Academic Year
2014/2015
Serving
South & West Durham
Funding your course with an Advanced Learning Loan
Please read the following in conjunction with the Advanced Learning Loan Factsheet and FAQs
sheet to ensure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Student Finance England (SFE) administers Advanced Learning Loans on behalf of the Student Loans
Company (SLC) for learners aged 24 and over undertaking a Level 3 or Level 4 course. Advanced
Learning Loans pay for your course fee only and you have to repay these. When you apply to SFE you
are only applying for support for one year at a time. You will need to apply again for your second
year unless SFE write to you and advise differently. Your loan will be paid directly to the College.
When should I apply for this support?
Once you have applied to Bishop Auckland College for your course and been successfully
interviewed, our Student Admissions Team will send you an ‘Offer and Funding Information letter’.
On receipt of this letter, apply for your loan online at www.gov.uk/student-finance.
Applications take approximately 2-3 weeks to process by SFE but this can be longer especially over
the summer months when many students across England are making their applications.
Once you have been assessed by SFE, they will send you a ‘Letter of Entitlement’ if you have been
approved for your loan. You should bring this letter with you when you enrol onto your course to
evidence that your funding is in place. Enrolling onto the course then secures your place. Therefore
it is important that you act quickly.
Fee liability and what happens if you leave your course early
Once you have enrolled on your course and attended for two weeks you are fully responsible for the
full fee cost. SLC will make payments to the College on a monthly basis. However, if you leave early,
these payments will cease and there will be a balance of fees owing to the College which you will be
responsible for. See example below:
Course Fee is £2,000 for a course that starts in September and completes in June i.e. 10 months.
Learner leaves after 5 months-SLC have made 5 payments of £200 to the College = £1,000.
Balance of remaining fees to be invoiced to learner = £1,000
If you have applied for a loan and it has been approved but you subsequently decide not to start the
course, don’t worry, the College will not receive any payments and you can inform SFE that you no
longer require the loan.
Applying for your finance
Visit www.gov.uk/student-finance for general advice and guidance on Advanced Learning Loans. You
can then navigate to the apply on line link to begin your loan application.
If this is the first time you have ever applied for student finance you will need to create a user
account. If you have previously had an Advanced Learning Loan or other student finance contact the
SFE helpline on 0845 300 5090 for further guidance as you may not qualify for further funding. If
this is the case and you still wish to continue with your course, please contact the College’s Student
Funding Officer for further advice.
Step 1, Creating a ‘user account’
This is quick to do. You will need to provide your contact details, national insurance number and a
valid email address. Don’t guess your national insurance number – an incorrect number will impact
on your assessment for finance.
You will also need to verify your identity. You can do this via the following two options:

Provide your UK passport number.
Your passport must be valid and in date. Out of date passports will not be accepted. You will
not be asked to send your UK passport to SLC. Your identity will be checked automatically
with the Identity and Passport Service.

Provide your original birth certificate/adoption certificate accompanied by a completed
‘certificate authorisation’ form
This form will be posted to you by SFE or you can download it from their website. The form
has to be countersigned by a person known to you for at least two years who is of good
standing in the community. You will be provided with guidance to ensure you select a
suitable person. Do not send your birth/adoption certificate alone as this will delay your
assessment.
OR
Step 2, Applying for your Advanced Learning Loan
Once your account has been created, you will be presented with two options of finance to apply for.
Choose ‘FE Learning Loan’.
You will need to have your Funding Information Letter with you to complete this. If you have
lost/misplaced this, contact our Student Admissions Team who will be able to supply a copy.
Enter the course fee amount, College reference number and course reference number (sometimes
referred to as Learning Aim reference number). You will also need to enter the start and end date of
your course.
Once you have completed all the necessary fields, click submit.
Step 3, Return your Student Declaration Form
When your application has been assessed you'll be sent a ‘Student Finance Entitlement’ letter. This
shows you how much student finance you're entitled to and how much money you'll get.
If you applied online, you must sign, date and return a declaration form to Student Finance
England. If you fail to do this, your loan will not be paid to the College and you may be asked to
leave your course.
Once you've read the letter, keep it safe. You may need to refer to it if you contact the SFE helpline.
Nationality or residency status
You can only apply if:



You’re a UK national or have ‘settled status’ (no restrictions on how long you can stay)
You normally live in England
You’ve been living in the UK for 3 years before starting your course
You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:



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EU national, or family member of one
Refugee
Humanitarian protection (as a result of a failed application for asylum)
Migrant worker
Child of a Swiss national
Child of a Turkish worker
Repayments
You must pay back Advanced Learning Loans. You pay interest on these. Refer to the Advanced
Learning Loan Factsheet for further guidance.
How much you pay back
If your course finishes before 2016, or you choose to leave before then, repayments won’t start until
April 2016. Your repayments are linked to your income. You only make repayments when your
income is over £21,000 a year. If your income drops below this amount repayments stop.
Each month you pay back 9% of any income over £21,000.
Your income per year Monthly repayments
£21,000 and under
No repayments
£25,000
£30
£30,000
£67
£40,000
£142
£50,000
£217
£60,000
£292
Once you’re registered with Student Finance England you can check your balance online.
If you leave the UK, repayments are based on the earnings threshold for the country where you live.
You can pay some or all of your loan at any time without an extra charge.
If you’re an employee your employer will work out your repayments and take them out of your
salary with your tax.
If you’re self-employed you must make repayments as part of your self-assessment tax return.
If you leave your course early, you still have to repay your Advanced Learning Loan. You will also
be liable for any balance of fees not met by your loan provision and will be invoiced directly by the
College.
24+ Bursary Fund
What is the 24+ Bursary Fund
This fund provides financial or ‘in-kind’ help to eligible students aged 24+ at the start of their course,
who are funding their course with a 24+ Advanced Learner Loan. You must be fully approved for
your loan prior to making your bursary application. These funds are aimed at those most in need.
You can apply for support to help meet the costs of childcare and transport.
This fund is cash limited and operated on a first-come, first-served basis for September and
January applicants.
Childcare Support
Support is available to help students aged 20 years and over with up to 100% of term-time only
Ofsted registered childcare costs. If you are eligible for government funded nursery education
sessions you must utilise these to help meet your childcare costs. Payments will be made monthly
direct to your childcare provider on provision of a monthly invoice once you are enrolled. The
payment of this support is subject to attendance. To be eligible for this support your household
income for tax year 2013-2014 must be £32,000 or less. Household income includes tax credits,
benefits, earnings and any other income received.
Travel Costs
Students can access the College’s bus services which operate throughout the county. Students living
outside the bus timetabled areas can apply for funding to support mileage costs or public transport
costs where they live at least 3 miles from the College campus. You should speak to the Student
Funding and Transport Officer as conditions do apply.
 Approved mileage costs will be paid at a rate of 13p per mile
 Approved public transport costs will be reimbursed
Both are subject to attendance and the receipt of a valid Travel Claim form. This must be
accompanied with receipts/tickets, where the claim is for use of public transport. Travel Claim forms
can be obtained from Client Services. To be eligible for this support your household income for tax
year 2013-2014 must be £25,000 or less. Household income includes tax credits, benefits, earnings
and any other income received.
Support for university open days/interviews
Assistance to cover the main travel costs for students who are attending a higher education open
day or interview. Travel assistance for up to three trips may be covered. Students may apply in
advance or retrospectively and the visit must take place during the 2014-15 academic year. Evidence
of the date of the open day/interview will need to be submitted. To be eligible for this support your
household income for tax year 2013-2014 must be £25,000 a year or less. Household income
includes tax credits, benefits, earnings and any other income received by the adults in your
household.
Who can apply?
Eligible students must:
• Be aged 24 and over (on the start date of the course)
• Be enrolled on a mainstream further education level 3 or 4 course*
• Be in receipt of a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan
• Fulfil normal UK residency rules
• Have good attendance, 90% or above.
How do I apply?
You will need to complete the Discretionary Learner Support Funds and Bursary application form
and return it to the Student Funding and Transport Officer as soon as possible.
Application forms should be processed and decision letters sent to students within four weeks of the
date of us receiving the application, as long as all information has been submitted and the student is
enrolled at the College.
What evidence is required?
You must evidence the current total income received into your household. This includes the income
of your spouse/partner. You will be asked to provide a copy of pages one to four of your Tax Credit
Award Notice (TCAN) 2014-15. We cannot accept ‘Provisional’ TCANs. If you’re not in receipt of tax
credits please supply a copy of your current household benefits letter (dated in the last month) or
copies of your 13/14 P60s. Please supply photocopies only as we cannot take responsibility for
returning any original documents.
Eligibility is dependent on household income. Household income includes earnings, benefits, tax
credits and any other form of taxable income that you or your spouse/partner receives.
You apply for this funding directly to the College NOT to SFE. A 24+ Bursary Fund application pack
and guidance regarding the eligibility threshold can be obtained from the College’s reception or by
contacting the Student Funding and Transport Officer on 01388 443032.
Your Advanced Learning Loan must be approved by SFE and you must sign and return your
declaration form to them before applying for 24+ Bursary Funding.
It is therefore vital that you make your Advanced Learning Loan application sufficiently in advance as
we cannot support any of the above costs prior to this as you would be liable for any childcare costs
incurred up to the date of loan approval.
Other useful links to help you make the right decision for you:
Money Advice Service at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Professional and Career development Loans
Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans to pay for courses and training that help
with your career or help get you into work. You may be able to borrow between £300 and £10,000.
Loans are usually offered at a reduced interest rate and the government pays interest while you’re
studying.
Visit www.gov.uk/career-development-loans/overview for further info.
Welfare and Hardship Grants
County Durham Community Foundation makes grants to individuals and families who are in need of
some help. This may be to support a family in crisis, provide a respite break for a full-time carer, or
the means for a talented individual to achieve their full potential. They have a number of funds that
support individuals and each grant really can make a life-changing difference.
Telephone 0191 378 6340 or visit www.cdcf.org.uk
Some of the grants they can offer are £250 to help towards household items including:
Washing Machines
Cookers
Fridges/Fridge Freezers
Children’s beds and bunk beds
Other useful links for help with money matters and welfare
www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/grants-education Free and impartial advice about education
grants and loans
www.studentcashpoint.co.uk
Access a range of Student finance information
www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser Help with Benefits
www.adviceguide.org.uk Citizens Advice
Natalie Davison
Principal I Chief Executive
Bishop Auckland College
Woodhouse Lane I Bishop Auckland
County Durham I DL14 6JZ
T: 01388 443000
F: 01388 609294
E: [email protected]
Client Services: 01388 443030
W: www.bishopaucklandcollege.ac.uk