Please note, these prices are for the current academic year and may be subject to change for our courses starting in future years.
Many of our students are eligible for financial support when studying at college, please see Fees and funding for more information.
Age 16-18
FREE (If meet residency criteria and not enrolled at another educational institution).
If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course will be FREE. Some courses will have other costs associated, such as for materials and trips.
Age 19+
If you are aged 19 or older on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course could be free dependant on the level of the course and your eligibility criteria. The rules regarding fee reduction are complicated, we would encourage you to contact our Advice, Support and Careers Team on 0191 375 4400, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or connect on live chat (bottom right of your screen).
Student Finance
If you are aged 19 or over and not eligible to get your course free, you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan from the Student Loans Company to help towards the cost of some, or all, of your fees. If the amount of Advanced Learner Loan available to you is less than the Advanced Learner Loan Fee for your course, you would need to pay the difference. See our Funding Your Study page for more information or visit the Student Loans Company website to find out more.
Please note, these prices are for the current academic year and may be subject to change for our courses starting in future years.
Many of our students are eligible for financial support when studying at college, please see Fees and funding for more information.
Age 16-18
FREE (If meet residency criteria and not enrolled at another educational institution).
If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course will be FREE. Some courses will have other costs associated, such as for materials and trips.
Age 19+
If you are aged 19 or older on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course could be free dependant on the level of the course and your eligibility criteria. The rules regarding fee reduction are complicated, we would encourage you to contact our Advice, Support and Careers Team on 0191 375 4400, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or connect on live chat (bottom right of your screen).
Student Finance
If you are aged 19 or over and not eligible to get your course free, you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan from the Student Loans Company to help towards the cost of some, or all, of your fees. If the amount of Advanced Learner Loan available to you is less than the Advanced Learner Loan Fee for your course, you would need to pay the difference. See our Funding Your Study page for more information or visit the Student Loans Company website to find out more.
Please note, these prices are for the current academic year and may be subject to change for our courses starting in future years.
Many of our students are eligible for financial support when studying at college, please see Fees and funding for more information.
Age 16-18
FREE (If meet residency criteria and not enrolled at another educational institution).
If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course will be FREE. Some courses will have other costs associated, such as for materials and trips.
Age 19+
If you are aged 19 or older on 31 August in the year you begin your course, not enrolled at another educational institution and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years, your course could be free dependant on the level of the course and your eligibility criteria. The rules regarding fee reduction are complicated, we would encourage you to contact our Advice, Support and Careers Team on 0191 375 4400, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or connect on live chat (bottom right of your screen).
Student Finance
If you are aged 19 or over and not eligible to get your course free, you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan from the Student Loans Company to help towards the cost of some, or all, of your fees. If the amount of Advanced Learner Loan available to you is less than the Advanced Learner Loan Fee for your course, you would need to pay the difference. See our Funding Your Study page for more information or visit the Student Loans Company website to find out more.
This course is aimed for people aged 19 years or over.
This Access to Higher Education Health Diploma is widely recognised by universities and colleges, throughout the country, as an entry qualification for degrees and many professional courses. If you do not have the formal qualifications required for degree level study then this course can help you reach your goals.
The Access to Higher Education Health pathway provides the entry criteria for a variety of health related higher education qualifications including nursing, midwifery and paramedic science.
Entry Criteria
Ideally, you will hold GCSE qualifications, or Level 2 equivalent, in English and maths. You must hold one of these qualifications before starting the Access to HE diploma.
There is the option to study English or maths alongside the Access Diploma throughout the week – this requires a separate application.
What are the next steps?
You will be invited to meet the tutor. Please bring evidence of your relevant qualifications, including GCSE Maths, Science and English.
Study Aims
This course aims to provide you with the skills and entry qualifications needed to confidently, competently and successfully progress to study Higher Education.
Modules Studied
The course consists of graded and ungraded Diploma units.
These include ungraded study skills units to ease you back into education and graded units including health studies, science and psychology.
Times of Delivery
2 days a week/10 hours. Any times indicated are based on current courses and may be subject to change in future years. Full timetables will be confirmed prior to the start of the course. If maths or English qualifications are needed, these will be timetabled separately.
Any times indicated are based on current courses and may be subject to change in future years. Full timetables will be confirmed at the start of each course.
Teaching and Assessment
You will study a total of 60 credits on the programme, taught in class and assessed using a variety of assessment types, including essays, reports and exams.
Maths and English
See entry requirements.
What else?
We always receive excellent external moderation reports praising the quality of our Access to HE programme. Additionally national statistics show that students who study with us are twice as likely to receive distinction grades in Access to HE which puts them in an excellent position to gain a place on a higher education degree.
Recent graduates of our Access course have progressed to over 40 different degree programmes at 15 different universities. 92% of our students gain their first choice degree programme.
You could progress to a higher education qualification, such as a foundation degree or an honours degree, in health and social care, podiatry or social work at New College Durham, or you could progress to another health related degree at university, such as nursing, midwifery and paramedic science.
Good or Outstanding in all areas
Related Access to HE Courses at New College Durham
If you want to ask a question about a specific course or subject area, you can use our course explorer to find the course and use the Ask a Question button.
