Existing Students

LASER is the organisation which guarantees the quality and standards of the Access to Higher Education Diploma offered by the centre at which you are studying. We also issue the final certificates at the end of your course. Additionally, we support Access to HE across all of our approved centres by working with tutors in colleges and admissions staff in universities as well as holding events and conferences.

Find out direct from a former student by reading the Anna Morgan Case Study

LASER are proud to be working with Higher Education institutions to develop progression agreements, enabling students to confidently apply to universities. We currently have confirmed agreements with Goldsmiths, University of London, the LIBF and the University of Winchester. Details of these agreements are available to download below, and we are working on developing further agreements across the South East.

• LASER-Goldsmiths University of London Progression Agreement

• LASER-Winchester Progression Agreement

• LASER-LIBF Progression Agreement

Access to HE Diplomas are recognised within the UCAS Tariff, with points allocated based on your grade profile. View the full UCAS Tariff table.

This guide has been developed by LASER to support Access to HE students in writing essays, reports and other pieces of academic work. It introduces the Harvard and MHRA referencing systems and links to useful web resources. While your Access to HE Diploma course may not require you to use either of these systems, familiarity will be beneficial for your future university studies Follow this link to download the LASER Guide to Referencing or download the summary guide here.

At the end of each year, we run an Access to HE prize scheme for students studying on LASER validated Access to HE courses. We invite each college to nominate a student in each of the categories of Outstanding Academic Achievement and Outstanding Commitment to Study. Winners and runners up receive a monetary prize. The winners in each category are then entered for a national Access to HE prize scheme where the winners receive a further monetary prize and have their prizes awarded at a national event. Ask your tutor for more information.

There is a charge for replacement certificates.* Email accessenquiries@laser-awards.org.uk with your name, Access to HE Diploma title, centre studied at, and dates of study, we will check to ensure we hold your records and send you all the details and the re-issue form, which you will need to complete and return along with the fee and proof of identity via email: accessenquiries@laser-awards.org.uk or post to Laser Learning Awards, The Innovation Centre, University Road, Canterbury, CT2 7FG

*there is an additional fee for overseas postage

Please note: Whilst Access to HE has been offered in a variety of forms from the 1970s, the first formal specification was introduced by QAA in 2003, prior to this results data was not centralised and Access to HE was delivered locally by colleges in collaboration with local universities and Access to HE consortiums. No centralised records were held and all records were kept at a local level. The requirement was for records to be kept for a maximum of 7 years and all returns were completely paper-based until around 2006. 

While LASER ensures the academic standards on your Access to Higher Education Diploma course, the organisation providing your course should be your first point of contact where you have any concerns. 

The process for managing your concerns varies dependent on whether you wish to make a complaint about some aspect of provision (for example the quality of teaching or pastoral support at your provider), make us aware of an issue which does not directly impact upon you but may impact others (whistleblowing), undertake an appeal in relation to either an administrative or procedural error which has impacted upon your study, or to challenge a grade or grades that you have been awarded (which is known as a student representation).

You can use the LASER document: A Quick Guide to Understanding Complaints, Whistleblowing, Appeals and Representations, to navigate the different types of concerns and to help you understand which policies and procedures apply in the case of your individual concerns.  The document includes links to relevant policies and documents to support you in registering your concerns.

If you are in any doubt as to which procedure applies, please do contact LASER for advice and guidance accessenquiries@laser-awards.org.uk

All concerns about the outcome or conduct of your Access to HE course should be registered with LASER no later than one month following the Final Awards Board (for standard academic year provision this would be no later than the 31 August of your current academic year) but you are advised to start this process as soon as possible after receiving your results.

• Access to Higher Education website

• QAA Access to HE pages for Students: dedicated pages for Access to HE from the external regulator

• UCAS (University & Colleges Admissions Service): the organisation which processes university applications

• The Student Room: a free web forum with lots of links to resources

• Advanced Learner Loans: the official government website with full details.

• Directgov – Student Finance: A good starting point for information on funding higher education and Access to HE Courses