Applying for a Course
You can apply online, on this website, once you have selected the course of your choice.
Applications are currently open for August/September 2021.
All applicants should read the course details on the college website or published prospectus, taking particular note of the entry requirements and progression routes available, prior to submitting an application.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
- You MUST only use your own personal email address to apply!
- This is how we will contact you about your application, interviews, funding and enrolment!
- Do not use a school or someone else’s email address.
- On submission of your application you will receive an acknowledgement email. If you do not receive this please check your SPAM filter/folder.
- Borders College will send you important information about your application by email, so use an email address that you check regularly.
Further Help and Guidance
For further help and guidance, please contact: Student Advice Centre by email: enquiries@borderscollege.ac.uk
General Information
As well as the student information available throughout this web site, students can also access course information by:
- telephoning our Admissions Office on: 08700 50 51 52
- or emailing us at: admissions@borderscollege.ac.uk
or alternatively for Student Funding Information:
- telephone on: 08700 50 51 52
- or email us at: studentfunding@borderscollege.ac.uk
Admissions Procedure
The full College Admissions Procedure can be found by following the link below.
Qualifications Explained
The Scottish qualification system has a comprehensive range of awards available. The College offers qualifications from Access 1 to HND (SCQF Level 1-8).
The College’s awards are certificated through various awarding bodies, including Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), City & Guilds, Pearson, NCFE and Active IQ.
Full details of the extensive articulation routes which Borders College has in place with various partner universities are available from the Student Advice Centre T: 01896 662516
NQs offer a wide range of units, courses and group awards for every level of ability, covering both vocational and academic subjects. NQs are available at seven levels; Access 1, Access 2, Access 3, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, Higher and Advanced Higher. Courses are made up of three units and an external assessment – students can gain a grade A-D by achieving the full course.
Group Awards are achieved by completing a number of units with assessments taken throughout the session. However, all units within courses and group awards are qualifications in their own right, so students who do not achieve all of the units required, can still achieve National Qualifications that give employers an idea of their ability and interests.
SVQs and NVQs are work-based assessed qualifications that are nationally recognised. They are assessed in a combination of ways: by portfolio – you build up evidence of what you have done at work (or in a work-based setting), and by observation – an assessor watches you work and checks that you can do the tasks.
The assessor also tests candidates' knowledge, understanding and work-based performance to make sure they can demonstrate competence in the workplace. There are no formal exams, however online assessments are required to be taken for the City & Guilds NVQs that the College offers.
Business & Technology Education Council (BTECs) are work-related qualifications and are suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities. They provide a practical, real-world approach to learning and give students the skills they need to either move on to higher education or go straight into employment.
Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) provide both the practical skills you need to do a job and the theoretical knowledge your employer will expect you to have.
They also help develop advanced study skills and the generic core skills necessary to progress on to University. Some HNCs allow direct entry into the second year of a degree qualification and some HNDs allow direct entry into the third year.
All the courses are made up of Higher National Unit credits (one credit represents roughly 40 hours of timetabled learning).
- HNCs are made up of 12 credits and usually take one year to complete
- HNDs are made up of 30 credits and usually take two years to complete
Candidates must achieve all of the required units in order to be certificated for the Group Award. However, the units are certificated in their own right, therefore, if you do not achieve the Group Award you will still be certificated for the units.
Possessing an HNC or HND can also give you entry to a number of professional bodies.
So whether you want to go straight into a job, or continue your studies, getting a Higher National qualification is a good place to start.
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) promotes lifelong learning in Scotland and is a way of comparing the wide range of Scottish qualifications and learning programmes. It covers achievements such as those from school, college, university, and the workplace.
It supports everyone in Scotland by:
- helping people of all ages and circumstances access appropriate education and training so they can meet their full potential;
- helping employers, learners and the general public to understand the full range of Scottish qualifications, how qualifications relate to each other and to other forms of learning, and how different types of qualification can contribute to improving the skills of the workforce.
The SCQF helps describe both programmes of learning and qualifications, support the development of progression routes and maximise the opportunities to transfer credit points between qualifications.
The SCQF also helps to illustrate the relationships between Scottish qualifications and those in the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond, which can clarify opportunities for international progression routes and credit transfer.
For more information on the SCQF, visit www.scqf.org.uk or contact the team on 0845 270 7371.
For information on the SCQF level and credit points for learning programmes which have been credit rated, search the SCQF database at scqf.org.uk/the-framework/search-database/.
Further Education is not statutory and therefore is funded differently from school. This may mean changes to your current arrangements for travel, escorted travel and personal care support.
Each individual student has a unique set of circumstances and needs. To ensure a smooth transition to college you should contact our Student Advice Team to discuss your personal situation.
For questions about student funding, travel and personal support please contact: studentadvice@borderscollege.ac.uk
Alternately, if you would like a member of the Student Advice Team to contact you directly, please contact the Student Advice Centre:
Borders College,
Scottish Borders Campus,
Nether Road,
Galashiels,
TD1 3HE
or email enquiries@borderscollege.ac.uk