Paying for college beauty courses?

[crystaltash]

Hi geeks,
I have a client who is interested in doing a beauty course. She is from Northern Ireland but lives in Newcastle as she is at uni there. She is finishing her degree but really hates the subject and doesn't want to take it any further.
She was looking into doing the BTEC National Diploma in Beauty Therapy Sciences at either Newcastle College or Gateshead College. The inky thing, she has been told that the course fees are going to be in and around £5000 per year!!! I couldn't believe this when she told me! Is this normal? I started my course when I was 20 and this girl is only 21. I didn't have to pay anything for mine and I did the BTEC. Is it an English education system thing? Cos i don't think you have to pay for those courses here in Northern Ireland. I could be totally wrong, but I would like some advice so I can help her out. Is the NVQ the same kind of fees??
Many thanks guys.
Xxx

 

[emilysugarpuffs]

Hi,
I enrolled on a beauty therapy nvq2 course with my local college a few years ago.I was told i needed to pay £3500 for the course because of my age (i was 22 at the time) and also because i already had an nvq2 in hairdressing and an nvq2 in retail!.
I was told that if i didnt already have these nvqs that the ammount i would need to pay would be considerably less!!.That ammount on top of childcare costs there was no way i could go ahead with it!.

 

[J.Victoria]

Hiya, the way I understand it BTEC's are free if you are 19 and under. If you are older than 19 you need to pay the full cost of the BTEC, however if you are say 21 and have no qualifications higher than GSCE, then I think you just need to pay the kit and examination fees, the same if you are in receipt of benefits like job seekers allowance. Because your friend already has A levels (a BTEC is the equivilent to two A levels), she will not be eligiable for it for free as it will not be considered her first time qualification. I hope I'm making sense!

 

[J.Victoria]

Although £5000 a year does seem a little excessive!

 

[Miss Hair]

Hi, i have been told by 2 colleges, this information.
If you dont already hold a level 2 qualification or equivilant which is 5 gcse's then you can get the course for free whatever age you are. They have both told me that this is possible for this year but cannot guaratee it for the next year. If i did have to pay the one college charges £1500 a year plus kit and uniform costs which are roughly £200 and the other charges £395 plus the £200 for kit and uniform.
Another college which is 30 minutes away from me is Birmingham College which is right in the city centre and they charge £1350.
£5000 sounds alot but if it is a private college then this might be correct because i have heard of some private courses costing £9000 and upwards.
HTH