Why not fund the cost of a training programme through a UK Government Advanced Learner Loan?
Advanced Learner Loans can help you pay the fees of training in England, whether you are studying a Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) Certificate or a Diploma at level 3, 4, 5 and 6. The amount you can get depends on your course, the fees for your specific course and the maximum amounts set by the UK government.
Did you know?...
- Loan eligibility does not depend on your income and there are no credit checks
- You can take out the maximum amount to cover your fee or you can pay all or part of the fee yourself
- Previous study won’t affect the application for your first Advanced Learner Loan
- You can only take out one loan at a time for non-A Level courses
- You can get more than one loan at the same time if the courses you're studying are of the same level. You can only apply once for an access to higher education course
Check if you’re eligible before you apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.
For each loan you must complete a separate application.
Courses
We offer an extensive range of qualifications to individuals through the provision of Advanced Learner Loans.
How and when do I start repaying a loan?
- You only start making repayments when your income is over the 'threshold' set by the government. Payments will stop if you earn below the repayment threshold for that pay period. At present (October 2019) Repayments are set at 9% of your income above the minimum of £25,725 a year, £2,143 a month or £494 a week.
- If you’re employed, your employer will take your repayments directly from your salary
- If you’re self-employed, you’ll make repayments as part of your annual self-assessment tax return
- You’ll start repaying your loan in the April after you complete or leave your course.
- You can make voluntary repayments at any time in order to pay off your loans more quickly
- If you have more than one loan or a combination of further education (FE) and higher education (HE) loans visit gov.uk/advancedlearningloans and read ‘19+ Advanced Learner Loan: A guide to terms & conditions’
- If you retire, loan repayments are not taken from Pension Income, so if you’re paid a pension you’ll only repay if you have other taxable income above £25,725
- In the event of your death, all outstanding loan amounts are written off
- After 30 years any remaining loan balance is written off
Top tips
- Be quick - complete and submit your application to Student Finance England as soon as possible to ensure your loan is in place for the start of your course
- Apply online - it’s easy and your application will be processed quickly. You should hear from us within two weeks. If you don’t apply online, or you don’t send us the evidence we ask for at the time of application, it will take longer to process your application. Click here to apply!
- Repayments are based on your income, not on what you borrow or the number of student loans you have
- You’ll repay 9% of your income above the £25,725 annual threshold. Even if you don’t earn £25,725 a year but exceed the weekly £494 or monthly £2,143 threshold at any point in the year (e.g. if you work overtime) then a loan deduction will be made. For example, if you're paid monthly and earn £2,500 before tax you'd repay 9% of the difference between what you earn and what the threshold is: £2,500 - £2,083 = £417 9% of £417 = £37 So your student loan repayment would be £37 in that month.
Some of the interest on your loan will be based on inflation (Retail Price Index (RPI)). The table below shows how interest is calculated.
| Yearly income | Monthly repayments |
|---|---|
| While you’re studying and until the April after you complete or leave your course, whichever comes first | Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3% |
| From the April after you finish or leave your course | Interest will be based on your income. £25,725 or less - RPI £25,725 - £45,000 - RPI plus up to 3%, depending on your income |