“First, click on ‘Start Test ’, then read the passage below. Select or write your answers on the right side corresponding to the questions. If you find any issue, please contact us.”
STUDENT CLUBS AND SOCIETIES
Desperate to find friends with common interests? Urgently in need of student contacts around college? Looking for different cultural and religious experiences? Wanting some good discussion? Don’t look any further! JOIN A CLUB OR SOCIETY AND HAVE FUN!
A. This club was first started by a group of friends who enjoyed going to the cinema. When our trips became more frequent we realised that there must be others who also shared our love of movies. This club is for those people. Membership gives wide access to other activities like basketball and football as well as barbeques and other social functions. We don’t just enjoy movies.
B. The association has many opportunities to debate and we are a non-political unbiased international organisation which aims to promote international awareness on campus. We establish links and access to the organisation’s agencies and other internationalist organisations and their resources. Our plans this year include discussion groups, guest speakers and to build a model of the UN General Assembly.
C. Whether for fun or debating experience, we discuss everything from personal experience, future society or feminism. This year we plan an internal competition, weekly debates and beginners’ lessons as well as chances to compete nationally. Whether it be to improve your verbal or social skills the society provides both!
D. Want to be a movie star? Then go somewhere else! On the other hand, want to work really hard for great rewards? Then come and join the club where the interesting theatre is created. We usually put on three productions each year. So if you like to write, paint, act, direct or do anything in the theatre, come and put your name down with us.
If you are interested in joining any of these clubs, you can leave a message for the President at the CAS Office in the Student Union Building. And don’t forget the CAS Ball is an annual event! This year it’s being held on 22 December!
It is possible for some students in Higher Education in Britain to borrow money through a government scheme. These loans are called ‘student loans’ and are described in the passage.
STUDENT LOANS
The Government has been funding a loans scheme for students in Higher Education since September 1990.
These loans are available as a ‘top up’ to the standard grant. Although the loan is intended to supplement the grant for living costs, eligibility for a student loan is not restricted to those who receive a maintenance grant. The decision whether or not to take the loan is yours.
Eligibility You are eligible for a student loan if you are a UK resident and are attending a full-time Higher Education course, below postgraduate level, or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education course, provided you start your course before your 50th birthday. Full-time courses last at least one academic year and include sandwich courses which combine time at college with time spent in a workplace.
Eligible courses are offered by colleges, universities, the Scottish grant-aided colleges and other publicly funded institutions providing Higher Education courses. In general, eligible courses include first-degree courses or their equivalents and any other courses for which your Local Authority will pay your tuition fees.
Your financial circumstances Students who want loans are not ‘means tested’ or ‘credit vetted’ – all those eligible will obtain a loan. This means that: • The amount of your maintenance grant or tuition fees does not matter. • Other income, if any, is not taken into account. • Any previous student loans are not taken into account. • The income of your parents, spouse, partner or other relatives is not taken into account. • Your previous financial record is not a consideration.
When to apply for a loan If you would like more information on how to apply for a student loan in readiness for your entry to Higher Education in Autumn 2003, then you should contact The Student Loans Company from June 2003 onwards. Once in Higher Education, you can apply for a loan at any time in the academic year.
