Advanced Learner Loans
An Advanced Learner Loan helps with the costs of further education courses. Content provided by Student Finance England.
An Advanced Learner Loan helps with the costs of further education courses. Content provided by Student Finance England.
If you’re aged 19 or over and studying an approved course at Level 3, 4, 5, or 6 at an approved college or training provider in England, you can apply for an Advanced Leaner Loan.
Eligibility for the loan doesn’t depend on your income, and there are no credit checks. Interest is charged from the date the first payment is made to the college or training provider.
The Advanced Learner Loan, plus any interest, has to be paid back, but not until you’ve finished or left your course, and your income is over the repayment threshold.
You may be able to get Adult Education Budget (AEB) grant funding if you're studying a level 3 qualification. Check with your college or training provider if your course is eligible for AEB grant funding. You should do this before you apply for an Advanced Learner Loan as you can’t get both types of support.
The amount available depends on:
You can choose the amount you want to borrow, up to the maximum available. This is then put towards the fees charged by your college or training provider. The minimum you can borrow is £300.
Colleges and training providers may charge more than the maximum loan available. You’ll need to self-fund any difference between your loan and your course fee.
You can also apply to get money from the Loan Bursary Fund.
This money can help pay for things such as:
You should speak to your college or training provider to find out more, and to apply for the bursary.
Whether you qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan depends on your:
You must be aged 19 or older on the first day of your course.
The course must be:
If you’re studying a Level 4 or 5 course with Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approval, you may be eligible for undergraduate funding unless you’re a direct entrant.
The course must last at least two weeks to be eligible for funding, but there’s no maximum time limit in which you have to complete your course. However, there are maximum limits on how long Student Finance England can pay a loan for. The maximum time periods of eligibility are determined by the type of FE course.
The following table shows the maximum amount of time Student Finance England can pay a loan for, depending on the course.
Course | Maximum time limit |
---|---|
Programme of A levels (AS or A levels) | Two years (for each AS level or A level) |
Access to Higher Education Diploma | Two years |
Any other eligible Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 course | Three years |
You must usually:
You may be eligible for a loan to study at a learning provider in England if you are a UK national or have settled status in the UK and you have been living in the following for the three years before starting your course:
You may be eligible for a loan to study at a learning provider in England if you are a family member of a person with settled status in the UK and you have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the past three years.
You can also apply if you’ve been living in the UK, Overseas Territories, the EEA or Switzerland for the past three years and are:
You can also apply if you’ve been living in the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA or Switzerland for the past three years and are:
You can also apply if you have one of the following Home Office statuses:
You could also be eligible if you’re not a UK national and have been living in the UK for at least half your life or at least 20 years. You must have limited leave to remain (including discretionary leave to remain) and have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of your course. You must also live in England on the first day of your course.
Student Finance England has created an eligibility tool to use if you’re considering an Advanced Learner Loan.
You can usually only get a maximum of four Advanced Learner Loans.
The exception to this is if you’re studying an AS or A level, where you can apply for up to a maximum of eight loans for a programme of A level study, and can still get a further three loans for other designated further education courses that are not AS or A levels. Previous study won’t affect your entitlement to your first loan.
You’ll be able to get up to four loans for the same type of vocational qualification. However, you’ll still only be entitled to one loan for a programme of A levels, or an Access to HE Diploma.
When you apply for student finance, you'll need to agree to our terms and conditions:
You should check the information on the letter to confirm the amounts and course details are correct. Make sure you let Student Finance England know immediately if anything is wrong or has changed since your application.
If Student Finance England needs more information or evidence, you should send this as soon as possible to avoid any delays with your payments.
Any other forms Student Finance England may ask for can be found at www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.
If your circumstances change, this can affect your eligibility. You can update your information using your online Student Finance England account. You can also change your loan amount using Student Finance England's loan request form.
If you can’t update your information online, you should contact Student Finance England.
Payments are made directly to your college or training provider each month. Your attendance must be confirmed before any payments will be made.
Confirmation of attendance
Your uni or college will need to confirm your attendance two weeks after you’ve started your course, and every three months after that.
If you stop attending your course
If you stop attending at any point, your uni or college should let Student Finance England know as soon as possible, so they can stop any further payments.