European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)

ECTS makes teaching and learning in higher education more transparent across Europe and facilitates the recognition of all studies. The system allows for the transfer of learning experiences between different institutions, greater student mobility and more flexible routes to gain degrees. It also aids curriculum design and quality assurance.

Institutions which apply ECTS publish their course catalogues on the web, including detailed descriptions of study programmes, units of learning, university regulations and student services.

Course descriptions contain ‘learning outcomes’ (i.e. what students are expected to know, understand and be able to do) and workload (i.e. the time students typically need to achieve these outcomes). Each learning outcome is expressed in terms of credits, with a student workload ranging from 1 500 to 1 800 hours for an academic year, and one credit generally corresponds to 25-30 hours of work.

A series of ECTS key documents help with credit transfer and accumulation – course catalogues, learning agreements, transcript of records and Diploma Supplements (DS).

Although ECTS can help recognition of a student’s studies between different institutions and national education systems, higher education providers are autonomous institutions. The final decisions are the responsibility of the relevant authorities: professors involved in student exchanges, university admission officers, recognition advisory centres (ENIC-NARIC), ministry officials or employers.

The European Commission has established a network of Recognition experts (ECTS/DS) and developed the ECTS and DS labels to recognise excellent application of either system.

ECTS is closely related to other efforts to modernise higher education in Europe. In particular, it has become a central tool in the Bologna Process which aims to make national systems converge.

ECTS Users Guide

The ECTS Users' Guide provides guidelines for implementation of ECTS. It also presents the ECTS key documents. The Guide is offered to assist learners, academic and administrative staff in higher education institutions as well as other interested parties. It has been updated in 2009 to take account of developments in the Bologna Process, the growing importance of lifelong learning, the formulation of qualifications frameworks and the increasing use of learning outcomes. It has been written with the help of experts from stakeholders’ associations and ECTS counsellors, and submitted for consultation to stakeholders’ associations, Member States’ experts and the Bologna Follow-up Group. The European Commission has coordinated the drafting and consultation process and is responsible for the final wording of the Guide.

Translations:
(DISCLAIMER - translations provided by national agencies, in case of contest only the English version is the valid version)

Hard copies of the ECTS Users Guide can be ordered at the EU Bookshop.

The basic principles of ECTS are summarised in the ECTS Key Features .

Standard forms of the ECTS Users' Guide

• Erasmus Student Application Form (word format)
  

• Erasmus Learning Agreement (word format)
  

• Erasmus Training Agreement (word format)
  

Erasmus Transcript of Records (word format)

What Is an FHA Mortgage Loan?

An FHA Loan is a mortgage loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The FHA does not provide the loan; rather, it insures the loan for the lender. If the borrower defaults, the lender can seek recourse from the FHA. This lowers the lender's risk and makes them more likely to issue a loan.

The FHA was formed in 1934, and joined the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1965. The organization has insured more than 33 million home mortgages since its inception. Today it continues to help low- and middle-income families move into their dream homes, by making it easier to obtain mortgages. More than 800,000 current homeowners have mortgages insured by the FHA.

One of the benefits of an FHA-insured loan is low mortgage rates. For single-family homes, down payments can be as low as 3 percent, making it possible to afford a higher-priced home than with a more conventional 10 or 15 percent mortgage. The FHA can also help home buyers finance their closing costs, and even offers mortgage insurance.

In addition, the FHA does not allow lenders to charge more than one percent for origination fees (what lenders charge for putting together loan documentation), and has no prepayment penalties, meaning that if you pay off the loan ahead of schedule, you won't be penalized. As with other mortgages, the lender may ask you to pay points, which generally equals one percent of the total cost of the home.

As is customary with most loans, you'll need to qualify for an FHA loan by meeting specific requirements, including:

• A good credit record;
• Enough money for a down payment, which can be as low as 3 percent;
• Total housing costs that are no more than 29 percent of your gross monthly income. Therefore, if your annual household income is $60,000, your housing costs, including principal, interest, property tax, and insurance, should not exceed $17,400, or $1,450 per month.

To obtain an FHA-insured loan, you need to find FHA-approved lenders and compare their loan offerings. Inquire about the income qualifications, which will vary by area. Also keep in mind that the maximum amount you can receive from FHA-insured mortgages varies from county to county, and from state to state. These mortgages are also subject to periodic improved adjustment, and that may be offered only in areas where residential real estate prices are high.

For more information, visit the FHA Mortgage Limits page of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Web site.

Planning Out Bad Credit Auto Loans

Most solitarys who tolerate an car mortgage or some else borrow for that thing do the miscue of plunging directly against the mortgage method. They don’t formulate it well decent plus further the end might be late or lapsed compensations, eminent behalf proportions or tall processing emoluments. It might bout away to be a many additional splendid stipulate than what they had hoped for. Thus it’s too fundamental that you cogitate gadgets absent. For specials along a naughty believe account, it’s earlier a difficult boulevard attempting to confidential a automobile or a estate. Yet deficiency of rectify planning can mold things worse. Of cycle you endow spot sorry trust vehicle advances that they can advantage of. Yet former earlier extra, planning is the essential. So how does 1 go about planning already applying for a evil believe car borrow

Review Your Credit Score

Yes, you know it extremely well that you’ve defaulted on a couple of payments within the past and that your credit score is nothing worth boasting about. But yet we suggest that you review it once once more before you apply for a loan. There may be errors within the information which you never noticed earlier. Even a slight improvement within the score can assist you a lengthy way in securing some great interest rates. It can even decrease the quantity that you’ve to pay as down payment. The review procedure is pretty simple. All that you’ve to do is secure a copy of your credit history from 1 of the 3 nationwide credit bureaus.

Work Up and Produce Some Credit Worthiness

A minimum of six months prior to applying for the loan, make all your payments on time. This will produce a healthy pattern on your credit score. It’ll also produce an impression within the eyes of the lenders that you’re turning credit worthy and that the bad credit history may be a factor of the past. Once once more, this will assist you secure much better interest rates and also fewer of your loan applications will probably be rejected.

Get Multiple Quotes

The initial lender that you go to may provide you a deal which appears to be the best within the world. But please don’t make the mistake of signing up straight away. Understand that he wishes to sell his services and might indulge in promoting it. That’s what he is there for. You have to get the quotes from a minimum of 4 to 5 lenders so that you are able to compare the rates. You are able to also get a really feel of the various lenders. Though the rates may not differ by a large margin, the service may. You have to have great customer service for the whole duration of time that you’re going to be associated with this lender. In the event you really feel some thing fishy about a particular lender, please don’t deal with him.

How Mortgage Brokers Can Assist

Mortgage brokers have the correct tools and methods required to get the best loans correct to your doorstep. Once you present your case to these guys, they’ll hunt for the best loans and give you multiple quotes. All that you’ve to do then is choose the 1 which you really feel is best. You’ll also obtain some great suggestions and advice from the broker on the loan terms and also the lender. These guys are within the marketplace and hence know the trends. Yes, you’ve to pay them but it may be well worth the charge. Overall, it’ll be a deal that you’ll not be disappointed with.