Advanced Learner Loan

If you are aged 19 and over, you may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan.

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The loan will help you to pay towards the cost of your learning at the college if you are studying a Level 3 or Level 4 qualification.

Applying is easy, your household income won’t be taken into account and you won’t have to pay anything back until you’re earning over £511 a week or £2,214 a month (before tax and other deductions).

Study for free!*

The best part of it all is that you could get all of your loan paid back to you!  

*Access to Higher Education students who go on to complete an eligible Higher Education qualification, such as a degree, will have their Advanced Learner Loan for the Access course completely written off by the Government. Therefore, you could effectively study an Access Diploma for free if you reach your end destination!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I qualify?

To qualify for a loan you’ll need to be:

  • 19 or older 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 3 years immediately before this
  • A UK national or have ‘settled status’ (this means there are no restrictions on how long you can stay)
  • Enrolling on an eligible course that’s Level 3 or Level 4 (including A-Levels, Access to HE Diplomas, other Diplomas and Certificates)
  • Studying at a college or training organisation in England approved for public funding.

There are other criteria which may mean you could be eligible.

Find out more.

How much can I get?

The amount you can receive depends on the type of course you take and how much the fee is. The minimum loan amount is £300. You can take out a loan for the maximum amount to cover your fee or you can pay all or part of the fee yourself.

How will I be paid?

The money will be paid directly to the college once we have confirmed that you have attended the course for two weeks.

How many loans can I apply for?

You can apply for up to four loans and you can get more than one at the same time.

You can apply for another loan to repeat the same level but not a subject, e.g. you can apply for the same level certificate in French if you've already had a loan for the same level in Spanish.

How are the loans repaid?

You’ll start to repay your loan, plus interest, once you have finished your course and start earning more than £25,000 a year. If your income drops below this amount, then repayments stop. 

Repayments start the April following the completion of your course. Each week or month you will pay back 9% of any income over £511 a week or £2,214 a month. For example:

  • £8 a week - if you earned £600 a week
  • £16 a month - if you earned £2,400 a month.

How do I apply?

Once you have been offered a place at the college on an eligible course you will be sent an offer letter. You will also be sent a 'Loans Application' letter which has all the information you need to make a loan application online. Please note you cannot apply until May.

Find out more about the Advanced Learner Loan.