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Your support makes all the difference.History: Charles Keen College and Southfields College merged in 1999 to form Leicester College.
Address: The college is spread over three campuses: Freemen’s Park, Abbey Park and St Margaret’s, all of which are within 1.5 miles of the city centre.
Ambience: Big and bustling: one of the ten largest colleges in the country. This mdoern, culturally diverse city has a lot to offer – High Cross shopping centre opened in Leicester in 2009 and the 700-year-old market is the largest indoor market in Europe.
Who's the boss? The principal is Maggie Galliers who joined in 2002 from Henley College, Coventry and won an CBE for services to further education last year.
Prospectus: 0116 224 2240, check out the courses here and follow @LeicesterColl.
UCAS code: L36
What you need to know
Easy to get into? Entry requirements are dependant on the course and the level at which it is being studied; UCAS points are not usually a big issue, so consult the course guidelines.
Foundation Degrees: Artistic make-up and special effects; footwear; fashion costume; video with photography; children, families and community; creatuve sound technology; performance; photography and video; graphics and emedia; sports coaching; children, families and community health.
Vital statistics: More than 28,000 students, of whom around 20,000 are part-time and 700 on higher education courses. The college offers the usual smorgasbord from basic skills, apprenticeships, vocational qualifications as well as university-level qualifications.
Added value: Leicester College is an associate college of De Montfort University and part of Leicester University's college and university liaison network. Its state-of-the-art campuses provide industry-standard training facilities, many of which offer quality services to the general public at reduced prices, including a hair and beauty salon and a five-star fine dining restaurant, Taste. The college holds the Matrix quality standard for information, advice and guidance services for employer engagement, the Investors in People award and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) Leading the Learner Voice Award for community and social cohesion.
Teaching: In 2012, Ofsted found the college outstanding at meeting the needs of learners, employers and the wider community. The college also holds two Beacon awards.
Any accommodation? None offered by the college, but some private agencies do offer accommodation in halls of residence at roughly £75 to £130 per week for self-catering.
Cheap to live there? Quite reasonable - a room in a shared house will only cost between £50 and £80 per week.
Transport links: The four main campuses are well-served by local transport services. Leicester is just 100 miles north of London, with good road and rail links.
Fees: £6,000 per year for full-time undergrads starting in September 2013.
Bursaries: The college will offer some funding through the National Scholarship Programme in 2013.
The fun stuff
Nightlife: With so many students in town there is a wide choice of drinking establishments, from cellar bars to dance clubs. The more sober scholar can discuss their studies or just gossip in the local cafés and eateries. The best food on offer has to be Indian, from classic chicken tikka to the enormous range of vegetarian specialities.
Sporting reputation: Plenty of opportunities to join sports group, with College Sport Week aimed at encouraging more students to get involved.
Glittering alumni: Aaron Patterson, Michelin starred chef at Hambleton Hall; Jane Stidever, Paralympic swimming gold medallist; Gok Wan, celebrity stylist.
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