What is a CertHE? Certificate of Higher Education, FdA and HND explained
A Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) is a Level 4 qualification worth 120 credits — the same as the first year of a bachelor’s degree. It takes one year full-time. A foundation degree (FdA or FdSc) and an HND sit one step higher at Level 5, take two years, and can usually b...
The qualification ladder in one table
Qualification | Level | Credits | Full-time length | What it is equivalent to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CertHE | Level 4 | 120 | 1 year | Year 1 of a bachelor’s degree |
HNC | Level 4 | 120 | 1 year (often part-time) | Year 1 of a bachelor’s degree |
DipHE | Level 5 | 240 | 2 years | Years 1 and 2 of a bachelor’s degree |
FdA / FdSc (foundation degree) | Level 5 | 240 | 2 years | Years 1 and 2, with a vocational focus |
HND | Level 5 | 240 | 2 years | Years 1 and 2 of a bachelor’s degree |
BA / BSc (Hons) | Level 6 | 360 | 3 years | A full honours degree |
Top-up degree | Level 6 | 120 | 1 year | The final year only, for people who already hold Level 5 |
A foundation degree is not a foundation year — the difference that costs people a year
H2: A foundation degree is not a foundation year — the difference that costs people a year
This is the single most useful section in the article, because the two names are confused constantly and the mistake is expensive.
A foundation year is Year 0: an extra year bolted onto the front of a degree for people who do not yet meet the entry requirements. You then continue into Years 1, 2 and 3, so the whole thing takes four years, and you finish with a full honours degree.
A foundation degree is a standalone Level 5 qualification. It takes two years; it is a real qualification in its own right, and if you want the full honours degree, you add a one-year top-up afterwards.
A foundation degree gets you two-thirds of the way through. UAPP lists 43 courses with a foundation year and 10 CertHE, FdA and FdSc courses, so the choice is a real one.
Which route suits each?
CertHE - you want to test whether higher education works around your job and your family before committing to three years, or you need a Level 4 qualification for a role you already do.
Foundation degree or HND - you want a vocational qualification you can work with after two years, and the option of a third year later.
Foundation year - you want the full honours degree, and you do not currently meet the entry requirements.
Top-up - you already hold an HND, FdA, DipHE or 240 credits and want the honours degree finished in one year.
What does it cost, and does student finance cover it?
Student Finance England funds all four routes the same way it funds any other higher education course, provided the course and provider are designated for funding. You apply for a tuition fee loan paid directly to the provider, and a maintenance loan paid to you.
The CertHE, FdA and HND courses you can apply to through UAPP
Course | University | Length | Home fee | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CertHE Computing Skills for the Workplace | University of Wales Trinity Saint David | 1 year | £9,535 | Westferry Circus, London E14 |
CertHE Skills for the Workplace: Health & Social Care | University of Wales Trinity Saint David | 1 year | £9,535 | Westferry Circus, London E14 |
CertHE in Business Management | London Metropolitan University (QA) | 1 year | £9,790 | Holloway Road, London N7 |
FdA Business and Management | University of Sunderland in London | 2 years | £9,535 | Harbour Exchange Square, E14 |
FdA Business and Management Level 5 (Year 2) | University of Sunderland in London | 1 year | £9,535 | Harbour Exchange Square, E14 |
FdSc Business Management | Solent University (QA) | 2 years | £9,535 | London |
FdA Business and Innovation | Arden University | 2 years | £9,525 | Eight study centres incl. Holborn |
Turning a Level 5 qualification into a full degree
Short section, three sentences, then a link out to the top-up hub. Name three real routes: Arden’s BSc (Hons) Computing (Top-Up), the University of Sunderland in London BA (Hons) Accounting and Financial Management Top-Up, and Bloomsbury Institute’s BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance: Top-Up.
How to apply
Four sentences: check eligibility, pick the level that fits your time and money, apply directly through UAPP without a UCAS form, and get help free of charge. End on the consultation CTA.
A CertHE is a Level 4 qualification worth 120 credits, which is the same as the first year of a bachelor’s degree. Unlike a foundation year, it is a qualification in its own right — if you stop after it, you still hold something. Most students who continue carry those credits into Year 2 of a related degree.
No. It sits below degree level, at Level 4 on the same framework that places a bachelor’s degree at Level 6. It is still a recognised higher education qualification, and it is funded in the same way as a degree.
Both are Level 5, both are worth 240 credits and both take two years full-time. The practical difference is who awards them: HNDs are Pearson qualifications delivered by colleges and universities, while a foundation degree is awarded by the university itself. Employers generally treat them as equivalent, and both can be topped up to a full honours degree in one further year.
A foundation year is an extra year at the start of a degree — Year 0 — for applicants who do not yet meet the entry requirements. You continue straight into Years 1 to 3 and finish with a full honours degree after four years. A foundation degree is a standalone two-year Level 5 qualification that you can use on its own or top up with a third year.
Yes. Designated Level 4 and Level 5 courses at designated providers are funded on the same basis as a degree: a tuition fee loan paid to the provider and a means-tested maintenance loan paid to you
Often, yes. Several of the Level 4 and Level 5 courses in the UAPP catalogue are designed for people already in work, and Arden University delivers through study centres and online rather than requiring daily campus attendance. Attendance patterns differ by course, so check the course page or ask an adviser before committing.
One year of full-time study on a top-up course, if you hold 240 credits in a related subject. UAPP lists fifteen one-year top-up routes, mostly in business, accounting, computing and health and care management.
Usually yes, into Year 2 of a related degree, but credit transfer is decided case by case and depends on the subject match as well as the credit total. [DATA] Collect the credit-transfer position from each partner university before answering this with specifics.
