Contact Us
Vacancies
Adult Skills Centre
Getting into Work
Digital Skills - Book Now
Adult Skills Centre
Getting into work
Digital Skills Courses

AAT Accounting Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting Technicians

Get the skills you need to become a financial team leader or set up your own practice with the AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting Technicians.

Accounting courses are a quality investment for your career – they are highly respected and valued by employers, globally recognised, and provide the right type of skills for immediate employment.

All modules are mandatory and will incorporate skills in cost management, resource allocation, accounting systems management, internal controls, taxation and the drafting of financial statements.

This course is for learners aged 19 years and over.

Course Info
Do I have to pay a fee?
Other courses in this area
AAT Accounting Level 4 Diploma for Professional Technicians
Course Outline: Extends skills in cost management, resource allocation, accounting systems management, internal controls, taxation and the drafting of financial statements.
LevelLevel 4
Duration50 Weeks (4 Terms)
Study ModePart-Time
Campus / Adult Skills CentreColchester Campus
Start DateSeptember 2026
ApplicationsApplications for September 2026 are now open.
AttendanceThursday (9am - 5pm)
PriceFull course: £2,573 (includes first exam fee)
Additional Cost Information

Individual modules: TBC

Additional fee for AAT membership will apply. (More information on AAT membership and current fees can be found at www.aat.org.uk)

 

Course Content

AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting Technicians modules include:

  • Financial Accounting (FNAC)
  • Management Accounting (MNAC)
  • Audit and Internal Controls (ATIC)
  • Principles of Taxation (PTAX)
  • Advanced Business Awareness (AVBA)

The above modules may be available to study as standalone modules and are studied alongside students on the full programme.

Assessment

Assessment for the Accounting Diploma Level 4 is achieved by external computer based exams.

The AAT Accounting Qualification is universally respected and internationally recognised. Organisations such as Sainsbury’s, P&G, Morgan Stanley, the Ministry of Defence and many more continue to hire AAT qualified members for their knowledge, skills, diligence and enthusiasm, because AAT represents the highest standards of professionalism. AAT award around 90% of all vocational qualifications in accounting.

In short, an AAT qualification is a route to some of the most in-demand skills in the world, and provides you with a professional status you can be proud of.

Entry Requirements

AAT Diploma Level 3 or Level 3 Accounting apprenticeship.

AAT membership is mandatory for all full-time and part-time accounting courses, and you will be unable to sit the examinations without it.

Applicants enrolling on this course will be supported with obtaining their AAT Membership upon commencement of the course.

Do I have to pay a fee?

Applicants are also now able to take out an advanced learner loan to pay for the course, which previously had to be self or employer funded.

The information in this section applies solely to this course and the criteria is not transferable to any other course offered by the College.

Learners can either self-fund and pay for the course themselves or apply for an advanced learner loan to cover part of the tuition fees for this course. 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.

What if I am on a low income or unemployed?

Discounted fees or fee waivers for those on low income or who are unemployed are not available for this course.

For students with an identified low household income, there may be financial support available through the College’s discretionary bursary fund. Although the funds cannot be used to pay for course fees they can be used to contribute towards other course related costs such as travel, childcare, books and equipment.

Adult Learners (19+) – Financial Support

Advanced Learner Loans

Am I eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan?

To qualify for an advanced learner loan to partially cover the fees for this course you must be:

  • 19 years old or over on the first day of your course (there’s no upper age limit)
  • A UK national or have ‘settled status’ (this means there are no restrictions on how long you can stay)
  • 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

Most learners that fall into this bracket will be eligible, it doesn’t depend on your household income and there’s no credit check!

If your nationality or residency status is different to the above, then please contact the national Advanced Learner Loan helpline on 0300 100 0619 or check the Advanced Learner Loan website where you will be able to find further information on eligibility.

How do I apply for an Advanced Learner Loan?

Once you have applied and been offered a place on the course, the college will provide you with a ‘learning and funding information letter’. These are normally sent out in early July.

You need this to complete the loan application and you cannot apply for a loan until you have received this.

Once you have applied for a loan and it has been approved you will receive an official letter from Student Finance England.

Payment Options

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.

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes, you can spread the cost of fees. Any student of the College who pays his/her own programme costs is entitled to do so on a monthly payment plan basis, providing the total course fees exceed £200 and the student is aged 19 years, or over, on 31st August in the current academic year.

Where total course fees exceed £200 you (or your employer, if they are paying your course fees) can choose to pay your fees in instalments through a monthly payment plan and 40% of the fee or £500 (whichever is lower) will be payable at enrolment.

The balance must be paid within 6 months or by the end date if the course is less than 6 months in duration.

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.

In order to pay through monthly instalments, students must sign the Colchester Institute Instalment Payment Plan terms and conditions!

If a student fails to sign up to an instalment plan at enrolment all fees will become due for payment within 30 days.

Failure to fulfil any terms and conditions of an instalment agreement will 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.

Further Education Fee Instalment Student Terms and Conditions

Employer paying:

Employers who are funding a student’s fees must complete and sign an authorisation form which must be submitted either prior to or at enrolment together with an advance payment of 40% of the course fee or £500, whichever is lower. This can be paid via the online store prior to or at the point of Enrolment.

If the advance payment is not made prior to or at Enrolment the student will not be eligible to attend college.

Further Education Employer Authorisation Form, Instalment Plan, Terms and Conditions

The application window for part-time courses starting in September and October 2026 opens in January 2026, and we start processing applications from this date.

Applications for this course are made via our online application form and you will be able to access it from this course page.

Once you are ready to apply then please click the ‘Apply Online‘ button from January 2026.

Upon successful submission of an application you will receive an acknowledgement email from our Admissions team. If you do not receive this you should contact the team to check that your application has been received.

During the second half of the summer-term (May and June), applicants will start to receive further correspondence from the College about the next stages of the admissions process. These will include details about interviews with the course tutor or any pre-assessments and trades tests.

Once applications are open, if you have any further questions about the application process or next available start date, want to check the progress of your application or if you are unsure about anything please contact us using the enquiry line or enquiry form.

Disclaimer

All fees, prices and funding information shown on this page are for courses starting in the 2025-26 academic year unless stated otherwise, and are correct at the time of entering/printing information, however these may be subject to change due to factors outside of our control. The College cannot accept legal or financial liability as a result of any such changes.

Courses fees are generally not confirmed for September until June / July due to the above factors.

The course information describes programmes offered by Colchester Institute. The College takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. The information is for guidance and does not form any part of a contract.

The College reserves the right to update and amend information as and when necessary. Colchester Institute will do its best to provide the courses shown, but may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on customer demand and other factors.

Transforming Lives
Home