Reduced or remitted fees for Further Education students

Reduced Fees Information - 2011/12 academic year

You may be entitled to a fee reduction and, in some cases, a free course. If you want to claim a reduction in fees, you must present your current benefits documents at the point of enrolling on the course.

You may not have to pay for your course if you are enrolling on a government-funded course and are:

• aged 16–18
• aged 19–23 and plan to progress to a Level 2 course (eg. you will be studying an Entry or Level 1 course from September 2012 onwards and haven’t got qualifications above Level 1)
• aged 19 or above and are studying for your first full Level 2 qualification
• aged 19 or above and do not have a first full Level 2 qualification and are studying for your first full Level 3 qualification
• aged 19–24, have a full Level 2 qualification and are studying for your 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 you are 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 your 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. You may need to pay for these yourself (even if your course fees are free). It is important to remember that material costs must be paid at the same time as you enrol (unless you are taking a higher education course or paying the full cost for your course).

You may be able to apply for Learner Support funding, which may help you pay for some of your 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 you enrol. Visit our course search and read the course details or speak to us if you’re unsure.

It’s important that you bring proof with you to enrolment if you want to claim a reduction in your fees; the proof in most cases must be dated within one month of your enrolment date/start of course.

Some courses last more than one year so check before you enrol 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 you pay back once you’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 you may have to pay for your course. So give us a call on 0115 9 100 100, or when we invite you to come in to meet us, talk to us about it then.