Our research has shown that 73% of our students studied to advance their careers, but 63% were also studying for personal achievement. Many students simply wished to learn something new. For some, study was part of confidence building and a way to meet people/socialise.

Of students questioned, 80% chose Holy Cross because it was close to home. Many were also keen on the opportunity to study part-time, which suited their family and work commitments. 88% of students felt they received excellent or good levels of support from Holy Cross staff. The course content delivered by academic tutors was also considered excellent or good by 87% of students, indicating high levels of student satisfaction.

Holy Cross University Centre is renowned for its level of proactive student support. We know that many of our students have been out of formal education for a while and need to rebuild their academic confidence, so they value our good quality, proactive pastoral support. Postgraduate qualified and experienced support tutors, all trained teachers, are available to provide this, and help students through their chosen course/pathway.

The overall role of the support tutor is to act as the first point of contact for any queries prospective students may have. Whilst the support tutor is available for generic advice and guidance, their fundamental role is in relation to pastoral care and support. They will provide advice on a wide range of issues relating to such things as finance, changing programmes and learning support issues. This support will be available throughout a student’s degree course through our open door policy.

Many of our students re-discover education later in life, and some decide to retrain for a career change. Whatever the reason, there’s never been a better time to study at Holy Cross, with its increasing range of higher education courses – and there really is no age bar as some of our most successful students can testify.

Traditionally, younger students have attended universities away from home. However, changes to government funding of higher education mean that more and more young students are choosing to study close to home to make studying an affordable option. Our increasing range of traditional degree and work-based courses makes “earning whilst learning” in Bury an attractive option for young people. The number of younger students choosing to study locally has increased significantly over recent years.

We offer a variety of courses providing evening and daytime provision. A range of BA/BSc courses currently run during the evening. These may be studied on a full or part time basis. Foundation Degrees currently run during the daytime/early evening, as they are linked to workplace learning – at Holy Cross University Centre these are currently closely linked to the study of education and health.

What do you need to think about before applying? Most students take a degree course to further their careers (or change them) or simply to find out more about a subject that interests them. There are a few considerations to ensure you choose the right course to suit your needs. Support tutors at Holy Cross are very happy to discuss your course with you on an informal, one to one basis and indeed, prefer to do so to ensure that you make an informed choice:

1. What do you want to achieve? Do you have a specific career in mind, or are you studying purely for interest or self-development?
2.  Are there any lifestyle constraints, e.g., working during the day may mean you are only able to take advantage of the evening courses available at the University Centre.
3.  Do you wish to study locally within a system that offers appropriate levels of support for mature applicants who may be juggling the many aspects of their lives?
4.  Do you need a taster course in study skills to develop your confidence in taking on degree level study? Then consider our Introduction to Higher education course offered at the start of the academic year, or if you apply early enough, our fast Forward course provided in partnership with Edge Hill University which is a more in-depth introduction to degree level study lasting 30 weeks.
5.  Do you prefer wholly academic study (a traditional degree) or work-based professional learning (a newer foundation degree)? Both are equally rigorous but involve different types of study skills.

As part of our support system, we prefer to invite all potential students in for an informal discussion about their course choice, enabling the support tutor to best advise them, so that students join the course best for their aspirations and ambitions.

For full time courses, applications are then made online through UCAS (University and College Admissions Service) which forwards your application to the college of your choice (for late applicants the system is different – please ask).

For part-time and flexible courses, applications come directly to Holy Cross University Centre rather than through UCAS. Many mature students may have been out of education for a while, or have no formal qualifications. The informal interview enables admissions tutors to look for students’ potential to succeed at degree level. To that end, a mature student entry paper may be appropriate for applicants with related skills and experience.

For those who need extra study experience, it is worth considering an Access to Higher Education programme at a local further education college, and Learn Direct National Tests in literacy and numeracy, or GCSE equivalency tests in English, maths and science.

Despite major changes in government funding of higher education, many students do not realise they can obtain help with fees. Studying may prove to be a much cheaper option than people have been led to believe, and in some cases may even be free. The higher education institutions we work with offer detailed advice on funding issues, and support tutors are there to help with any general questions about course costs. Student loans mean that full-time students pay nothing towards their course fees until qualified.

There are many advantages to studying at Holy Cross University Centre. Extensive market research has enabled us to develop courses which people want at a local level, so we have some new courses starting during 2009/10 including BA English BA (Hons) Women’s Health, and BA (Hons) Health and Social Wellbeing (all in partnership with Edge Hill University).

Contact a support tutor at Holy Cross University Centre on 0161 762 4513.