Advice on FE options after illness

[Lindos1]

My daughter is just finishing her first year of A Levels (year 12). She missed quite a bit of year 11 due to illness (some part time & about 3 months out of school completely). She somehow managed to get 5 good GCSEs, & is now doing 2 A Levels (part time school) as she's not quite well enough to do 3 at the mo.
Does anyone have any advice about what her options are after year 13? Obviously she would like to do her 3rd A Level as would like to go to uni eventually. Would we have to pay for this A Level as she'd be 18, or are there funding options available as she's missed out due to ill health.
I've no idea where to start with looking into this.
Many thanks

Does she know what she would like to study at uni? Would she be able to add an EPQ in year 13? Then she may not require a third A level.

And is your dd wanting to go to uni soon or happy to take a little extra time?

At age 18 education is still funded but she would have to be classed as full time.

Yes she won't be going to uni at end of year 13 as not quite well enough yet & she'll only have 2 A levels.
So post year 13 she will need to spend a year doing at least 1 A level to get into uni. Does anyone know if she can get funding for that?
Thank you!

Does she have an EHCP?

Depending on what she’d like to do at uni she may have a route there with two A Levels.

If she did her third A Level in Year 14 (so to speak) would you be expecting her to go to uni the year after or would she need more time to recover?

i work in the sector and my suggestion would be to see If the epq is possible in year 13.

Otherwise year 14 can be funded depending on age at start of the year. Have you asked the sixth form or college if they’d take her? Especially as she has mitigating circumstances.

Other options are distance learning A levels but these will have to be self funded.

With 2 A levels it could still be possible to access uni via a foundation year/ year 0.

Ask her school / 6th form / college to arrange an appointment for her with their careers advisor. Check out alternate entry requirements for her course at uni - or foundation years at college - or whether school could take her on for year 14 and do something in a year. You need to know what your local FE colleges might be able to offer, and careers advisor will have come across this before x

Degree courses which quote entry requirements as UCAS tariff points would not necessarily require a third A level, if the grades in the two were good (they are scored downwards in 8s from 56 for an A*). E.g. Accountancy and finance (random choice from top of alphabet at Lincoln asks for 112 points 'from a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications'.

Admittedly, this would be at the top end of what is possible with just two A levels, but possible, none the less.

Thanks all for your advice.
She does not have an EHCP & sadly not quite well enough to do EPQ in year 13 on top of 2 A Levels.
She would be 18 in Sept 2025.

Year 14 funded should be possible. Discuss with the school about taking another 2 A levels.

You can also research degrees/ foundation years/ foundation degrees. She may not even require another A level. In which case plan for a gap year.

Sometimes in this situation I’d suggest a course such as a BTEC or vocational qualification. If she is 18 at start of year then a T level would be funded for the full two years.

It’s worth checking the offer at a local college.