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. |
