Advanced Learner Loan

Learners who are over the age of 19 can now apply for an Advanced Learner Loan for any Level 3, 4 or 5 qualification in England.

FEAR OF FEES …. Don't worry about taking out an advanced learning loan. All fees are covered and won't affect your credit rating, see below for all advanced learning loan information. If you're considering studying, you might be surprised at how affordable it can be.

You may be entitled to full funding of your course if you are earning below the earnings threshold.

This may mean that you do not require an ALL, if you think that this may be the case,

please discuss your situation with us before applying for an ALL.

Eligible courses include:

  • Access to HE Diploma

  • A Levels

  • Diplomas at level 3 and 4

  • Certificates at level 3 and 4

An Advanced Learner Loan isn’t like other loans because:

  • If you started your course before 1 August 2023, repayments will be automatically deducted from your income through the tax system if your income is more than £27,295 a year. If you started your course after this date, then the repayment is based on your income of £25,000.

  • It won’t affect your credit rating

  • Your credit rating will not be taken into account

  • Repayments are linked to how much you earn, not how much you borrow

Bursary fund
You may apply to get money from the Loan Bursary Fund after you’ve received a letter approving your Advanced Learner Loan to help pay for childcare.

"I would take a loan out but..."

  • The loan doesn’t cover living costs. Think of it as loans for education, benefits for living.

    However, you should speak to your Jobcentre Advisor as taking a course could affect your benefits if you study/train for more than 16 hours per week.

  • The loan doesn’t appear on your credit file, which is what banks take into consideration for mortgages. So the loan itself won’t affect that decision.

    However, mortgage providers might take into account your disposable income – they will want to make sure you can afford mortgage repayments after income tax and loan repayments have been taken from your salary.

  • Anyone aged 19 and over who wants to study a course at level 3, 4 or 5 now has to pay.

    But this doesn’t mean you can’t afford to study in further education.

    Yes, you have to pay fees, but with a Advanced Learner Loan you can borrow the money and pay it back a bit at a time when you are earning more than £25,000 a year. (if you started on or after 01/08/2023)

  • There’s no credit check or upper age limit and it doesn’t matter what your income is, you could still get a loan.

  • To begin paying back your loan you would have to be earning more than £25,000 a year. This will be arranged for you by the Advanced Learner Loan provider.

    If you would like to make a voluntary payment, you may do so at any time.

  • No payment from your loan will be made to your college or training organisation until you’ve attended the course for more than two weeks. If you leave after more than two weeks, you’ll have to pay back any loan payments that have been made, based on the length of time you attended the course. Once you stop attending, the loan payments stop.

  • Instead of your employer deducting your repayments along with your income tax, you will make repayments based on your self assessment tax return. It’s exactly the same method the Government uses to calculate your tax and National Insurance contributions. And you still only make repayments if your income is more than £25,000 in the tax year.

  • If you aren’t earning any money, you won’t have to make repayments. The payment terms depend on you earning £25,000 a year (or the equivalent). Until then you don’t repay anything. And if you haven’t paid the loan back within 30 years, any remaining amount will be written off.

For more information please call our friendly Recruitment Team on 01752 218086 or visit Gov.uk >

GOV.UK Advanced Learner Loan