24+ Advanced Learning Loans now available.
From August 2013 if you are aged 24 or over and want to study qualifications at Level 3 or above you will need to pay your college or training provider for the cost of your course.
To qualify for a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan you need to be:
• Aged 24 and over at the start of your course (there is no upper age limit)
• A resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the start of the course. If you are an EU resident, a family member of one, a refugee, a migrant worker, the child of a Swiss national or the child of a Turkish worker, you may also be entitled to the loan.
• Enrolling on an eligible course at an approved college or training provider in England (A levels, an Access to Higher Education Diploma, a level 3 or Level 4 Certificate or Diploma or an Advanced or Higher Apprenticeship). The loan does not cover Degrees or other forms of Higher Education.
The amount of the loan depends on the type of course, course fees and the maximum loan available for your course.
The minimum loan you can get is £300. You don’t have to borrow the full cost of your course as you can pay for some of it yourself.
You won’t have to pay anything back until you finish your course and earn more than £21,000 a year. Once you earn over this amount you pay back 9% of the earnings you receive above this figure. This will automatically be deducted from your income through the tax system if you are an employee. The loan doesn’t depend on your income and there are no credit checks.
The general application process is as follows:
1. Check with your college or training provider that the course qualifies.
2. Ask them for a ‘Learning and funding information’ letter – you need this to complete the application and submit this to Student Finance England. It contains the details about your course.
3. Apply online or download the forms https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan and post them.
4. You’ll get a letter confirming your loan – usually within 2 weeks if you apply online (postal applications take longer).
It is important that you consider your own circumstances and look into all options for paying your course before choosing to take out a loan. You can get independent free financial advice from the Money Advice Service at www.moneyadviceservice.co.uk
For further information:
• contact a training provider
• visit the Direct Gov website www.gov.uk/advanced-learning-loans or
• visit the National Careers Service website www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk