How much you get depends on: the type of course your course fees the maximum loan available for your course It only covers your course fees, not your living costs. The minimum loan you can get is £300 and it’s paid directly to your college or training provider. You do not have to borrow the full cost of your course - you can pay for some of it yourself. Number of loans you can get You can apply for up to 4 loans and you can get more than one at the same time. You can apply for another loan to take the same level of a course, for example the same level qualification in History if you’ve already had a loan for the same level in Maths. You can only apply once for an Access to Higher Education course. A levels You can apply for a loan to fund each course you take towards your A levels - up to a maximum of 4 A levels. This means you can have up to 8 loans if you’re taking each A level as 2 separate courses. The courses must be in the same subject to qualify for a full A level. You can get 3 more loans for non A level courses either before or after your course of A levels.

Whether you qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan depends on your: age course college or training provider nationality or residency status You must be 19 or older on the first day of your course. Your course must be: a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification , for example A levels or graduate certificate at an approved college or training provider in England If you’re studying a level 4 or 5 qualification with Higher Technical Qualification approval, apply for undergraduate student finance instead. Ask your college or training provider if you do not know if your course is eligible. Your nationality or residency status In most cases, all of the following must apply. You must: be living in the UK on the first day of your course be a UK national or Irish citizen or have ‘settled status’ (no restrictions on how long you can stay) have been living in the UK, British overseas territories, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years in a row before the first day of your course (apart from temporary absences such as holidays) You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either: returned to the UK on or after 1 January 2018 and by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein was living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020 and has been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years If you or a family member is from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein You may be eligible if you’re: an EEA national a Swiss national a family member of an EEA national a child of a Swiss national Both of the following must also apply: you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme , or are in the process of applying for it you’ve normally lived in the UK, EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, or British or EU overseas territories for the past 3 years (this is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’) Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme to be eligible. If you have a different residency status You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following: a refugee, or the family member of one a migrant worker or a frontier worker, or a family member of one you’re not a UK national but you’ve lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life) you’re the family member of someone with ‘settled status’ in the UK under humanitarian protection or a family member of someone who has been granted it the child of a Turkish worker staying in the UK as a stateless person, or their family member, and your course started on or after 1 August 2018 granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain, or the child of someone granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain - if your course starts on or after 1 August 2020 a serving member of the UK armed forces, or their spouse, civil partner or a dependent parent or child living with them, doing a distance learning course from outside the UK that started on or after 1 August 2017 you, your parent or your step-parent have been given indefinite leave to enter or remain as a victim of domestic violence you, your parent or your step-parent have been given indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner you or your family member have been granted leave under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) or the Afghan Citizen’s Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) you or your family member have been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme you are a Chagossian with British citizenship, or a British citizen who is a direct descendant of a Chagossian

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. You can apply by post if you cannot apply online. 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 cannot apply until you get a ‘learning and funding information letter’ from your college or training provider. You can apply for a loan without a National Insurance number but you must have one before the loan can be paid in full. Apply by post If you cannot apply online, apply by post - the address is on the form. Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used. If you start your course on or after 1 August 2024 Fill in the ‘Application form for students who start on or after 1 August 2024’ . Read the ‘Terms and conditions for students who start on or after 1 August 2024’ . If you start your course between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024 Fill in the ‘Application form for students who started between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024’ . Read the ‘Terms and conditions for students who started between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024’ . If you started your course between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023 Fill in the ‘Application form for students who started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023’ . Read the ‘Terms and conditions for students who started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023’ . Proof of identity If you’re a UK national, include your valid UK passport details in your application. If you cannot apply online or need to send the details afterwards, fill in the ‘Advanced Learner Loan: UK passport details form’ . Do not send the passport itself. If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), send your original birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England. Include your name and address. You should also include your customer reference number if you have one. This is an 11-digit number. You can find it on letters or emails you’ve had from Student Finance England. If you have a different nationality or you live outside the UK You need to provide details from one of the following when you apply: passport national identity card biometric residence card biometric residence permit Supporting information Use the ‘Evidence return form’ if you need to send extra information to support your application, such as proof of residency status. Fill in the ‘Advanced Leaner Loan: evidence return form’ . Change an application Once your application has been approved you can log in to your account to make a change online . If you just want to change your loan amount you can use the loan request form instead. Fill in the ‘Advanced Learner Loan: loan request form’ .

You may apply to get money from the Loan Bursary Fund after you’ve received a letter approving your Advanced Learner Loan. The money can help pay for things like: accommodation if you need to live away from home for your course travel related to your course course materials and equipment childcare classroom assistance for a disability or learning difficulty - once you’re assessed by your college or training provider How to apply Apply to your college or training provider - each one has its own application process. How much you get depends on the provider’s scheme and your circumstances. Speak to student services if you need support with your application. How the money is paid Your college or training provider decides how the money is paid. You’ll normally be paid directly. You might be able to arrange for the money to be paid to someone else instead - for example, your childcare provider. In some situations you may have to pay the money back - check with your college or training provider. Eligibility Your college or training provider decides how to award funding. Check with them if they have specific eligibility requirements. You’ll usually be eligible if you get Disability Living Allowance. Appeal a decision Contact your college or training provider to appeal a decision from the Loan Bursary Fund.

Advanced Learner Loan

Overview

You can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help with the costs of a course at a college or training provider in England.

Loan eligibility does not depend on your income and there are no credit checks.

Check if you’re eligible before you apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.

If you’re studying a level 3 qualification, you might be eligible for an ‘Adult Education Budget’ grant instead of an Advanced Learner Loan. If you get a grant, you do not need to repay it. Ask your college or training provider about grants before you apply for a loan.

If someone is claiming an Adult Dependants’ Grant on your behalf, the amount of money they get could be affected if you successfully apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.

Different funding is available if you want to study in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales. Check:

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

You can choose to make extra repayments towards your loan. These are in addition to the repayments you must make when your income is over the threshold amount and are not compulsory.

Access to Higher Education (HE) course

Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a higher education course. This means you do not have to repay it.

The higher education course must be eligible for student finance.

If you made extra repayments towards your Advanced Learner Loan before starting a Higher Education course, these repayments are non-refundable.

Loan Bursary Fund

You may also be eligible for money from the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund if you need help with some costs while studying, for example childcare, travel or trips related to your course.

Use MoneyHelper to work out the cost of borrowing.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Advanced Learner Loan

Overview

When you repay your loan

Access to Higher Education (HE) course

Loan Bursary Fund

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Advanced Learner Loan

Overview

When you repay your loan

Access to Higher Education (HE) course

Loan Bursary Fund

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK