Agored Cymru Access to Higher Education Learner of the Year Award 2012/13
At Agored Cymru we are aware that Access to HE learners have faced or are facing significant barriers to their educational journey. They are often studying while undertaking caring responsibilities and/or working and therefore frequently suffer considerable financial hardship as a result of their decision to return to education. Case studies of AHE learners regularly highlight initial lack of confidence in their own abilities as well as the huge ‘distance travelled’ between enrolment on the course and the final award of the Access Diploma.
The resources required to undertake a degree course are substantial and place strains on the finances of all learners. The Agored Cymru Access to HE Learner of the year award provides an opportunity to reward this commitment to learning with a cash prize to help support the next stage of the educational journey.
Three awards will be made: Access to HE learner of the year and two highly commended awards. The prize for the Access to HE learner of the year will be £700. Each highly commended learner will receive £150.
Nomination process
The prizes will be awarded to recognise educational achievement, distance travelled and recognition of barriers overcome. Only learners completing AHE courses in the current academic year are eligible to apply.
Each centre is invited to nominate up to 3 students.
Once nominated the learner must submit a personal statement of no more than 500 words and one completed level 3 assignment/assessment which has been marked, graded and internally verified. A member of staff from the nominating centre is also required to submit a statement of not more than 250 words supporting the nomination. This will allow both personal circumstance and academic achievement to be taken into consideration when identifying the winners of the awards. It would also ensure that learners did not have to prepare additional work at a time when they are already under considerable pressure.
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Nominations and work should be submitted by Friday, 24 May 2013 to Cheryl.crook@agored.org.uk
Initial short listing will be undertaken by senior staff in Agored Cymru. A shortlist of five applicants will be identified.
These five contenders for the award will be invited to make a short presentation to the final selection committee in late June, early July. The final selection committee will include the Agored Cymru Chief Executive Officer and representatives from the governing body.
The prizes will be awarded in early September at the successful students’ colleges.
The Agored Cymru AHE Learner of the Year Award will replace existing sponsorship of individual college AHE learner awards.
