Colleges in Britain offer more courses and a change of culture

A steady stream of phone calls and e-mails have been directed to the British Council over the past couple of weeks. Angela Crean, assistant director for education, is offering advice to students who are considering going to college in Britain.

"Nursing and teaching are the most popular areas of enquiry and there is still plenty of availability for both," says Crean. If you have been disappointed with the CAO offer you received, it may be worth considering what is still on offer through "clearing" in Britain and Northern Ireland.

Clearing is the British equivalent of vacant places. By looking up the website of the UCAS university admissions office at www.ucas.com and choosing the Clearing option, you will be given access to a seemingly endless list of courses available at universities and colleges all over Britain. You can choose from more traditional subjects like legal studies at Liverpool John Moores University or accountancy at the University of Aberdeen, to more diverse options like artificial intelligence at the University of Sussex or television at the Cumbria College of Art and Design. The site is regularly updated so you can see what courses are still available at which locations.

In the mid-1990s, more than 11,000 applications to colleges in Britain were made each year by Irish students. Then, fees were paid for students in Britain but not here. That situation has reversed now, with annual undergraduate tuition fees in Britain costing £1,075 sterling for students who don't qualify for grant assistance. Tuition costs are paid for the first four undergraduate years in colleges here, so for financial reasons the number of Irish students wanting, or being able to, afford to go to colleges in Britain has diminished considerably.

According to Crean, there were about 5,000 Irish applicants to British and Northern Irish colleges this year and it is expected that about half that number will actually start their first year of undergraduate studies there. "The change in the fees situation added to the strength of sterling currency in recent years has made it impractical for many Irish students who in the past would have studied in England," says Crean.

There are exceptions to every rule, so with choosing to study in Britain and having to pay fees, there are exceptions. For courses that are run in conjunction with the National Health Service (NHS), such as certain courses for nursing, radiography or medicine, fees are waived. "There are still vacancies available for nursing and radiography, but none for the highly sought-after medicine or veterinary science," says Crean.

Another important exception applies to Scottish colleges. The devolved Scottish parliament has abolished university fees there, so EU students can go to the Scottish universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow or St Andrews, for example, and they don't have to pay tuition fees. "There is a steady decline in the numbers of those choosing to go to Britain and Northern Ireland, but the Scottish institutions have experienced a much smaller drop since the abolition of fees there," reports Crean.

So what are the advantages of going to the UK to study?

"There are so many more options available in clearing, partly because some British students are being discouraged from going on to third level with the fees situation and partly because there are just so many more college places," explains Crean. "With so much choice, you have to consider carefully what area of study you would like to pursue. Find out which institution you think offers the course best suited to you. Ask around family or friends who may know about British colleges and phone the colleges themselves to ask course tutors about what exactly is covered in various syllabi, then you can make an informed choice."

In addition to course options, you may choose studying outside Ireland because of the opportunity for learning more about the different culture or the historical heritage of the area in which you go to study, and because of the greater independence and sense of adventure that going to a different country can bring. When asked about the pluses of studying in Britain, students offer various reasons, some more important than others: the quality of the course and opportunities for certain work placements are better; the quality of curry houses are better; there is much greater availability of student accommodation (particularly for first-years); the heritage and quaint customs of a college appeal to them; or it presents an opportunity to live in the same place as their favourite soccer team. All talk about their university experience in Britain with enthusiasm.

Whatever the reason, if you think you may want to study in Britain and you have worked out the financial implications, you need to know how to apply to colleges in clearing.

If you are not already in the UCAS system, you should apply for a Clearing Entry Form (CEF) from UCAS. This will contain detailed instructions on how to enter the process, if you are eligible. You will be assigned an individual number, which you must look after carefully as it is necessary to give to institutions considering accepting you.

Once you have received your CEF check the listings for suitable vacancies on the UCAS website or the BBC Ceefax service on pages 700-799. If you find something which you think may interest you phone the admissions office of the university/college immediately.

If you have any problems, you can contact Angela Crean at the British Council (tel: (01) 676 4088; e-mail: angelacrean@ie.britishcouncil.org) or contact UCAS for a CEF on +44 1242 223 707; for difficulties with your form, ring +44 1242 227 788.

The UCAS website is at www.ucas.com.