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Education and learning
Help with learning costs: an introduction
You could get financial help towards the costs of your course, and related costs like travel and childcare. The help you can get will depend on a range of factors - including your personal circumstances and the course you're doing.
What sort of funding and financial support can you get?
If you’re thinking of doing a course, there’s plenty of information about financial help online. There are also telephone helplines that can answer questions on some of your funding options - or you can talk to your college’s student support or welfare officer.
Adult Learning Grant
The Adult Learning Grant (ALG) could give you up to £30 a week while you take your first full Level 2 or Level 3 qualification.
Help with childcare costs
If you're a parent, there are a number of sources that could help with childcare costs while you’re learning.
Discretionary Support Funds
Colleges and school sixth forms can provide extra financial help through their Discretionary Support Funds. The funds are prioritised for those who face financial hardship.
Career Development Loans
A Career Development Loan (CDL) can help you pay for vocational or work-related learning. A CDL is a deferred repayment bank loan which allows you to borrow between £300 and £8,000.
Other grants and bursaries
Other types of grants and bursaries to help with learning costs are also available.
These include the Residential Support Grant, which offers accommodation costs if you need to study away from home.
Remember: grants don’t have to be paid back. Bursaries are similar to grants, but are usually linked to a particular career.
How much will your course cost?
Learning for free
Tuition is free for some courses - including, in many cases, courses in literacy and numeracy and courses which lead to your first qualification equivalent to GCSEs and A levels.
Learning for work
If you’re in work, your employer may be willing to support you - financially or otherwise.
Course fees
If you have to pay for tuiton, course fees vary depending on the subject, the length of the course and the type of qualification. You can find out about fees before you enrol.
Learning costs
There may be other costs like exam fees, field trips and membership of societies or clubs. You may also need to buy materials - books, stationery and computer equipment, or specialist equipment for courses like art or music. It’s worth finding out about these costs before you start your course.
Keeping costs down
To keep costs down you can:
- find out if your college has a discount shop
- check if you are eligible for a National Union of Students (NUS) card - the card is recognised nationally, offering discounts on a range of products and services
- borrow books from the library, instead of buying them
- use computer facilities at your college, learning centre, library or UK online centre
Financial help for higher education students
The sources of financial help are different if you’re doing a higher education course.
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