Aged 19+ and looking to change your career?

You could be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover your course fees!

Advanced Learner Loan

If you are 19 or over you may be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan. These loans will cover the full course fee for Level 3 or 4 courses marked with a ‘+’ in the Adult Courses Guide 2020 for the duration of your course. This means you don’t have to pay any money up front, and you will not make any repayments until you are earning over £26,575 per year (2020 current threshold – this be a different amount by the time your loan is due for repayment).  

If you are studying an Access to Higher Education course, your Advanced Learner Loan will be written off when you complete your degree. Further support may be available to eligible applicants via the loan bursary scheme. For more information, please see Access to HE information.

Key Facts 

For a summary of Key Facts about an Advanced Learner Loans and an overview of the process, please see: 

Click here for Advanced Learner Loan Key Facts 

Click here for more information about the Advanced Learner Loan process

Eligibility Criteria

• 19 or over on the first day of your course 
• A UK resident 
• Have not previously had a loan for the same qualification and not exceeded the maximum of four loans of which only one Access loan 
• For a loan for an Access course, have not had a loan before for that type of course 
• Studying at Level 3 or above (Including Access to HE and some substantial part time courses and Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships) 

Repayments

You’ll be due to start repaying your loan the April four years after the start of your course or the April after you finish or leave your course, whichever comes first. 

However, you won’t have to repay anything until you’re earning over a certain amount, which is currently £26,575 a year. If you earn less than that, you won’t have to repay anything. If you’re earning more than that, the Student Loans Company will work out your repayments at 9% of your income over that amount. 

By the time you start repaying, the amounts may be different. The table below has some some examples of what you might repay based on the current earnings threshold of £26,575 a year: 

For more information please click here or visit www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan

How to Apply:

You can make your online application at www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan. 

Click here for support with your application – How to Apply 

As part of the application process, you will be asked for details from a Learning and Funding Information Letter. This is supplied by college. If you have received a conditional offer from us, we will email the letter to you by Monday 17th August. If you have not received the letter by that date please contact the Admissions Team by email: advice@riverside.ac.uk

For independent financial advice please contact the Money Advice Service at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk. 

If you have any queries with regards to applying for an Advanced Learner Loan, please email the Admissions Team on advice@riverside.ac.uk 

Loans Bursary Fund

The Loans Bursary Fund is available to assist students with learning difficulties or disabilities, provide assistance to parents who need help with childcare and to support ex-military personnel.

Students aged 19 and over who have an approved Advanced Learning Loan by the Student Loan Company and have registered for their college course are potentially eligible to apply for a Loans Bursary, dependent on need. The categories for which support is given are:

• Childcare
• Travel
• Emergency funding
• In class learning support where an assessment has confirmed the need for assistance. However, discretion may be applied to react to learner’s needs and local circumstances.

Applying for the Loans Bursary Fund

An application form is available from Programme Management and Student Services. If you are already in receipt of bursary – you can complete an online application here or it is also available from Programme Management and Student Services. All applications will be means tested and proof of income will be required. When assessing your application, we will consider other funding support already available to you.

The Loans Bursary Fund is limited and awards are subject to availability.

Read more about Fees, Financial Information and How to Pay.

Adult Learning Links

• Adult Learning Homepage
• Adult Courses
• Access to Higher Education
• Fees & Financial Support
• Bursary / Financial Support
• Advanced Learner Loan
• Is College For You?