Aged 19-23 and already have a Level 3 qualification?
Aged 24 or over and thinking about a Level 3 or Level 4 course?
This loan help you to pay the tuition fees charged by the College. It’s easy to apply, your household income isn’t taken into account and there’s no credit check. You won’t have to pay anything back until your income is over £25,000 a year and repayments do not start until the April of the year following the course end. If your loan is for an Access Course and you progress to complete a Higher Education programme (and you earn under £25,000 during your degree) you will not have to pay back your FE Loan – it is written off! However, if you earn more than £25,000 you will need to start making repayment and only the balance is written off.
- To qualify you must be:
- Aged 19-23 and already have a Level 3 qualification
- Aged 24 or over on the first day of your course (there is no upper age limit)
- Living in the UK on the first day of your course and have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years immediately before this
- Enrolling on an eligible course at Level 3 or Level 4 which includes; A Levels, Access to HE Diplomas, other Diplomas and Certificates, Advanced Apprenticeships or Higher Apprenticeships
You will not have to make any repayments until your income is over £25,000 a year. In addition, students who progress from an Access to Higher Education Diploma course to complete a Higher Education Degree can have their outstanding 19+ Advanced Learning Loan for the Access course written off.
Applying:
apply online or download an application form
To apply you will need to be issued a Learning and Funding letter by Admissions, this is normally issued prior to your enrolment
Making the right choice
It’s important you consider your own circumstances and look into all the options for paying your course before choosing to take out a loan. You can get independent financial advice from the Money Advice Service at:
See the Government website for more details
- How repayment are calculated
Take away £27,295 from your annual salary before tax.
Work out 9% of the remainder
Divide that figure by 12
Round down to the nearest pound
- Example
For example, if you were earning £28,295
£28,295 - £27,295 = £1,000
9% of £1,000 is £90
£90 divided by 12 is £7.50
So rounded down your monthly repayment would be £7
- Interest
The interest rate on your advanced learner loan will vary and depend on the UK Retail Price Index. The rate is calculated at RPI plus 3%.
