Enquiry Line Update

IT Services Update - Thursday 28th March 2024
Colchester Institute’s phone system is undergoing maintenance between 12noon and 6pm on Thursday 28th March 2024. This will cause some disruption as staff phone lines may be unable to receive or make any calls throughout this period. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Level 3 NSF (Part-time)

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. 

This Level 3 course offered at Colchester Institute is included in the Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs offer under the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.

This 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.

Do I have to pay a fee?

The information in this section applies to this course, and as such may not apply to other courses with different funding criteria.

This course is for learners aged 19 and over.

You will not pay tuition fees for this course if you are:
aged 19-24 on the 31st August 2023 and have an active Education, Health and Care Plan
aged 19 and over at the start of this course and you do not already have a qualification at this level (a full Level 3 or equivalent).

* 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)).

In some cases, if you need to first enrol on a lower level course, before progressing to a level 3, this may also be fully funded by the government.

You will pay tuition fees if you are:
aged 19 and over at the start of this course and have previously achieved a full Level 3 qualification
Learners required to pay tuition fees can either self-fund (whereby you or your employer pays for the course) or apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover all, or 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?
From 1st April 2022 adults in England who already have an existing full Level 3 qualification or higher, or have previously achieved any other qualification included in the Level 3 adult offer, may be able to study this qualification for free.
You will not pay tuition fees provided that your qualification was achieved before 1st April 2021 and you meet either of the criteria below:
aged over 19, unemployed and in receipt of benefits
employed and earning under the National Living Wage annually (£20,319)

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.

Other Additional Costs

Regardless of whether tuition fees apply, some of our programmes incur additional costs which could include:

  • Equipment costs – such as uniforms, kits, books and so on
  • Trips and enrichment activities
  • DBS checks (formerly CRB checks)
  • Occupational Health Screening

You will be informed of any additional costs associated with your chosen programme as early as possible to allow time for payment to be made.

Advanced Learner Loans

Am I eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan?

To qualify for an advanced learner loan to 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: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan 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.

Am I eligible for a bursary?

Applicants thinking of enrolling on this course can apply for funding to help with the costs associated with attending college.  Bursary funds are targeted at students where there is an identified low household income.

If your household income is below £25,000 per annum, you are likely to be eligible for support through the 19+ Bursary Fund (19+ and taking your 1st Level 3 course) or Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund (for students paying tuition fees with an advanced learner loan).

The bursary fund cannot provide help with costs unrelated to your course, such as general living expenses, nor can it be used as an attendance incentive.

Applications to the fund are not normally considered if the household income exceeds £25,000 but may be considered in some instances if the household is experiencing severe financial hardship.

Funds are targeted at course related costs such as travel, childcare, books and equipment.

Regardless of income or employment status, students self-funding (including where an employer is covering course fees), are not eligible for financial assistance through any discretionary bursary funds.

 

When can I apply?

******Applications for student funding for learners who started in September 2023 are still open. Applications can be made from this page using the button below.

Applications for student funding for learners starting in September 2024 will not open until the end of June 2024*****

Bursary Fund applications for courses starting in the 2023/24 academic year opened on July 1st 2023.

For courses starting in September 2023, applications should be made by 1st November 2023. If you find yourself in financial hardship after this date it is important that you still contact Student Services. Applications received after 1st November will be considered on a pro-rata basis subject to need and the availability of funds.

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

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