Funding

 ADVANCED LEARNER LOAN

You can apply for a  19+ Advanced Learning Loan to help with the costs of a college or training course.
The course must have started on or after 1 August 2016 and be eligible – ie a Level  3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification, eg A Levels or graduate certificate

You pay back your loan (plus interest) when you finish your course and earn more than £21,000 a year. Your repayments will stop if your income drops below £21,000 a year.

Your annual repayment amount will be 9% of any income you earn over £21,000.

The loan doesn’t depend on your income and there are no credit checks. You can get independent money advice from the Money Advice Service.

Note: There is funding available for all Level 2 courses

How much you get depends on:

• the type of course
• your course fees
• the maximum loan available for your course

The minimum loan you can get is £300 and is paid directly to your college or training provider.

You may also be eligible for money from the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund if you need help with some costs while studying, eg childcare, travel or trips related to your course.

You can get help and money advice from the Money Advice Service.

Bursary Fund

You may apply to get money from the Loan Bursary Fund after you’ve received a letter approving your Advanced Learner Loan.

The money can help pay for things like:

• accommodation and travel
• course materials and equipment
• childcare
• classroom assistance for a disability or learning difficulty – once you’re assessed by your college or training provider

How to apply

Apply to your college or training provider – each one has its own application process. How much you get depends on the provider’s scheme and your circumstances.

Speak to student services if you need support with your application.

How the money is paid

Your college or training provider decides how the money is paid. You’ll normally be paid direct. You might be able to arrange for the money to be paid to someone else instead, eg your landlord or childcare provider.

In some situations fund money must be paid back. This is generally if you’re a student experiencing a temporary financial difficulty and need a loan, eg for help with your mortgage or rent.

Eligibility

You can apply even if you get other types of funding, eg:

• Professional and Career Development Loans
• Disability Living Allowance

You can’t apply if you’re:

• getting student finance for higher education
• on an apprenticeship training scheme
• on a Community Learning course

Appeal a decision

Contact your college or training provider to appeal a decision from the Loan Bursary Fund.

Eligibility Criteria

Whether you qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan depends on your:

• course
• college or training provider
• age
• nationality or residency status

If your course starts before 1 August 2016

You must be 24 or older on the first day of your course.

Your course must be:

• a Level 3 or 4 qualification, eg A Levels
• at an approved college or training provider in England

If your course starts on or after 1 August 2016

You must be 19 or older on the first day of your course.

Your course must be:

• a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification, eg A Levels or graduate certificate
• at an approved college or training provider in England

Your nationality or residency status

You must usually:

• be living in the UK on the first day of your course
• have been living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years before starting your course
• be a UK national or have ‘settled status’ (this means there are no restrictions on how long you can stay)

You may also qualify if you’re:

• a UK national, or someone with settled status, but you live somewhere else in the European Economic Area (EEA)
• an EU national or a family member of one
• not a UK national but you’ve lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)
• a refugee
• a migrant worker
• the child of a Swiss national
• the child of a Turkish worker

How to apply

Check with us to ensure that the course qualifies.
Ask for a ‘Learning and funding information’ letter – you need this to complete the application. It contains the details about your course.
Apply online – you’ll need to register first. If you can’t apply online you can download the forms below.
You’ll get a letter confirming your loan – usually within 2 weeks if you apply online (postal applications take longer).

What you need to know
You can’t apply until you get a ‘Learning and funding information’ letter from your college or training provider.

You can apply for a loan without a National Insurance number but you must have one before the loan can be paid.

Application forms

If you can’t apply online, apply by post – the address is on the form.

Proof of identity
Include your UK passport details in your application as proof of identity. If you forget, use the ‘UK passport details form’. If you don’t have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your birth or adoption certificate using the ‘Birth or adoption certificate form’.

Supporting information
Use the ‘Evidence return form’ if you need to send extra information to support your application (eg proof of residency status).

Change an application

Once your application has been approved you can log in to your account to make a change online.

If you just want to change your loan amount you can use the loan request form instead.

You pay back your loan (plus interest) when you finish your course and earn more than £21,000 a year. Your repayments will stop if your income drops below £21,000 a year.
Your monthly repayment amount will be 9% of any income you earn over £21,000.
Example
Your repayments would be:
£7 a month – if you earned £22,000 a year
£30 a month – if you earned £25,000 a year
You can get independent money advice from the Money Advice Service.

Interest
You pay interest from the time your first payment is made until you pay your loan back in full.
Income                                                                                                                 Interest rate
While you’re studying and until the April after you leave the course     Rate of inflation (Retail Price Index) plus 3%
£21,000 or less                                                                                                   Rate of inflation
£21,000 to £41,000                                                                                           Rate of inflation plus up to 3%
£41,000 and over                                                                                               Rate of inflation plus 3%

How the money is paid

Your college or training provider decides how the money is paid. You’ll normally be paid direct. You might be able to arrange for the money to be paid to someone else instead, eg your landlord or childcare provider.
In some situations fund money must be paid back. This is generally if you’re a student experiencing a temporary financial difficulty and need a loan – eg for a train season ticket, field trip or rental deposit.

Leave or change your course
You’ll have to pay back any money that’s been paid to your college or training provider (plus interest) if you leave or change your course after 2 weeks or more.

The interest rate will be the rate of inflation.

Speak to your college or training provider to see if they can transfer the loan to another course.

Appeal a decision
Contact your college or training provider to appeal a decision from the Loan Bursary Fund.