Advanced Learner Loan (19+)

Have you heard about the Advanced Learner Loan?

If you're aged 19 or over and want to study A Levels, an Access to Higher Education Diploma, or a Level 3 to 6 Vocational Qualification, you'll need to pay for the cost of your course.

The Advanced Learner Loan is a government-funded loan to help learners to pay course fees. It's easy to apply for, doesn’t take your household income into account and doesn’t involve a credit check.

Here are some key facts about the loan:

Repayments are linked to what you earn and not how much you borrowed.
You only have to start making repayments when you’ve finished your course and the earnings threshold from April 2024 is £25,000. Thereafter it will be adjusted annually in line with average earnings. Until then you don’t need to pay back anything, but you can make voluntary repayments at any time.
Currently you pay 9% of the money you earn over £25,000 before tax. For examples please check out the How much do I repay page of the Student Loans Company website.
You can make voluntary repayments if you want to pay off your loan more quickly.
Interest is charged on a sliding scale between the Retail Price Index (RPI) and RPI +3%, depending on how much you earn.

For further information, contact Student Services on 0191 518 8222 or visit https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learning-loans/overview

The Student Loans Company who provide the loans and support students in applying for them have a special Learner Helpline which is 0300 100 0616 or visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-slc-repayment-enquiries for more contact options.

What else learners need to know

You need to pay course fees if you are 19 or over and wish to study for a qualification at level 3 to 6.
You may be eligible for a government-backed Advanced Learner Loan to pay for your course fee.
The amount of money you can borrow depends on your course.
The minimum amount you can borrow is £300.
When applying for an Advanced Learner Loan, there is no credit check and household income isn’t taken into account.
Loan repayments are linked to what you earn when you’ve finished your course, not how much you borrowed.
If you’re employed, loan repayments will be taken directly from your salary through the tax system.

Previous Study

Learners can usually get a maximum of 4 Advanced Learner Loans. However, they're only entitled to one loan for a programme for Access to HE Diploma. Previous educational study will not affect a learner’s entitlement to their first FE loan. Students will be able to get up to 4 loans for the same type of vocational qualification (excluding Access to HE).

Helpful Websites

The decision to take out an Advanced Learner Loan is entirely for the individual and you may wish to take careers and financial advice before doing so. Before taking out any loan, you should consider all of your options. If you want advice on managing your finances, visit the Money Advice Service website.

Click here for The Money Advice Service website.

You can also research further information on the Student Finance England website.

Click here for more information from gov.uk website section on Advanced Learning Loans.