24+ Advanced Learning Loans
1. Overview
You can apply for a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan to help with the costs of a college or training course if you're 24 or older.
The course must have started on or after 1 August 2013 and be eligible - ie a Level 3 or 4 course (eg A Levels).
Loans have to be paid back. Repayments don’t start until April 2016 and you won’t have to pay anything back until you earn more than £21,000 a year.
The loan doesn't depend on your income and there are no credit checks. You can get independent money advice from the Money Advice Service.
Advice
Get free advice and help choosing a course from the National Careers Service.
2. What you'll get
How much you get depends on the:
- type of course
- course fees
- the maximum loan available for your course
The minimum loan you can get is £300.
You don't have to borrow the full cost of your course - you can pay for some of it yourself.
How the money is paid
The money is paid directly to your college or training provider.
How many loans can you get?
How many loans you can get depends on your course.
Non A Levels
You can get up to 4 loans, but:
- you can only get 1 loan at a time
- you can't apply for another loan to repeat the same level of a course (eg you can’t get a loan to fund a Level 3 certificate in French when you’ve already had a loan for a Level 3 certificate in Italian)
A Levels
For A Levels (including AS and A2 qualifications) you can apply for up to 4 loans at the same time - 1 for each A Level you take.
You can also get 3 more loans for non A Level courses.
3. Eligibility
Your college or training provider can tell you if you qualify.
Whether you qualify for a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan depends on your:
- course
- college or training provider
- age
- nationality or residency status
Your course
Your course must start between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014, and be a Level 3 or 4 qualification - eg A Levels.
Your college or training provider
You must be studying at a college or training provider in England approved for public funding.
Your age
You must be 24 or older on the first day of your course.
Your 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's no restrictions on how long you can stay)
You may also qualify if you’re:
- an EU national or a family member of one
- a refugee
- a migrant worker
- the child of a Swiss national
- the child of a Turkish worker
4. How to apply
Check with your college or training provider that the course qualifies.
Ask them for a 'Learning and funding information' letter - you need this to complete the application. It contains the details about your course.
Apply online - you'll need to register first. If you can't apply online you can download the forms below.
You'll get a letter confirming your loan - usually within 2 weeks if you apply online (postal applications take longer).
What you need to know
You can’t apply until you get a ‘Learning and funding information’ letter from your college or training provider.
Your course must start between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014.
You can apply for a loan without a National Insurance number but you must have one before the loan can be paid.
Application forms
If you can’t apply online, apply by post (the address is on the form).
Download 'Application form' (PDF, 300KB) Download 'Guidance notes' (PDF, 100KB) Download 'Terms and conditions' (PDF, 250KB) Download 'Data protection statement' (PDF, 75KB)
Proof of identity
Include your UK passport details in your application as proof of identity. If you forget, use the ‘UK passport details form’. If you don't have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your birth or adoption certificate using the ‘Birth or adoption certificate form’.
Download 'UK passport details form' (PDF, 100KB) Download 'Birth or adoption certificate form' (PDF, 200KB)
Supporting information
Use the ‘Evidence return form’ if you need to send extra information to support your application (eg proof of residency status).
Download 'Evidence return form' (PDF, 75KB)
Signature form
Use the ‘Signature form’ if you’ve sent your application but not signed the form.
Download 'Signature form' (PDF, 100KB)
Change an application
To change:
- the amount of loan you’ve applied for, use the ‘Loan request’ form
- your personal details (eg contact details), use the ‘Change of circumstance’ form - not currently available
5. Repayments
Repayments don't start until April 2016.
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 monthly repayment amount will be 9% of any income you earn over £21,000.
Example
Your repayments would be:
- £7 a month - if you earned £22,000 a year
- £30 a month - if you earned £25,000 a year
Use the repayment calculator to get an estimate of how much you’ll have to pay back.
You can get independent 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 (Retail Price Index) 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
If you're an employee, 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.
Leave or change your course
You'll have to pay back any money (plus interest) that's been paid to your college or training provider if you leave or change your course after 2 weeks.
The interest rate will be the rate of inflation.
Speak to your college or training provider to see if they can transfer the loan to another course.
Access to Higher Education (HE)
Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding 24+ Advanced Learning Loans you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a higher education course. This means you don’t have to repay it.
The higher education course must be eligible for student finance.