Education
Further education after time in prison can be a great way to improve your CV and your employability, as well as broadening your horizons. There are various options available for further education, depending on your level of prior education.
College
You may wish to attend a further education (or sixth-form) college. Here, you can study for Level 2 qualifications (such as Functional Skills in English and Maths) and Level 3 qualifications (such as A-Levels or BTEC diplomas). Level 3 qualifications are required if you wish to apply for university.
If you are under 24 and have not taken Level 2 or 3 qualifications before, then you may not have to pay tuition fees to attend college. If you are required to pay fees, the government may help you in certain circumstances, such as if you are unemployed or claiming benefits. Find out more here.
University
You may wish to attend university, to study for an undergraduate degree. You will need Level 3 qualifications to do this. If you have not achieved Level 3 qualifications, you may be able to undertake a foundation year at university to prepare you for an undergraduate course. Entry requirements vary depending on which university you wish to attend.
University applications take place through UCAS. For more information on the courses available and the application process, visit their website here.
Most degrees at university cost £9,250 per year, and last for three years. Most people take out a student loan from the government to finance this. There are loans available to cover tuition fees, and also maintenance loans which will help to support your living costs whilst you study. You will only have to pay this loan back if you later earn a salary of £25,000 or more, in which case it will then be deducted from your salary in the same way as tax. If you never earn over £25,000 per year, then you will not be expected to pay the loan back.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships can be an alternative way to gain practical skills and enter the workplace. If you complete a higher or degree apprenticeship, you can also attain degree-level learning and qualifications during your apprenticeship too.
Apprenticeships are generally aimed at people who know what career they would like to pursue, and are therefore committed to working and studying simultaneously to train specifically for their desired role. The majority of the learning will take place through on-the-job training in the workplace.
You can start an apprenticeship at the level best suited to your stage of learning. Entry requirements therefore vary depending on the apprenticeship. You must be over 16 to apply for an apprenticeship.
There are four types or levels of apprenticeship available in England, for over 1,500 job roles. They are:
Intermediate
Generally considered to be equivalent to 5 GCSE passes.
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Entry requirements:
​Demonstrate an ability to complete the programme.
Advanced
Generally considered to be equivalent to two A level passes.
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Entry requirements:
Some request 3+ GCSEs, but others do not specify.
Higher
Generally considered to be equivalent to a degree.
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Entry requirements:
Usually Level 3 qualifications, such as A Levels or BTECs.
Degree
Completion of Level 7 is generally equivalent to a master’s degree.
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Entry requirements:
Usually Level 3 qualifications, such as A Levels or BTECs.
When applying for apprenticeships, you apply directly to the employer, and they set the deadlines. You can apply to as many as you like.
You do not pay fees for an apprenticeship; you are paid by your employer. You can therefore gain practical skills without paying tuition fees or taking out student loans.
Most apprenticeship providers are covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. This means they can only ask you for unspent convictions. If you are not asked, you do not need to provide this information.
You can search for apprenticeships here.
Disclosure
College:
You will need to disclose a conviction when applying for college if:
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Your conviction is unspent AND the college has asked for disclosure (verbally or in writing). The college can ask you to apply for a basic check, which will disclose only unspent convictions.
OR
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Your conviction is spent, but you are applying for a course which will involve a placement role requiring a standard/enhanced/enhanced and barred DBS check and the conviction is not eligible for filtering.
The Nacros website provides details relating to disclosure of criminal records in college applications, found here.
University:
UCAS no longer requires disclosure of past conviction when applying for most university courses. For a select number of courses, such as social work, medicine or teaching, you will be asked to declare past criminal convictions, even if they are spent. However, this question will only appear if you are applying for one of these courses.
As with colleges, each university has its own policies and procedures about how they manage criminal record disclosures. You can request these from the university’s admissions department if they are not already online.
More information on disclosure when applying to university can be found here.