www.helpyouchoose.org - Norfolk's 14-19 Area Prospectus

Why go onto Higher Education?

Continuing your studies into higher education (HE) isn't all about earning more money.

HE offers the opportunity to:

• achieve your academic potential
• get a qualification for a high level job
• develop other skills to improve your career prospects
• realise your aspirations across all aspects of life
• meet students from different cultures and backgrounds
• experience exciting and stimulating new activities
• make lifelong friendships.

Employers will often seek to recruit the best qualified applicants and/or those who show potential

Increase Your Earning Potential

Gaining a higher education qualification demonstrates your ability to learn and apply yourself. Employers will often seek to recruit the best qualified applicants for job vacancies.

Statistics show that graduates usually earn more than their non-graduate peers.

Things to Consider

You need to choose your course and place of study carefully, as opting for the wrong course or location could be costly.

There is a financial cost. In all probability you'll be in debt when you leave university or college. The average student loan debt is currently around £15,000.

You may also miss the support from home, and feel some initial confusion as so many things happen all at once.

Have you considered the alternatives?

You could:

• study at a college or university closer to home
• take a Foundation Degree or professional qualification while working
• look at part-time courses or distance learning through organisations like Open University
• delay entry into HE by taking a gap year.