Advanced learner loan
If you are aged 19 or over, applying for a full or part time, FE level 3 or above course, you could be eligible for the Advanced Learner Loan to support some or all of the course fees.
Key facts about Advanced Learner Loans:
- The minimum loan amount is £300.
- A loan can be taken out and used to pay the full or partial amount of the tuition fees.
- Your household income does not hinder your ability to apply.
- There is no credit check involved.
- Interest on the loans is low and linked to inflation.
- Any balance outstanding will be written off after 40 years.
If your Level 3 course is an Access to Higher Education course and you go on to successfully complete an undergraduate degree then your Advanced Learner Loan will be written off!
Getting a loan doesn't depend on your household income and you will not have to pay back a penny until you are earning more than £25,000 a year. After that, your repayments will be deducted directly from your salary and you will pay back 9% of however much you earn above £25,000. Even if your income doesn’t exceed £25,000 a year but is over £480.77 a week or £2,083.33 a month at any point in the year (e.g. if you work overtime) then a loan deduction will be made.
If you are approved an Advanced Learner Loan, you could also apply for the for Advanced Learner Loan Bursary, this bursary is to support learners who are 19 and over and are a low income with the additional costs incurred by the course
Additional infomation
To be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan you must:
- be aged 19 or over at the start of your course;
- be undertaking an eligible course at a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification such as Vocational Qualifications, both general and Technical, Access to Higher Education Diplomas and A levels.
You also must usually:
- be living in the UK on the first day of your course
- have been ordinarily resident in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years
before starting your course
- be a UK national or have ‘settled status’ (this means there are no restrictions on how long you can stay).
For any further information about eligibility, please see the downloadable Advanced Learner Loan – FAQs document at the top of this page.
You can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan using an online application form available on the GOV.UK website.
To apply online, you must first have been issued with a Learning and Funding Information Letter (LAFL). You will receive this only once you have been accepted onto the course and the loans portal is open to applications (usually at the end of May).
The loan amount you are able to receive will depend on the type of course you take and how much the fees are for the course. The minimum loan you can receive is £300. The maximum amount you can apply for will be detailed on your Learning And Funding Letter.
For more information, please take a look at the following websites:
Need further assistance?
Please get in touch with the Advice & Guidance Centre:
