Birmingham Admissions Guide

BIRMINGHAM

Applicant Guide Birmingham 2020

birminghamadmissions@uwtsd.ac.uk 1

Congratulations on your offer to study at UWTSD At UWTSD we pride ourselves on the friendly, supportive community we nurture across all our campuses and courses.

We foster an atmosphere of knowledgesharing and are passionate about providing you with opportunities to develop your academic skills and confidence.

2 | Applicant Guide Birmingham 2020

Each of our teaching locations offers a unique student experience with a vibrant, friendly learning community. We hope to be welcoming you to study with us at one of them in the next academic year.

Accepting your offer To secure your place with us on a full-time undergraduate course, make sure to accept your place at UWTSD through our MyTSD applicant portal.

When you have met the conditions, you will be made an unconditional offer securing your place with us. You will then be well on your way to joining us to start your university journey.

If your initial application to UWTSD was successful, you will have been made either a conditional or unconditional offer to study with us. If the offer was conditional, you will need to meet the conditions of your offer usually bringing in your ID, for example.

If you need support or have any questions about the admissions process, please email:

birminghamadmissions@uwtsd.ac.uk We’re always happy to help.

3

Teaching Locations Birmingham’s industrial heritage has created a city filled with vibrant communities, shops, restaurants and bars, all located only a short distance from our two learning centres.

4 | Applicant Guide Birmingham 2020

Birmingham is the second largest city in England, full of galleries, museums and live music venues. All this makes the city a great place to be a student.

Sparkhill In the heart of Sparkbrook, our Sparkhill Learning Centre offers a community focused atmosphere that allows students the freedom and accessibility to study in their local area. Located on Stratford Road, the Centre provides a comfortable place for students to study, develop their skills and grow more confidence.

Quay Place Located in the city centre, the Quay Place Learning Centre is a short walk through the canals from Brindley Place, The International Convention Centre, and Library of Birmingham.

With its central location Quay Place allows students an urban option which aims to provide you with endless opportunities to boost your employability and connect with the Birmingham social scene alongside your studies.

5

Supporting You As a UWTSD student you will have access to award-winning support services.

Whether you have a long-term support need, want help navigating a change, or just need to talk to somebody, there are a lot of ways we can support you.

Our Student Services Team is committed to providing high-quality advice and guidance, offering practical and emotional support to help ensure that your time at university is positive. Services offered include counselling, financial and careers advice, learning support and the mental health advisory service.

6 | Applicant Guide Birmingham 2020

The Student Help Desk is also available to support you in accessing basic support such as resetting passwords, navigating the University’s online systems, or updating your student information.

In addition to pastoral support, there will be plenty of staff to support you academically over your time at UWTSD. From referencing to exam revision, planning to academic writing, if you’re looking to enhance your academic skills there will be a lot of opportunities for you to do so. When you’ve settled in, remember to introduce yourself to our specialist library staff, drop by a study skills session, and make the most of our brilliant facilities.

The Student Hub Launched in September 2019, the Student Hub is also here to help you during your studies. Once enrolled, you can download the UWTSD Hwb App to get all the key UWTSD info at your fingertips. You can contact the Student Hub at

hwb@uwtsd.ac.uk 0300 131 3030

Your Student Representatives Student Representatives act as a voice for fellow UWTSD classmates, ensuring that students are heard whenever decisions are made. As well as representation and campaigns, they support student-led activities, including volunteering for projects and events. Getting involved as a Student Rep is a brilliant way to meet new people and feel connected to the University community.

Learn more about what being a Student Rep has to offer at:

www.tsdsu.co.uk/coursereps

7

Opportunities & Employability A UWTSD graduate is an employable graduate; from cutting edge tech companies to running their own successful businesses, UWTSD students go far thanks to a focus on entrepreneurship and employability in all our courses.

If you’d like to explore what other opportunities will be available to you as a UWTSD student, visit:

We have a dedicated and qualified Careers Service in each teaching location, who offer everything from support in choosing a career to perfecting your CV. They’re even there for you after you graduate offering one to one support for all UWTSD graduates.

@UWTSDStudents

students.uwtsd.ac.uk or follow us on social media.

Funding for Undergraduate Studies in Birmingham Funding is available through Student Finance England to help with tuition fees and living costs in the form of loans and grants while you are a UWTSD student.

To receive funding in time for the start of your course, you should apply for Student Finance as early as possible. Deadline dates for the submission of applications will be published by Student Finance.

Student Finance must be applied for in each and every year of study for which you are seeking assistance.

Before you receive any funding for your course, you’ll need to meet certain eligibility criteria. Whether you qualify will depend on your course, your age and your nationality or residency status.

8 | Applicant Guide Birmingham 2020

There’s plenty of information on the Student Finance England website www.gov.uk/ student-finance/new-fulltime-students to help you to understand what you can get, how and when to apply, and how you repay.

The quickest and simplest way to apply is online.

Most students who apply for Student Finance will have both a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan.

Tuition Fee Loan Your tuition fee loan will usually cover the cost of your course in full. This loan is not means tested, so you won’t have to worry about it being affected by your family income.

Maintenance Loan Your maintenance loan will be means tested and will help towards the costs of living while you’re a student. British students will receive this financial support as a mixture of loans (repayable) and grants (nonrepayable). The weighting of this system will depend on your household income and determination of funding support is made by Student Finance England.

If you opt to apply for a Student Loan, you won’t need to start paying it back until you are earning over the repayment threshold. In 2019/20 this was £25,725 per year.

EU Students If you’re a European Union (EU) national, please visit the Student Finance England website www.gov.uk/student-finance/eustudents for information on funding.

If you have a question about fees, you can contact the Student Finance Department on: 01792 481050 or email finance.queries@uwtsd.ac.uk If you would like to talk to someone about the funding you might be entitled to, or if you need support with your Student Finance application, please contact the campus’ Student Services Team: birminghamstudentservices@uwtsd.ac.uk Alternatively, you can contact Student Finance England directly at: 0300 100 0607 9

IT Exclusives At UWTSD you will have exclusive access to specialist software for free or at discount prices...

Just visit uwtsd.ac.uk/ it-exclusives to find out more.

10 | Applicant Guide Birmingham 2020

Contact Us Quay Place (Victoria House), City Centre, Birmingham, B1 2RA Tel: 0121 229 3000 636A Startford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 4AR Tel: 0300 323 0178 Email: birminghamadmissions@uwtsd.ac.uk

11

@UWTSDBirmingham @UWTSDBirmingham

BIRMINGHAM 12 | Applicant Guide Birmingham 2020

uwtsd_birmingham