College Choice: Many students do not go directly to university or institutes of technology; thousands do further education courses leading to Fetac awards, writes Brian Mooney.
This alternative has been available to students for almost a decade. The higher education links scheme links specific Fetac awards to reserved places at third level. The scheme has gradually expanded and now offers participants a broad range of third-level courses and institutions to aim for.
This year these students are offered places on a variety of courses in 34 institutions including universities, ITs and private colleges. In addition, the ITs and some higher-education institutions last year introduced pilot admissions criteria and scoring systems for Fetac awards holders. This is intended to broaden access and facilitate greater progression routes between all levels of the National Framework of Qualifications.
It will see a moving away from linked courses and quotas of reserved places, instead opening up the system to enable Fetac applicants to compete on an even footing with Leaving Certificate applicants.
The scoring system under the new arrangements enables a Fetac award holder to achieve up to a maximum of 400 points. For details of all links and/or specific requirements contact the admissions office of the higher education institutions or see www.cao.ie or www.fetac.ie
Some institutions offer links between Fetac level 6 awards and third-level courses. For information on these and admission details, contact the institution directly or see the CAO website www.cao.ie
Application process and scoring system
Students must submit third-level applications to the CAO by tomorrow (February 1st). Fetac results are issued in July to the CAO and participating institutions. Applicants must have obtained a full Fetac award.
A record of achievement will not suffice. A full award may be accumulated over more than one year. In such cases it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that their Fetac centre applies to Fetac for a full award where courses are taken over more than one year. Application for a full award should be made before a CAO application.
Each module is credited with three points for a distinction, two for a merit and one point for a pass. Applicants are ranked according to their total.
Pilot scheme
The ITs and some other higher-education institutions have introduced new admissions criteria for students presenting Fetac levels 5 or 6 awards.
Some higher education institutions in the pilot scheme may also offer a number of linked courses via the links scheme. In such cases, the application process and scoring system of the pilot scheme applies. However, applicants are advised to confirm details with the admissions office of the appropriate institution, see www.cao.ie
Application details
Students apply through the CAO in the usual way. In July Fetac results are issued to the CAO and participating institutions. An overall point score is calculated based on the best eight modules presented in an applicant's Fetac levels 5 or 6 award.
Under this initiative, most places are open to Fetac levels 5 and 6 award holders, along with Leaving Certificate applicants.
The quota of places reserved under the links scheme does not apply to this scheme. For some courses, applicants may require a specific Fetac maths or language module as part of their award. This may be waived if the applicant has evidence of an equivalent achievement, eg a Leaving Cert subject.
Specific higher certificate (level 6), ordinary degree (level 7) and honours degree (level 8) courses may have prerequisite Fetac module or award requirements.
Links with nursing degree programmes
Given the high points required for nursing, many students who would have aspired to study nursing have been unable to do so. To broaden access routes, 12 institutions offer a small number of places on honours degree programmes in nursing to holders of specific Fetac level 5 awards offered at FE level.
Applicants are eligible for entry to nursing degree courses via the Fetac (NCVA) level 5 award in nursing studies (DCHSN), community and before health services (DCHSX) and, in some cases, DHSXX healthcare support.
Applicants must have achieved distinctions in five modules, including anatomy and physiology (D20001), introduction to nursing (D20012) and human growth and development (D20032) or biology (C20006). For further details visit www.nursing careers.ie or www.cao.ie
Tomorrow: financial supports for attending college
Brian Mooney's column on CAO options will appear each weekday in the run-up to the deadline at the end of this month.