ADVANCED LEARNER LOANS Basic Information

Advanced Learner Loans

OVERVIEW

You can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help with the costs of a course at a college or training provider in England.

Loan eligibility doesn’t depend on your income and there are no credit checks.

REPAYMENTS

You’ll have to pay your loan back when both the following apply:

- you’ve finished your course

- you earn more than £21,000 a year

HOW MUCH YOU GET DEPENDS ON

- the type of course

- your course fees

- the maximum loan available for your course

The minimum loan you can get is £300 and is paid directly to your college or training provider.

You don’t have to borrow the full cost of your course - you can pay for some of it yourself.

ELIGIBILITY

You must be 19 or older on the first day of your course.

Your course must be:

- a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification – See back of leaflet for a list of our approved courses

- at an approved college or training provider in England – Such as LITC

Ask your advisor for more information on the eligible courses at LITC.

Regarding nationality or residency status, you must:

- be living in the UK on the first day of your course

- have been living in the UK, Channel Islands or 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)

HOW TO APPLY

1. Ask LITC for information on the courses that are available.
2. Request a ‘Learning and Funding Information Letter’ from us - you need this to complete the application. It contains the details about your course.
3. Apply online - you’ll need to register first. You can apply by post if you can’t apply online.
4. You’ll get a letter confirming your loan - usually within 2 weeks if you apply online (postal applications take longer).

You can’t apply until you get a ‘Learning and Funding Information Letter’ from LITC.
You can apply for a loan without a National Insurance number but you must have one before the loan can be paid.

BURSARY FUND

You may apply to get money from the Loan Bursary Fund after you’ve received a letter approving your Advanced Learner Loan. The money can help pay for things like:

- accommodation and travel

- course materials and equipment

- childcare

- classroom assistance for a disability or learning difficulty - once you’re assessed by your college or training provider

HOW TO APPLY

1. Apply through your college or training provider - each one has its own application process. How much you get depends on the provider’s scheme and your circumstances.
2. Speak to student services if you need support with your application.

HOW THE MONEY IS PAID

Your college or training provider decides how the money is paid. You’ll normally be paid direct. You might be able to arrange for the money to be paid to someone else instead, eg your landlord or childcare provider.

In some situations, fund money must be paid back. This is generally if you’re a student experiencing a temporary financial difficulty and need a loan, eg for help with your mortgage or rent.

ELIGIBILITY

You can apply even if you get other types of funding, e.g.:

- Professional and Career Development Loans

- Disability Living Allowance

REPAYMENTS

Repayments start the April following the completion of your course. You pay back your loan (plus interest) when you finish your course and earn more than £21,000 a year. Your repayments will stop if your income drops below £21,000 a year.

Your annual repayment amount will be 9% of any income you earn over £21,000.

For Example, your monthly repayments would be:

• £7 a month - if you earned £22,000 a year
• £30 a month - if you earned £25,000 a year

You can get help and money advice from the Money Advice Service.

INTEREST

You pay interest from the time your first payment is made until you pay your loan back in full.
Income                                                                                           Interest rate
While you’re studying and until the April after you leave the course     Rate of inflation plus 3%
£21,000 or less        Rate of inflation
£21,000 to £41,000 Rate of inflation plus up to 3%
£41,000 and over    Rate of inflation plus 3%

Making repayments

Your employer will work out your repayments and take them out of your salary with your tax.
If you’re self employed, you make repayments as part of your Self Assessment tax return.
You can pay some or all of your loan at any time without an extra charge.

Access to Higher Education (HE) course

Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a higher education course. This means you don’t have to repay it.

OUR COURSES

Our courses offer the perfect opportunity to learn while you’re working. Whether you are new to the field or looking to further develop your career, our qualified tutors are experienced in supporting you to reach your goals.

If you are not working yet our team will help you find the right placement for you.

DURATION: All courses are tailored to the learner’s needs.

Study at your own pace and never miss one day at work:

          Busy working? Choose our 6-months option
          Eager to complete? Work at your pace and complete in 3 months

LOCATION: All our courses are mainly delivered at your workplace so that you don’t need to take time off. You will be assessed by practical assignments and will build a portfolio of work.

• HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
• CHILD CARE
• BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• ASSESSING VOCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
• SPORTS AND FITNESS

Ask one of our advisors for a full list of the courses we offer

Charlie – charlie@litc.org
079 8559 2512

Joe – joe@litc.org
079 8559 2514

Alesha – alesha@litc.org
0203 397 0303