Students aged 16 - 18
If your child is a UK student and aged 16 - 18, they can study a full-time course at ncn for free.
Students aged 16–18 are not normally charged fees, but may have to pay if they fail to sit an exam, want to re-sit an exam or if they have material costs.
Students aged over 19
Your child may be entitled to full tuition fee reduction if your child enrols on a government-funded course and is:
- aged 19–23 and plans to progress to a Level 2 course (eg. your child will be studying an Entry or Level 1 course from September 2012 onwards and hasn’t got qualifications above Level 1)
- aged 19 or above and is studying for their first full Level 2 qualification
- aged 19 or above and does not have a first full Level 2 qualification and is studying for their first full Level 3 qualification
- aged 19–24, has a full Level 2 qualification and is studying for their first full Level 3 qualification
- receiving jobseeker’s allowance
- receiving working tax credit, with an annual household income of less than £15,276
- receiving income-based state benefit or pension credits (guarantee credit only)
- receiving employment and support allowance (ESA)
- receiving housing benefit
- receiving council tax benefit, or if your child is an unwaged dependant of someone who is (apart from people receiving the single person’s council tax discount)
- receiving disability living allowance
- an unwaged dependant of someone receiving some of the benefits listed
- an asylum seeker who has legally been in the UK for longer than six months, receiving an equivalent of income-based benefit (assistance under the terms of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999), or an asylum seeker receiving Section 4 (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999) support
- a refugee receiving income-based benefits
- an offender serving their sentence in the community
Every effort is made to ensure accuracy of this information, however it is advisable to check up-to-date information prior to enrolment. There may be some changes to state benefits in 2012-13, so please call us on 0115 9 100 100.
Other costs
Some courses have additional costs, such as uniforms, specialist clothing, individual equipment and materials. Your child may need to pay for these (even if your child's course fees are free). It is important to remember that material costs must be paid at the same time as you enrol (unless your child is taking a higher education course or paying the full cost for their course).
Your child may be able to apply for ncn Learner Support Fund, which may help your child pay for some of their materials and equipment costs.
More information
It’s sensible to check whether your chosen course is government funded or qualifies for Level 1, 2 or 3 course fee remission (reduction) before your child enrols. Visit our course search and read the course details or speak to us if you’re unsure.
It’s important that your child brings proof with them to enrolment if your child wants to claim a reduction in their fees; the proof in most cases must be dated within one month of your child's enrolment date/start of course.
Some courses last more than one year so check before your child enrols as you’ll need to pay further fees for the second year. Fee policies may change between year one and year two, so speak to us to find out the latest fee arrangements.
The government has proposed introducing fees for adult learners which can be met using loans, similar to those set up for higher education students. We’ll publish this information as it emerges, so keep an eye on our website.
At the moment Professional and Career Development Loans are available from the government for adult learners. These are bank loans which your child pay back once they’ve finished studying. The Skills Funding Agency pays the interest on the loan until the end of your studies. More information about these loans is on the DirectGov website.
Talk to us
Experience shows that it’s always better to speak to someone about what your child may have to pay for your course. So give us a call on 0115 9 100 100, or when we invite you and your child to come in to meet us, talk to us about it then.