Information about our course fees
How much will it cost?
Free courses
Provided you meet residency requirements, certain courses are FREE. These include;
- English and maths functional skills.
- maths and English GCSE courses are free if you have not previously achieved a grade A-C or 4-9 at GCSE
- Essential Digital Skills qualifications are free if you have not previously achieved an IT qualification at that level or above
Discount fee
These course fees are available if you are:
- in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
- in receipt of Employment Support Allowance Work Related Activity Group (ESA/WRAG)
- in receipt of an income based benefit* and are actively seeking work or better employment
- employed and earning less than £9.50 per hour (you will need to provide evidence of this)
- are unemployed
Please ask a member of staff for further advice
*Universal Credit, Job Seekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance (WRAG/HRAG), Income Support, Pension Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Asylum Support.
Full fee
If you are not eligible for a Discount fee you will have to pay the full course fee and any exam and assessment fees.
Other important fee information
Exam fees
There is an exam fee for all qualification courses.
Unfortunately some 2020/21 exam fees have still to be confirmed by the exam boards. For some learners the exam entry will be free depending on the course and your personal circumstances. Please ask staff for details.
For Level 3 courses the exam fee is already included in the published course fee.
16 - 18 year olds
If you are aged 16-18 on 31st August 2021 the fee you pay will depend on other education you are engaged in. Please speak to a member of staff for more information.
Advanced Learner Loans for over 19s studying on level 3 courses
If you were aged 19 or over on the 31st August 2021 and you are enrolling onto some of our level 3 courses, then you must pay the full fee or take out a loan depending on the eligibility of the qualification. More information can be found at: www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan
You do not have to pay your loan back until you have started earning over £26,568 per year.
European Community / EEA learners
You must provide proof of your status at enrolment. Provided you meet eligibility criteria, standard fees, concessions and discounts apply.
International learners (non EC/EEA)
The minimum course fee is £10 per hour. For details on the residency requirements needed to qualify for our funded courses please ask at your local centre.
