Adult Learners (19+) Fee Information
Are you aged 19 or over and interested in further study?
If the answer is yes, then you will need to know about fees and the options that there are out there.
The decision to take on further study as an adult can be a big one, the benefits of further study are huge, with opportunities to have a change of career, improve your job prospects, maybe increase your earning capacity, learn new skills, build up your CV, as well as develop employability and social skills. When making decisions about what and where to study, you will need to know about any costs there might be, how to pay, and any support that may be available.
Do I have to pay a fee?
Maybe not! Fee exemptions are available, for some students, on all courses which show this symbol:
The fact is that funding is complicated and it depends on a number of things: your age; the programme that you want to study; the qualifications that you already have and in some cases your income or benefit entitlements.
At Colchester Institute we have staff in the Student Finance team who can talk to you individually about your options and signpost you to further information. In general terms the following might be helpful to get you started:
Your programme will be free if you and the course, fall into one of the categories below.
If these do not apply, you may need to pay a fee, and the fee will be shown with the course information, but for some Level 3 programmes, you can apply for a loan to cover all of your tuition fees.
GCSE or Functional Skills English and Maths:
Aged 19+ | Students aged 19+ enrolling on either a GCSE or Functional Skills course in English or Maths do not have to pay tuition fees if you do not already have a GCSE grade 4 or above (A* – C) in that area. |
Level 1 digital skills:
Aged 19+ | Students aged 19+ enrolling on an essential digital skills qualification up to and including level 1 |
Level 2 courses:
Aged 19 – 23 | Enrolling on eligible full level 2 courses and if you do not already have a qualification at this level. (In some cases, if you need to enrol on a lower level to be able to progress to Level 2 you may also be eligible for free training). |
Aged 19+ | If you have already achieved a level 2 qualification and wish to undertake another in a different subject, provided you can evidence that your annual gross income is below £25,000. You will need to provide evidence of gross annual income in these circumstances. This could be a wage slip or a benefit statement within 3 months of your learning start date, or a current employment contract which states gross monthly/annual wages. |
Aged 19+, and enrolling on a course up to and including level 2:- | If you are unemployed, employed, or self-employed and your annual gross income is below £25,000. You will need to provide evidence of gross annual income in these circumstances. This could be a wage slip or a benefit statement within 3 months of your learning start date, or a current employment contract which states gross monthly/annual wages. |
Level 3 courses:
| Age 19-23 | If you are enrolling on an eligible full level 3 course and you do not already have a qualification at this level. (In some cases, if you need to enrol on a lower level to be able to progress to Level 3 you may also be eligible for free training). |
| Age 19+ | If you are enrolling onto a course that falls under the Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs (NSF) offer, provided you can evidence that your annual gross income is below £25,000. |
Support Available to help you pay Fees
Advanced Learner Loans are available on courses showing this symbol
If you are aged 19 or over and planning to study a course at Levels 3 to 6, then you are likely to qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan to pay your tuition fees.
Loans are from the UK government, it is easy to apply, your household income is not taken into account and there is no credit check. You don’t have to start paying it back until you’ve finished your course and you are earning over £27,295 a year.
An Advanced Learner Loan can only be used to pay for tuition fees, however some programmes also have additional charges for equipment, books, trips and so on that you may need to pay for. Some students who take out an Advanced Learner Loan may be able to get support through college bursary funds to assist with these additional costs and other costs such as childcare or Additional Learning Support, please ask a member of the Student Finance team for more information.
Additional information on Advanced Learner Loans is also available at the Government website.
Higher Education Student Loans
For HNCs, HNDs and Degrees, tuition fees are payable regardless of a student’s age or circumstances. Again, most students, regardless of age, will qualify for a student loan. For more information visit The Student Loans Company and University Centre Colchester
Paying by Instalments
This option is available for fees that you are paying yourself above £200. You will need to pay at least 40% of the total fee when you enrol (or £500, whichever is the lower). A monthly payment plan will then be setup for you to pay the remainder. All fees need to be paid in full within six months of the start of the course. Please contact our Registry department on 01206 712555 for further details.
For enquiries and Further Information
Please feel free to contact one of the Student Finance Team who will be happy to help you, please contact Student Services in either Colchester or Braintree campuses. Alternatively please phone:
- Colchester Campus: (01206) 712435
- Braintree Campus: (01206) 814194
Note: This information is for guidance purposes only and is subject to change
Available to Further Education Students only
19+ Learner Loan Overview
If you are aged 19 or over and are thinking about further education, you may be eligible for a Advanced Learner Loan, for help with your tuition fees.
Applicants must be studying further education at level 3 to level 6.
Most learners that fall into this bracket will be eligible, it doesn’t depend on your household income and there’s no credit check!
Am I eligible?
To qualify for this loan you must be:
- 19 years old or over on the first day of your course (there’s 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
- Taking an eligible course that’s level 3 to level 6
What can I get?
The Advanced Learner Loan, to help pay your tuition fees. The minimum loan you can get is £300 but the maximum will depend on how much the fees are and the type of course you take.
You don’t have to borrow the full cost of your course – if you wish to pay some of it yourself, and take the rest as a loan, you can choose to do that.
How is the loan paid?
The money is paid directly to the College.
How many loans can I apply for?
You are entitled to access up to 4 loans, which you can take out one after the other or at the same time.
- You will need to complete an application form for each course.
- You are restricted to only one loan for the completion of an Access to Higher Education Diploma Course.
Repayments
Repayments are linked to what you earn and not how much you borrow.
- You will start to repay your loan in the year after you finish studying or after three years from the start of your course, whichever is earlier, if you are earning more than £27,295.
- Repayments will automatically be deducted from your earnings through the tax system, once you have left the course and your income is £27,295 a year.
- If your income falls below £27,295, your repayments will stop.
- The repayment rate is 9% of your income, above the first £27,295 before tax, so for example, if you were earning £30,000 a year your monthly repayment would be £37.50
- You can pay some, or all of your loan at any time without an extra charge.
- Any outstanding balance is written off after 30 years.
Access to Higher Education (HE)
If you get a loan to cover tuition fees for the Access to HE course and then complete a higher education (degree) course, you won’t have to repay the remaining loan for the Access course.
Further Information
If you would like further information you can contact our Student Finance team on 01206 712435 or visit
https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan
https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loans-a-guide-to-terms-and-conditions
https://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/further-education.aspx
