This is a mandatory field for all courses.

Use the dropdown list to select the correct duration for your course. For part-time courses, enter the full-time equivalent where relevant.

Foundation year

This is a subcategory of the Duration field. It is an optional selection that only applies to full-time undergraduate courses.

Some full-time undergraduate courses are extended beyond their normal length to include a foundation year. This is for entrants whose qualifications or experience are acceptable for entry to higher education, but not entirely appropriate for normal entry to their chosen course of study.

Students are eligible for funding if the foundation year is an integral part of the course, not a standalone course. The course needs to be designated by or under the regulations, with students enrolling for the full duration of the extended course at the outset.

Let’s look at an example where a student enrols in a 4-year course with an integrated foundation year. After that year, the student transfers onto a course with a different course code.

In this case, the award authority is bound by the regulations to reassess the student’s standard entitlement as if the student is transferring course.

This means that once the student changes course, regardless of whether this is a chosen pathway, they would be using up their additional year of funding (sometimes referred to as a gift year or a +1).

This can affect students if they have studied previously or need to repeat a year in the future, unless the course they are transferring to also has a foundation year and the student is going into an advanced year.

To create a full-time undergraduate course with a foundation year, select the Add Foundation Year checkbox in the Course Duration field. This will create a course with the selected duration but with a marked foundation year (year 0).