What is further education?
Further education is the study you continue after you have left school at 16. The qualifications you pursue can be at any level and are largely designed as an alternative to a traditional academic A Level route to university or employment. Taught by industry veterans or ex-professionals in specific fields, the subject matter can range from construction skills to hairdressing, beauty, holistic therapies, design, acting, dancing, sport, science, health, childcare, law, business, computing and so on.

Will it cost me anything to study?
If you're between 16 and 18, and from an EU country (including the UK), your fees are paid. If you are 19 or over, and from the UK, you are exempt from paying fees if you are in receipt of income based benefits.

UK students aged 19 or over (and not in receipt of benefits) and overseas students, should contact Student Services on 01422 399367 for advice about fees. You may need to buy materials for some courses, and limited funds may be available to help. please contact Student Services on 01422 399367.

You may be entitled to an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). EMA is a weekly payment worth up to £30 for students who are aged 16-18 and planning to continue in further education. For more information call 0870 000 22 88 or Student Services on 01422 399367.

Calderdale College learners aged 19 or over may be able to apply for financial assistance through applying for an Adult Learning Grant (ALG). The grant is designed to help adults who are studying full time with the costs of learning. An individual may be eligible to receive up to £30 a week (subject to a financial assessment). To be eligible you must be in full time study, aged 19 or over and studying for a first full Level 2 or first full Level 3 qualification. For further information about ALG contact Student Services on 01422 399367 or email: studentservices@calderdale.ac.uk

When should I apply?
Apply as soon as you know what you want to do. Some courses are really popular and will fill up quickly. Complete an application form or apply online at www.calderdale.ac.uk. After that we will arrange an interview for you to find out if the course is suitable for you. If that goes OK we'll offer you a place, sometimes conditional upon grades you get in your exams.

What if I need extra support?
Once at College you will be allocated a Personal Tutor, who will get to know you and will be your first port of call for support. Specialist staff and resources such as counsellors, learning support tutors and careers advisors are available to give you whatever support you need. Individual needs can differ greatly and we work hard to help people to overcome their personal challenges, be they physical or medical or should they involve emotional and mental health.

If you need it we will organise support you can rely on, by liaising with friends, family, professionals or organisations to help you make the most of your time at College.

If you have a disability, a medical condition, or a learning difficulty it would be really helpful for us to know so that we can identify and support any needs or requirements you might have in relation to study or attending College for courses or interview/assessment. You can tell us on your application form of anything you think might be relevant. Anything you tell us in relation to your support requirements will not affect your chances of acceptance on a course and will be treated in the strictest confidence. The College is committed to supporting its learners and spends substantial amounts of its funding on learner support, helping learners receiving support in the last academic year to achieve a 98% achievement rate.

What are tutorials?
The purpose of the tutorial system is to make sure you get the most out of your time at College and to support your learning.
Your development is regularly reviewed. You also have group tutorials to cover personal development, careers education and action planning. You will regularly review your own progress through self-review and with your personal tutor, allowing you to set objectives to help you to achieve your goals. Your personal tutorials will also help you develop your C.V., consider career or university options and develop your ability to assess your
own performance. Mention passport to success?

Will I get homework?
We expect you to take more responsibility for your own learning than you may have been used to and to spend time while at College working on assignments on your own or in small groups. Although depending on what you are studying, not all self-guided learning will be of an academic nature. You may need to spend some homework, time researching on the internet or working in College on a particular project. For instance, performing arts learners may want to rehearse outside of normal course hours. The more work you do at College, the less you'll need to do at home!

How often will I need to come to College?
It really depends on your course, but most full time students will be in College a maximum of four days per week. The timetables allow time for personal study and also for part-time jobs, which we know are important. It's also important that you attend college regularly and your tutors will monitor attendance to help keep you on track with your studies. In some areas, especially academies, attendance determines your access to additional enrichment programmes.

Can I work part time as well as study full time at college?
Yes, we appreciate that learners sometimes need to support themselves financially with part time jobs. We would recommend working no more than 10 hours per week alongside full time study. Learners who find themselves in financial difficulties can get confidential advice on financial assistance from Student Services.

What do your students do when they have finished their course?
Many learners go on to university or further study here at Calderdale College, or into successful careers in their chosen field. In some subject areas you can study right up to degree level at Calderdale College, degrees are awarded by partner universities such as Bradford University, Huddersfield University and Leeds Metropolitan University.

Why do you have security?
Unlike when you're at school, outside of class College learners can come and go as they please and therefore we ask that you show your learner i.d. card on entering the building so that we can identify those people who are not learners of the College and ask them to sign in as visitors. This also allows us to adhere to health and safety policies. The College has many CCTV cameras in and around the buildings on the main site and at other locations, you can feel secure in the knowledge that these are monitored 24/7.

What if I don't get the grades?
We have courses at all levels so we should be able to help you find a suitable course. If we make you an offer and you don't achieve the grades you need, you will be able to discuss your options at your enrolment session or you can come to our Results Day Service. Our services are open to anyone on GCSE and A Levels results days for advice.