What options are there for students with dire Alevels due to life events?( computer science )

I've been here. Asd Ds just didn't get along in sixth form, wrong setting, wrong environment, no support, failed a critical A level and lost his Uni place.
He took a year out and got a job that allowed him to mature and just generally grow up a bit.
His options were to retake the failed A levels, do a foundation year, or do a 12 month Access course. He chose the latter at a different college and is in his final year of Uni now and absolutely thriving.
My advice would be to look round different colleges and see what they offer. I wish we'd have paid closer attention to that to begin with instead of drifting into sixth form, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. There are definitely other avenues in though so try not to worry.

Tell him to look at Liverpool John Moores computer science degree with a foundation year. They are brilliant at investing in students like that.

Some unis are great for support Eg UCLAN

The distinction is important. Limited capacity for work doesn't have any financial benefit, it just gives different requirements for the claimant commitment.

The limited capacity for work and work related activity adds £390.06 per month to the universal credit amount.

@C0p3nhag3n some unis will be lower eg Nottingham Trent CS foundation is 72 points which is DDD. If you look at the individual uni websites you can get an idea of what is required. Or put those grades into the course selector on the UCAS website

Why would uni be ruled out when he has Ds? He could still go to uni just not such a prestigious one

Whereabouts are you? My son did a foundation course though not for computer science and it was absolutely the making of him.

@C0p3nhag3n
your ds can do an access course once he is 19. I work with this age group. And see many in this situation.

There will be options available for him. Are you in a city? Any local FE colleges? I’d start there.

LCWRA = limited capability for work and work-related activities.
LCW = limited capability for work

What’s a LCW/LCWRA?

X-posted with @ThomasWasTortured .

You can't apply for income based ESA now. It's Universal Credit only. You can't claim universal credit as a full time student unless you have been assessed as having limited capacity for work and work related activity before your course started.

No, not automatically.

Even if they/their appointee applied for UC (the vast majority of disabled 19y/o students wouldn’t be able to receive money from ESA now, although may make a credits only New Style ESA claim in order to establish LCW/LCWRA) whilst in full time education you a) need to in receipt of PIP, b) need to be assessed as having a LCW/LCWRA, and c) have LCW/LCWRA established prior to starting the course. ( Or meet one of the other criteria allowing those in full time education to claim.) Someone in receipt of PIP may not also have a LCW/LCWRA, or they may do but not have it established prior to the start of the course.

You can retake A levels online. He doesn’t have to go to another sixth form.

https://universitycompare.com/advice/a-levels/retaking-a-levels

Some universities are willing to keep offers open for a year to a few years too.

We’re in the middle of it now.

Did you appeal that decision? You would have won. The bar is very low for assessment. If you're out of time, apply again.

But surely if you are 19 and get POP you get ESA too?

My dd is identical. CAHMS, disrupted education, ASD, anxiety, EBSA, Self harming, situational mute,

Still for refusal to even assess.

I was predicted 3 As but achieved CCE (about ten years ago). I did an apprenticeship and then used that to apply for university. I’m a chartered surveyor now.

PIP alone doesn’t automatically qualify a student to a 16-19 bursary. Those in receipt of PIP and either ESA or UC do automatically qualify. Some providers may give those with PIP alone a bursary but it would be discretionary. It would also be discretionary due to OP’s DS’s age. You can see the criteria here.

Many people have to appeal bad decisions, but the OP's DS clearly meets the criteria for an assessment:

May have SEN - he has ASD
May need provision from a plan - he has already interrupted his studies and has struggled to sit exams.

That's enough to get the assessment. The fact that he is accessing CAMHS means that he has demonstrable MH difficulties which adds complexity.

Once he's at university (if he goes) he can get support from Disabled Students Allowance to meet his support needs.

Once in work, if needed, he can get support from Access to Work, which is funding that allows disabled people to work where reasonable adjustments alone won't suffice.

DS sat his A levels last summer, got CDD in computer science, chemistry and maths.

dyslexia diagnosis since year 4, dyspraxia diagnosis after exams and possible ADHD/ASD according to psychologist who reconfirmed dyslexia diagnosis and gave dyspraxia diagnosis.

he has gone to do a BTEC in finance, many of his classmates are straight from GCSEs

We’ve applied and sadly there’s no definite a. My dd is the same and we’re fighting every step of the way for her.

What about an HNC/D course as an access route to a future Uni place ? My ASD Ds is doing this. There's free Microsoft courses you can do to boost a CV too.