10 Programmes: Sponsored Degree Programme
Army, Navy and RAF
All three branches of the armed forces - including the army, navy and RAF - offer sponsored degree programmes.
Perks
As well as a salary and paid tuition fees, you can also receive job perks (depending on the company of course) like annual leave, discounts and other benefits.
What is a sponsored degree programme? A sponsored degree programme offers you a degree as part of an employer’s training scheme, which involves going to university full or part-time. These schemes vary, but often the tuition costs are covered or contributed to by the employer.
Are there other ways of getting a degree without having to pay £9,000? Higher apprenticeships can also offer degree level qualifications as a part of their training. In fact, many companies pride themselves on the training their apprentices receive.
These programmes are often organised in collaboration with particular universities, meaning the course is adapted to the employer’s needs.
For instance, Jaguar Land Rover Higher Apprentices receive a degree in engineering from University of Warwick. However, they may not be sending you to university full time.
The main goal of a sponsored degree programme is to help you finish the training programme with a full degree and work experience under your belt, making you even more employable. Am I limited to certain universities? Each sponsored degree programme relies on there being a partnership between an employer and a university. This means your university choice is limited to those that the employer works with. What about scholarship programmes? Some companies offer to sponsor promising students through university, irrespective of their degree course or university. In this case, the student would be given a contribution towards tuition fees and may partake in paid internships or placement years with the company. There are plenty of these schemes out there and there are various ways to enter sponsored programmes; it’s your choice to decide what’s best for you.
Who offers sponsored degree programmes? Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Nestle, PwC are among the companies that offer them. So that you’re aware, sponsored degree programmes can also be called ‘scholarships’ and can be known as ‘training programmes’ and ‘undergraduate apprenticeships’. Some employers still call it a ‘school leaver programme’. So ensure you check exactly what your scheme is offering.
Programme Employers Top 30 pos. 4th / Pg. 42 Top 30 pos. 9th / Pg. 44 Top 30 pos. 15th / Pg. 32