https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan
Have you have found a Qualifi course at L3 to L6 that you’d like to study; you may be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan in order to cover the cost.
You can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help with the costs of a course at a college or training provider in England.
How to apply
- Check with your college or training provider that the course qualifies.
- Ask them 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. You can apply by post if you can’t apply online.
- You’ll get a letter confirming your loan – usually within 2 weeks if you apply online (postal applications take longer).
Eligibility
Whether you qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan depends on your:
- course
- college or training provider
- age
- nationality or residency status
You must be 19 or older on the first day of your course.
Your course must be:
- a Level3,4,5,6Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 (Visit Qualifi Qualifications – www.qualifi.net/qualifications/ for information regarding our ALL loanable qualifications)
- at an approved college or training provider in England
Ask your college or training provider if you don’t know if your course is eligible.
In most cases, all of the following must apply. You must:
- 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
- under humanitarian protection or a relative of someone who has been granted it
- a serving member of the UK armed forces (or their spouse or civil partner or a dependent parent living with them) not resident in the UK and your course started after 1 August 2017
Different funding is available if you want to study in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.
Repayments
You’ll have to pay your loan back when both the following apply:
- you’ve finished your course
- you earn more than £21,000* a year
* correct at the time this information was published on the Qualifi website (August 2017)
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, for example, 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, for example 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
Qualifi qualifications provide you with a cost effective means of studying Higher Level qualifications with the option of Hons Degree and Masters Top Up options; at a fraction of the price of studying 3 year full-time at a University.
For further information please visit our website – https://qualifi.net/university-pathways/