Adult Learners (19+) – Fees and Finance

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?

Do I have to pay a fee?
Maybe not! Fee exemptions are available, for some students, on all courses which show this symbol:
Do I have to pay a fee?
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 19-23If 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.
Lifetime Skills Guarantee

Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs

In September 2020, the Prime Minister announced the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. As part of this, in 2021 the Government announced it planned to invest £2.5 billion in the fund over the coming years. Originally launched as The National Skills Fund, the free courses for jobs offer is intended to help adults gain the skills needed to improve their job prospects, supporting the immediate economic recovery and building the future skills that employers require.

Since April 2021, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee has given adult learners (who will be studying for their first full Level 3 qualification) the opportunity to study without paying course fees.

If the Level 3 course you are interested in studying at Colchester Institute is included in the Lifetime Skills Guarantee then the programme may be free if you meet the eligibility criteria listed below.

If these do not apply, you may need to pay a fee, and the fee is located further down the course information page. You can apply for a loan to cover all of your tuition fees.

  • If you are aged 19+ and enrolling on a 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)

* This means that you have not previously attained a full level 3 or equivalent (2 A Levels or 4 AS Levels, or QAA Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma at level 3, or a level 3 Tech level or applied general qualification (e.g. BTEC)).

From April 2022 any adult in England earning under the National Living Wage annually (£20,319) will also be able to access these qualifications for free, regardless of their prior qualification level.

Support Available to help you pay Fees

Support Available to help you pay Fees

Support
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

Advanced Learner Loans
Advanced Learner Loan

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 HE 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 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

Adult Learners (19+) – Financial Support

Colchester Institute Financial Support

Apply now for help with your course related costs. For students with an identified low household income, there may be financial support available. Bursary awards can help with your course related costs such as travel, childcare, books and equipment and much more.

Application form for 19+ students
*****Applications for student funding for learners starting in September 2024 are now open. Applications can be made from this page using the button below. If you are a learner who will be starting their course in September 2025, please note you will not be able to apply to the College Support Fund until July 2025.

The student will need their log in information for their Colchester Institute account before they start the bursary application process. Please do not make a new account if you already have one as you will not be able use the second account to apply for the bursary. If you cannot remember your log in information, please use this link to reset your password or call 01206 712222 for assistance.

Please note that there are two pages of the bursary application for the student to complete. On page 1 you will be asked what you need help with and to provide the details of any benefits being claimed by you or your family and on page 2 you will need to upload the supporting evidence. Once you have uploaded the evidence, the application process has been completed. If evidence is not uploaded, this will delay the application assessment.

You are advised to read the policies and guidelines below and ensure that you provide all the evidence that is required when submitting your application.

For students taking out an Advanced Learn Loan:

Childcare:

If you have any queries, please email the Student Finance team – student.finance@colchester.ac.uk

For queries and further information

Contact Student Services on (01206) 712435 or visit any campus for Student Finance information and advice.

Adult Learners (19+) – Further Education Fee Payment Options

Payment Options for all Further Education Fee Payers

The College is delighted to be able to offer a choice of how you pay your course fees.

Course fees are payable in advance so that the services which we provide shall have been paid for prior to the provision of those services. All students are advised to read the Colchester Institute Further Education Fee Policy prior to enrolment for full guidance regarding fees, payment methods and the refund criteria.

The 2024/2025 Further Education Fee policy can be found at www.colchester.ac.uk/policies/.

Payment in full in advance

Payment should be made in full at the time of enrolment. Acceptable payment methods include Debit Card and Credit Card (excluding American Express). Please note that we are no longer able to accept cash or cheque payments.

Instalments 

If your total course fees exceed £200 you may choose to pay your fees on a monthly payment plan basis. You must sign an official agreement with Colchester Institute to arrange a monthly payment plan, with a clearly stipulated timetable ensuring all fees are paid in full within six months of the start of your course. If the duration of the course is less than six months all fees are to be paid prior to the planned end date.

In order to set up a monthly payment plan, you will be required to pay 40% of the course fee at the time of enrolment or £500, whichever is the lower. The monthly instalment payments will also be set up at the point of enrolment, or if you are enrolling using our online enrolment process, a member of our Finance team will contact you to set up the instalment plan after you have submitted your online enrolment.

Failure to fulfil any terms and conditions of an instalment agreement shall result in you becoming immediately liable for the full outstanding balance and you may not be entitled to pay any future fees by instalments. Please download and save the form below, then fill it in and sign it. These forms can either be emailed to registry@colchester.ac.uk prior to enrolment, or if you are completing an online enrolment you can upload these documents during the enrolment process.

Advanced Learner Loan (Students aged 19+ and studying a Level 3 or 4 qualification) 

If your chosen course is eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan, we will provide you with a Funding and Information letter, with all of the details on how to apply.

Further details are available at www.colchester.ac.uk/adults/fees-and-finance/

If you have already applied for an Advanced Learner Loan and received confirmation from the Student Loan Company that the loan has been approved, please bring this with you to enrolment.

If you have not received confirmation of your approved loan by enrolment, you will be required to pay a non-refundable £50 deposit to secure your place on the course. Once your loan is approved, the £50 will be offset against your loan amount (excluding learners studying Access to Higher Education courses).

Employer paying

If your Employer is paying your course fees, 40% of the fee or £500 (whichever is lower) will be payable at enrolment, or prior to enrolment via the Online Store.

This can be paid by clicking on the following link and selecting Employer Deposit. Please note that your employer will be required to enter your student number (which can be found on your enrolment information letter) or your name and date of birth.

www.colchester.ac.uk/online-payments/

On your enrolment day, you must bring with you an Employer Authorisation Form and Terms & Conditions completed by your Employer, along with the Deposit Payment, or receipt of an online deposit payment in order for your enrolment to be processed. Please download and save these forms then fill them in and sign them. These forms can either be emailed to registry@colchester.ac.uk prior to enrolment, or if you are completing an online enrolment you can upload these documents during the enrolment process.