mathematics and geography was given an _________________________ (4) over the telephone for a place on an _________________________ (5) with a view to ________________________ (6).

The _________________________ (7) referred to the offer as "an _________________________ (8)". He said: "Let's face it, what it is a second chance for those young people who haven't been awfully successful at A-levels or have studied the wrong A-levels."

Another reporter asked if she would be considered for a place on an extended degree course in construction at Luton University, despite failing A-levels in geography, mathematics and IT. "I wouldn't see a problem with that," said an admissions officer. "It is not a course for _________________________ (9)... It is for young people who have done their A-levels, but haven't done very well."

At the University of North London, a reporter was offered a place on a higher national diploma (_________________________ (10)) course in electronics and communication engineering with a view to _________________________ (11) after six months. He was told this was a better option than joining a foundation course, because that would entail _________________________ (12) before moving on.

The universities defended their _________________________ (13). At the University of Lincolnshire a reporter was told it was "fairly rare" for a school-leaver with no A-levels to be granted a place on a _______________________ (14).

Rob Cuthbert, _________________________ (15) of the University of the West of England, admitted a minimum of two A-level points would normally be required for access to a foundation course.

Institutions appear to be using foundation courses as a back door to degree courses. The _________________________ (16) is primarily designed for mature students without A-levels or for students who have studied _________________________ (17). Universities are struggling to fill science and engineering courses after being forced by the government to make more places available.

They receive extra government funds if they fill places, for which there are no _________________________ (18).

"Universities are accepting what, in my view, are _________________________ (19)," said Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Liverpool University.

"What makes higher education 'higher' is the fact that it builds on something," he added. "Without that, it seems to me that universities are creating difficulties for themselves and also calling into question the standard of the degrees that are awarded." (From The Sunday Times)

Task 3. Write an essay on the following topic “Liberal Admission Policy: Can it be Justified?” (200 words).

Task 4. Visit ucas.com site, read updated information on university application, learn about choosing Route A and Route B courses, and go through a standard UCAS application form.