Bridging the Gap: The Portability of Scottish HN qualifications

A paper from the HEA Annual Conference 2006.

The aim of this paper is to explore the issues of wider participation and students progression within an education environment based on demarcation not only between FE and HE but also within HE between the "ancient" "traditional" universities the 1960s "plate glass" universities and the "new" post 1992 universities. Particular attention is given to the student progression process of Higher National Diplomats as they trade their accumulated credit transfers (SCOTCATS) along the pathways of the education hierarchy seeking recognition and therefore access to their chosen careers and aspirations.