Doing a second level 3 course?

[Inastatus]

DS has just completed a one year level 3 diploma in Business, Sales & Marketing. He has not enjoyed the course as it has not delivered half of what was promised initially. The only option he has for a second year of education at his current college is to transfer to the year 2 of the BTech Business but he just wants to leave and go elsewhere as the college has been fairly useless.

We’ve been looking at other colleges and it seems as though most other level 3 courses are for 2 years. Also because he has already had funding for one level 3 course, we are not sure if he’ll be able to get funding for another one?

I’m worried that he’ll be a bit stranded having only had one year of FE but unable to get any more funding for another course.

Any advice?

If he was 16 starting his last course, he should have two more years of FE funding. Check with his current college though.

where in the UK are you? Different rules apply?

Level 3 extended diplomas are 2 year.
If they do the mandatory modules first they can often stop after 1 year with a certificate / subsidiary diploma.

He should get funding for 2 more years I would have thought.

This happened with my ds. He didn't like his course in year 12, he moved to a different college and we were told he had to pay for the first year of his Btech as he had already been funded for the other course.

I bow to @JSMill and their lived experience. Maybe you won't get funding. Seems a bit unfair.

@wantmorenow - sorry, should have said we are in England.

You get 3 years here, ds did a year of alevels and hated it so did a 2 year lvl 3 instead at college he was funded for all 3 years

Thanks all. He’s now found a course at another college he’s interested in so will ring them tomorrow and ask about funding.

Might be difficult - I'm not massively familiar with FE funding, but usually once a learner has gained a level 3 qualification they cannot obtain funding for another level 3 qualification. That said it depends on the size of the BTEC - a one year diploma may not be regarded as a full level 3 so he may be ok. But check with another college - quickly.

@titchy yes one of the colleges we spoke to said it would depend on whether or not he’d done a ‘full’ level 3. I wasn’t quite sure what they meant by that.

A 'full' level 3 programme (for 16-19 year old funding) is two full time years of study. Examples are 3 A levels, a BTEC extended diploma, a BTEC national diploma taken with 1 A level. When you/he contacts college tomorrow he will need to tell them exactly what the BTEC is called.

@titchy thanks. He certainly hasn’t done a full level 3 then. He has done barely a year of a diploma (not extended). He was told he couldn’t do the BTEC initially because he only has 4’s in maths and English so was advised to do this 1 year course and then transfer onto the BTEC for year 2. However because he hasn’t enjoyed it this year he wants a fresh start.

Are you absolutely sure he has done a Level 3 course and not a Level 2 one, as that advice sounds weird.

Oh good point teen. BTEC level 2 are usually one year courses if taken pst-GCSE.

Another option I guess is the BTECs actually come under the same qualification, with just different optional modules. So he was doing the 'stream' with less maths/English requirement, and then if doing well enough they would have let him do 'harder' options in the second year. But that still seems strange.

@TeenDivided - yes, it was shown in the prospectus as a level 3 course (although it is not running next academic year 🤔). There were level 2 courses available but they were for students who had to re-take maths and English. DS got 4’s for maths and English but he needed 5’s for the Btech extended diploma. We queried it at the time and that’s when he was told he could transfer to the second year of the BTech if he passed the diploma this year.

I am 100% sure of all of this but I agree it does sound weird! All the other level 3’s we’ve looked at are 2 year courses. Also my DS’s college were the only ones in our area to specify 5’s for maths and English for the BTech but he really wanted to go there and was happy with the course at the time and with the thought of transferring after the first year. Unfortunately I think that has proved to be a big mistake ☹️

If it turns out that the college has wrongly advised him and he has been on a lower level course for the last year then I will be making a complaint.

Weird!

@TeenDivided it is weird. I’ve just been on a chat with someone from NCFE (the awarding body) and they have confirmed it’s a level 3 qualification.

Would funding restart if you asked college not to 'cash in' the year, if that is possible?
Would mean no qualification for the year though ....
All sounds stressful.

That sounds a bit 'off', are you sure it was level 3? As a PP said you get funding for a 'full level 3' qualification. If it was then it is probably a 'subsidiary' diploma.

If he doesn't get funding for one year then he may be able to get an FE loan.

@sashh - thanks. Yes I’m sure it’s a level 3. I’ve double checked.

@TeenDivided - I don’t think he’d want to give up the qualification.

You can get three years of level 3 funding as long as under 19 at the start of the academic year. A one year level 3 course is unlikely in itself to be a full qualification, equivalent to 3 A level passes. What dies dv hope to do next? Maybe an apprenticeship would be a better option?

@LIZS - thanks, yes we’ve now been told by the College he wants to transfer to that he will get funding for the course he is interested in so he’s very pleased. He is also looking at apprenticeships.

Well that's good news OP I wish him well