We have explained below how your tuition fees could be funded, but we do ask that you get in touch with one of our student advisers as, more often than not, it’s your personal situation that will determine any financial support you may be entitled to.
If you are entitled to have your tuition fees waived, you will only be required to pay any material costs that relate to your course but you may be entitled for help with that too! See our Student Finance Support page for more information.
If you aren't eligible for free tuition fees, you can find out how to pay here.
Tuition fees will be remitted in the following circumstances:
- You are unemployed and in receipt of any of the eligible benefits; OR
- As an individual if you are unemployed or employed and earn less than £25,750 annual gross salary, you will need to provide/upload either a document showing you are on a benefit or 2 months or 8 weekly wage slips as evidence to your application account; OR
- If your annual household income is between £25,750 and £40,000 gross, you can apply for Student Finance support online through your application portal. You will need to upload your last 2 months or 8 weekly wage slips
- Level 3 courses that are not part of the Free Courses for Jobs Programme
- If you are aged 19-23 as of the course start date, you may be entitled to fee remission (no charge) if you do not already hold a Full Level 3 qualification and if the course qualifies for Government Funding.
- If you do not qualify for the above Government Funding, you can either:
- Pay the course fees yourself – these can be paid in full, or you can set up an Instalment Plan
- Your employer/sponsor can pay the course fees
- Alternatively, you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan. You will receive a letter from the college a few months before the start of your course, explaining all about the Advanced Learner Loan and whether your course qualifies for funding.
- Free Courses for Jobs Programme
- You can see the full list of the courses available on the Free Courses for Jobs programme here.
- The Free Courses for Jobs programme aims to help adults back into training after many have found work dry up or competition for jobs too fierce, as a result of the pandemic.
- The fund will help eligible adult learners access government funded level 3 courses. By offering funded training and qualifications in areas such as healthcare, engineering, education and more, adults can gain higher level skills, ready to move into the workplace.
- You can get a free level 3 qualification as part of the Free Courses for Jobs programme, if you:
- Are 19 or over and do not already have a level 3 qualification, your earnings threshold will not be taken into consideration
- You already hold a Level 3 qualification or higher and you have a postcode which is part of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, and you are unemployed or employed and you earn less than £33,796.80* gross annually; OR
- You already hold a Level 3 qualification or higher and you live in a non-devolved area, such as Leicestershire or Lincolnshire and you are unemployed or employed and you earn less than £25,750* gross annually
- *Please note: If you live in another devolved authority OR your annual gross income is more than the specified amount shown above, you will not qualify for FCFJ Programme.
There is no Government funding to remit your course fees for Level 4 courses, therefore you will need to either pay or apply for an Advanced Learner Loan. You will receive a letter from us a few months before the start of your course explaining about the Advanced Learner Loan and if your course qualifies for funding.
Some courses incur registration, material and equipment costs, which may not be eligible for fee remission under the above criteria.
You may provide your own materials as long as they meet the standards specified by the course tutor. This is particularly important where you will be using products in commercial settings. Please note, that Nottingham College can provide all of your materials at the current standard, at the best price possible.
Please let us know if you do not wish to take advantage of our industry standard suppliers for your materials.
Benefits eligible for fee remission (if applicable)
You will need to upload a photograph of your benefit to your application account:
- Benefit evidence for unemployed
- You must provide a document dated within 3 months from the Job Centre/Benefits Agency confirming your benefit.
- Income evidence for employed
- You must provide your latest 2 months or 8 weekly wage slips or a document confirming your income from your employer.
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Employment Support Allowance and work-related activity group
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit (not the Single Person Discount)
- Pension Guarantee Credit only
- Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independent Payment and not in work
- A joint claimant of one of the above
- Dependent of individuals in receipt of the above (up to the age of 20)
- Asylum Seekers or Means-tested Benefit (has ASPEN card or in receipt of NASS)
- Unemployed and a dependent of a claimant on working tax credits
Here are examples of evidence of ID that we will accept.
Just take a photo of it and upload it to your account when you enrol:
- Passport
- Driving Licence (full or provisional)
- National Insurance card/letter
- Birth Certificate
- Adoption certificate
- Benefit letter which states learner’s name
- UK Naturalisation / Citizenship certificate
- Residence Permit card / E-Visa / Share Code
- National Identity card and letter to show EU settlement
- Home Office letter
- Advanced Learner Loan letter
If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss National, please visit our EU Settled Status scheme page for more information.
If you are not from the UK or EU/EEA or a Swiss National, we will need to check your residency status before we can assess you for fee remission. Please visit our Proof of Identification page for more information.
How to pay for 19+ further education courses
Please note this information applies to 2025/26 courses.
If you do not qualify for the above Government Funding, you can either:
- Pay the course fees yourself – these can be paid in full, or you can set up an instalment plan
- Your employer/sponsor can pay the course fees
- Alternatively, you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan. You will receive a letter from the college a few months before the start of your course, explaining all about the Advanced Learner Loan and whether your course qualifies for funding.
Instalment plans
If your course fees are between £200 and £500 and the duration of your course is over ten weeks, you can take out an instalment plan of up to four payments. Your plan must not exceed the duration of your course. If your course fees are £500 or above and the duration of your course is over ten weeks, you can take out an instalment plan of up to six payments. Your plan must not exceed the duration of your course. A direct debit must be set up at the time of your enrolment and a declaration must be signed. The first payment of your plan must be paid at the time of enrolment. The remaining payments will be made on either the 6th or 28th of each month.
Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure there are sufficient funds available in your account on the relevant payment dates. If you default on payments, the full amount will become payable within seven working days. Also, in line with college policy, you could be referred to our 3rd party debt collection agency and could be charged for any legal or other costs incurred by the college in recovering debt.
Advanced Learner Loans
The Advanced Learner Loan is there to help you with the cost of your course fees if you are studying a Level 3 or Level 4 further education course that isn't part of the Free Courses for Jobs programme and you are eligible for tuition fees.
It’s easy to apply – your household income isn’t taken into account and there’s no credit check.
You don’t have to pay any of your loan back until you’ve started earning over £27,295 a year.
If you leave or change course after two weeks or more, you’ll have to pay back any money that was paid to your college or training provider.
You can choose to pay off some or all of your loan at any given time with no extra charge.
Any outstanding balance is automatically written off 30 years after your scheduled qualification end date.
Payments will depend on the amount you earn over the repayment threshold during any given pay period, not the amount that you’ve borrowed.
Your pay period depends on when you receive your salary. This could be every week, every four weeks or a calendar month. Payments will stop if you earn below the repayment threshold for that pay period.
Repayments are set at 9% of your income above the minimum of £27,295 a year, £2,274 a month or £524 a week.
You’ll be charged interest at the Retail Price Index (RPI) + 3% while you complete your course and until the following April after leaving your course.
After that interest is linked to your earnings.
So, if you earn:
- less than £27,295, the interest is set at the RPI
- £27,295 to £47,835, the interest is set at RPI + up to 3% on a sliding scale
- over £47,835, the interest is set at RPI + 3%
For more information on Advanced Learner Loans including how to apply, repayments and interest rates, please visit the government website here.
