Age 16-18
Find the right way to pay for your course
Cost should not stop you from starting a career in education.
On this page, you can find out about free courses, loans and bursaries. You can also see how your employer may be able to pay, and the extra help we offer with costs such as childcare and travel. Some funding is only for certain courses or subjects, so check each section to see what fits you. If you are not sure what you can get, our team can check for you before you apply.
Free courses
All courses for students aged 16-18 are free. If you are aged 19 and over, you may also be able to study some courses for free. This usually includes courses at Level 2 and below, and some Level 3 courses.
Courses for job seekers are free if you are unemployed or on certain benefits.
Advanced Learner Loans
If you are aged 19 and over and your course is at Level 3 or Level 4, you may be able to pay with an Advanced Learner Loan.
- the loan pays your fees straight to the College
- you only start to pay it back when you earn over a set amount
- your repayments are based on your income, not on how much you borrowed
Student finance for Level 5 and Level 7 courses
You can pay for our Education (Level 5 Certificate) and our Postgraduate Certificate in Education: Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) with a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England.
We recommend you apply for your loan at the same time as you apply for your course, as it can take several weeks.
Even if you have had a student loan before, you can usually still get student finance for a further education teaching qualification.
How to apply for a student loan
You can pay your course fees with a Tuition Fee Loan from Student Finance England. This means you have nothing to pay up front, and you only start paying the loan back once you earn over a certain amount.
Check which system to use
If your course starts before 1 January 2027, you apply through Student Finance England. Courses that start from January 2027 use the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). We’ll tell you which one applies to your course.
Get your details ready
Before you start, have these to hand:
- your National Insurance number
- your passport, if you have one, to help confirm who you are
- your bank details, if you are applying for a Maintenance Loan
- your course details, such as the course name, start date and fee, which you can find on the course page
Apply step by step
- Apply for your course first, using the ‘Choose this course’ button on the course page.
- Check you are eligible on GOV.UK’s student finance pages. You can usually still get a loan for a teaching qualification even if you have had a student loan before.
- Create a Student Finance England account. Keep a note of your customer reference number (CRN), as you need it to sign in.
- Apply for a Tuition Fee Loan for a part-time course. GOV.UK tells you whether to apply online or by post.
- Check whether you can also get a Maintenance Loan to help with living costs. This depends on how many hours you study, so ask us if you are not sure.
- Send any evidence Student Finance England asks for. Applications take about 4 weeks to process.
- Start your course. We confirm you are attending, and Student Finance England pays your fees straight to the College.
- Reapply before each new year of your course, as you need to apply for every year.
Pay back your loan
You only pay back your loan once you earn over the repayment threshold. Find out more on GOV.UK’s guide to repaying your student loan.
Get help with your application
If you have any questions, call our Customer Service Centre on 0330 135 9000, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
