Banks sent through information on managing money along with the loan but otherwise it wasn’t thrust in your face. In my final year I received £500 from the hardship fund.FURTHER INFORMATION* All universities will have details of welfare services and financial advice on their websites* : comprehensive information on what to expect from counselling plus many links to specialist help organisations and university welfare contacts.* National Union of Students website* * Samaritans helpline: 0345 909090. DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN HND IS?Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) are offered in universities and colleges. They are one year shorter than degree courses and the entry requirements are lower, but they are always in vocational or job-related subjects They are not totally practical however.

You would be expected to write essays and carry out assignments just as on a degree course. So you could do a degree in subjects such as agriculture, biology, building, business studies, catering/hospitality management, chemistry, computing design, engineering, leisure studies, travel and tourism, or more unusual subjects such as golf course studies, horology or jazz and popular music.
Is an HND as good as a degree? A lot depends on the career you have in mind. Since they are shorter and do not contain the same depth of study they are not the obvious choice for a would-be rocket scientist or someone hoping for an academic career. You would have to undertake a longer training route in order to qualify as a solicitor and it takes much longer to become a chartered engineer without a master’s degree. In many career areas, however, where professional exams form an important part of the qualification route, it is still possible to reach the same point ultimately from degree or HND.

The main difference is that graduates (people with degrees) usually have fewer exams to take.So, an HND is a stand-alone qualification It is also a conversion route to a degree. If you wanted a degree or needed one for your career, you would have two options from the HND route Transfer to a degree course while at university or college. Later, convert your HND into a degree course by taking a top-up course. Try to enrol for an HND at an institution that has similar degree and HND programmes. They are likely to offer the transfer option (in either direction!)THE WORK ROUTEThen there is employment. Despite the increase in numbers of 18-year-olds entering higher education, there are still employers who recruit and train school and college leavers. If so, you could take a temporary job to earn some money while you apply for your ideal permanent one.