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College students' fears over their futures
Thursday, 5.30pm - CONCERNED students fear they may lose places at university after cutbacks at Grantham College forced changes to their course.
Thursday, 5.30pm - CONCERNED students fear they may lose places at university after cutbacks at Grantham College forced changes to their course. After signing up to a two-year ifs finance course alongside a national diploma in business, designed to bump their attainable qualifications from two A-levels to three, they were shocked to find out this week that the second year of the finance course will be cancelled.
This would leave them with only two A-levels and an AS-level qualification upon course completion.
Toni Fitzgerald is the course representative and she is leading the fight to keep the second year's finance studies.
The 19-year-old, from Heckington near Sleaford, said: "Universities want specific grades and I won't be able to get into one with only two-and-a-half A-levels.
"The college led us to believe we would get that third A-level and now they're telling us halfway through that we can't get it. It's unfair."
Bethan Watson, 18, from Wilsford, said she feels "hard done to".
She added: "All of us work really hard and we're entitled to work for the third A-level - that was what we came into this thinking would happen.
"We all feel really strongly about this and will do whatever we have to do to fight for it. If they think we're just going to let it happen they're wrong."
Catherine Pemblinton, 18, from Pointon Fen, said: "I feel like the college is taking our choices away from us.
"We're being cheated. They're putting cost in front of our education."
The college's deputy principal said the decision is under review and will be revised if universities confirm students' applications could be looked at unfavourably.
Amanda Mosek said: "I've asked the students which universities they're considering and we will get in touch and find out from them if students will be disadvantaged. If that is the case, the situation will be revised.
"We have inefficient funding from the government to be able to run everything we want to.
"This finance course is what we call an additionality and we're having to cut them, which is very disappointing.
"We don't want to jeopardise their future careers."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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