Advanced Learner Loans
Learners who have found finances have been holding them back from starting a course, can now apply for a loan to help with the cost of course fees! Advanced Learner Loans help with the cost of fees for eligible courses at Level 3 or above. Household income isn’t taken into account and there’s no credit check. Learners will not have to pay anything back until they have finished their course and are earning over the Learner Loans company threshold.
How much can you get as an Advanced Learner Loan?
The amount awarded by Student Finance England depends on:
- the type of course
- how much the fees are for the course - the minimum loan is £300.
Which courses are eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan?
Courses at Level 3 or above qualify (such as a Certificate/Diploma or an Advanced or Higher Apprenticeship).
Eligibility for Advanced Learner Loan - To get a loan Learners must be:
- 19 or older on the first day they start a course and the start day of the course must be on or after the 1st August 2021 (there’s no upper age limit)
- living in the UK on the first day of their course, and have lived in the UK, the Channel islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years immediately before the start date of the course Studying at this College or a training organisation in England approved for public funding
- Learners who are aged 19 – 23 and do not already have a full Level 3 qualification, will be entitled to receive free tuition and won’t need to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan. Where learners are aged 19 – 23 and already have a full Level 3 qualification, they can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.
How many Advanced Learner Loans can a Learner apply for?
Learners can apply for more than one Advanced Learning Loan (up to 4 in total). Learners can also receive a loan for courses of the same level and type (e.g. Level 3 Diploma in Hair and Level 3 Diploma in Barbering) and will be able to take out further loans to complete different types or levels of eligible courses.
How to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan?
- Learners can apply for apply for an Advanced Learner Loan at www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan. request the course code from our Learner finance team from June/July for courses starting from 1st September 2021
- Learners will need a National Insurance number before any money can be paid and should have this available to enter on the loan application form along with passport details or where no passport details can be given another form of identity to apply – e.g. birth certificate.
Paying back an advanced learner loan
Learners pay back a loan (plus interest) when they have finished their course and start earning more than the Learner Loans Company income threshold. If income drops below this amount repayment will stop. Each month learners will pay back 9% of any income over the threshold.
Leaving or changing a course once an advanced learner loan is approved
Learners who leave or change their course after 2 weeks will have to pay back any money that has been paid to the College.
Access to Higher Education (HE) and an advanced learner loan
Learners who get a loan to cover tuition fees for an Access to HE course (e.g. a course that prepare learners for Higher Education) and then successfully complete a higher education course, will not have to repay the remaining loan for the Access course.
Support for course related costs and childcare
Learners who take out an Advanced Learner Loan can assess the 19+ Discretionary hardship fund in the same way as our 19+ learners.
For more details about Advanced Learning Loans please visit www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan or contact the Learner Finance team on 01384 363555.
*All bursary and hardship fund forms are available to Dudley College learners via the student MyDudleyCollege dashboard, alternatively a direct link can be emailed to learners. Links requests should be emailed to the a student finance team at studentfinanceteam@dudleycol.ac.uk.