Foundation Year

[HerstoryInTheMaking]

DD was downgraded from BBB to CDD she has been offered a foundation year at her insurance.

This is an extra year of debt but she will be at a university.

I am very frustrated by this whole process. She has a chance to take the exams in October but I doubt she can start the course and retake.

I think she should retake them but DD is unsure as she doesnt want to take exams after nearly 8 months away from school.

My dd has also been offered a foundation year as she needed 3bs and got a d and 2es.
I’m not sure whether a foundation year is a good idea or not.
As you say, it’s another year’s worth of fees and living expenses.

Universities want their students to do well. If they are offered foundation it's because the university wants them to have a solid basis on which to build. Nobody wants to see a student struggle, repeat years or drop out all together.

Dd has a friend who wouldn't have got into uni, but he did a foundation year and ended up with a first.

If she chooses to retake, it will be the higher grade that stands. So if she does better than CDD those will be the grades she takes forward, if she does worse she’ll keep the CDD. That said, it will be difficult to study independently, potentially with very little help, after a long time out of school. The exams start on 5th October so it could be as little as 7 weeks till her first exam. It also means she will have to deal with uncertainty for quite a bit longer - potentially until December or January when she receives her results. Not to mention the risk of not being able to sit the exams in the case of a local lockdown or self isolation or illness. In my opinion, opting to retake is a risky decision and generally not in the best interest of the student - although of course I don’t know your daughter personally.

If she takes the foundation it is another year of debt, but as you May know student finance isn’t the same as normal debt. Because the total amount she earns won’t affect her repayments (she’ll pay the same back whether she owes £100 or £100,000 pounds) this shouldn’t put her off particularly.

If she doesn’t feel she academically needs the foundation year, she could take the opportunity to do lots of additional things - volunteering, societies, work placements to enrich her CV for the future.

Take the foundation year offer and appeal. If her grades go up she should get reinstated on the first year rather than foundation year. If they stay the same nothing lost, unless she's confident retaking in October will get her the grades she needs to start next year.