Every UK school leaver (even if you dropped out of school) is entitled to a free college place, but entry to certain college depends on your GCSE results.
If you sat your GCSEs and gained 5 A-Cs in the core subjects (including Bs in the subjects you want to study at A-Level), generally you can access most college course (course such as Art may require you to have a portfolio of work)
If you left with no GCSE due to, as an example an illness you can access a college course to re-sit your GCSE exams – but only certain college offer GCSE re-sits.
In some colleges if you completed some but not all your GCSE examinations, you may be able to sit your A-Levels and complete a GCSE course alongside it. In most circumstances the college will ask you to complete an assessment to check your academic level.
I Dropped Out of School with NO GCSEs
If you didn’t sit any GCSE’s or if you didn’t gain 5 GCSEs A-C, you can still apply for and attend college. Depending on your GCSE results, depends on the course level you can attend.
Generally speaking, but this various on the college if you have 2 x C/D GCSE grades you can start a level 2 course, 4 x E/F’s GCSEs means you can start a level 1 course and if you have no GCSEs you can apply for the various “entry” course available at most colleges.
You are entitled to a FREE education
But all school leaver age students are entitled to a free education if you are 18 yrs old or under. For university courses a student loan is available.
This means everyone will have to be in some form of education until they are 18 yrs old, for many this may well be college but for others, this could be an apprenticeship.
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