Hertford Regional College

Age: 18

History: Hertford Regional College is one of the largest further education colleges in Hertfordshire. Based over two sites in Broxbourne and Ware, the college was formed from the merger of Ware College and East Herts College in the early 1990s. Since then it has grown in size, currently employing 900 staff, and also in reputation. It offers a wide range of full and part-time courses and training services for businesses.

Address: Two sites: one in Broxbourne; one seven miles away in Ware, near Hertford.

Ambience: A fairly rural college but close to London - Ware in particular is a quiet town with some shops and pubs. Parts of the college are picturesquely old. Broxbourne is larger with a big shopping centre nearby, but the college itself is in classic Sixties purpose-built style.

Vital statistics: Around 12,000 students enrol each year, with around 400 students studying at degree level. Higher education courses are offered in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Greenwich.

Added value: Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in children's care, learning and development: the only childcare CoVE in Hertfordshire. Ware, in particular, has access to good sporting facilities in Wodson Park, open to staff and students.

Easy to get into? Not bad. You'll need 120 UCAS points for a foundation degree.

Glittering alumni: None as yet.

Transport links: Both centres are easily accessible by road, bus and rail. The Broxbourne Centre is a 10 minute bus journey from Broxbourne station on the London-Cambridge line. The Ware Centre is a 5 minute walk from Ware station on the London-Herford East line. Both of these lines go into London.

Who's the boss? Andy Forbes, principal.

Teaching: 2009's Ofsted report graded the college as satisfactory, with good areas in health, social care, and chidcare, and hairdressing and beauty therapy. No areas were deemed unsatisfactory, an improvement on two in 2004 and five in 2002.

Foundation Degrees: Include Art and Design, Visual Merchandising; Business; Early years; Playwork; Information technology, Computing and Public Services (Uniformed).

Extended degrees: 3D design, business, community playwork practice and extended provision, early years, fine art practice, graphic design, IT and business, IT for multimedia, and visual merchandising.

Nightlife: Ware students tend to venture into Hertford for their weekend frolics, which is three miles away and considerably livelier. Broxbourne has plenty of pubs, but most head to London at weekends.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college.

Cheap to live there? Can be anywhere between £70 and £100 per week for a room in a shared flat.

Fees: Maximum £3,375 per year for full-time degree students starting in 2011. The college's proposed fee for foundation degrees from 2012 is £5,800 per year.

Bursaries: The non-means tested College Consortium Award of £1,000 per year is available to all full-time degree students.

Prospectus: 01992 411 411; www.hrc.ac.uk

UCAS code: H36