Advanced Learner Loan

Eligibility

Whether a learner can qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan depends on their:

  • course information including what they're studying and where
  • age
  • nationality and residency status
  • previous study

 

Course information

The learner must be 19 or older on the first day of their course.

The course must be:

If they're studying a level 4 or 5 course with Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approval, they may be eligible for undergraduate funding.

Course Length

The course must be at least 2 weeks to be eligible for funding, but there's no maximum time limit in which a learner must complete their course. However, there are maximum limits on how long we can pay a loan for. The maximum time periods of eligibility are determined by the type of FE course.

Learning Aim Maximum Time Limit
Programme of A Levels ( AS or A Levels) 2 years (for each AS or A Level)
Access to HE Diploma 2 years
Any other eligible Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 course 3 years

Nationality or residency status

Learners must usually:

  • be living in the UK on the first day of their course
  • have been ordinarily resident in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years before starting their course
  • be a UK national or have 'settled status' (no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK)

Learners may be eligible for a loan to study at a learning provider in England if they are a UK national or have settled status in the UK and they have been living in the following for the three years before starting their course:

  • the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Ireland (with at least part of the time spent in Ireland), or
  • the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the specified British Overseas Territories (with at least part of the time spent in the specified British Overseas Territories).

They may be eligible for a loan to study at a learning provider in England if they are a family member of a person with settled status in the UK and they have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the past three years.

 

Learners can also apply if they've been living in the UK, Overseas Territories, the EEA or Switzerland for the past three years and are:

  • an EU national, the family member of an EU national or the family member of a Person of Northern Ireland and they have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or they are in the process of applying for it (studying at learning providers in England only)
  • an EEA or Swiss worker, or the family member of an EEA or Swiss Worker, and they and their family member have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or they are in the process of applying for it
  • the child of a Swiss national and they and their Swiss parent have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or they are in the process of applying for it
  • an EU national or family member of an EU national and they have resident status in Gibraltar (studying at learning providers in England only)
  • the child of a Turkish worker (residence in Turkey is included in the three-year period)

They can also apply if they've been living in the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA or Switzerland for the past three years and are:

  • a UK national, the family member of a UK national or an Irish citizen, and were living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020, or living in the UK on 31 December 2020 after returning from the EEA or Switzerland on or after 1 January 2018 (studying at learning providers in England only if they are an Irish citizen)
  • a UK national or family member of a UK national and they have resident status in Gibraltar (studying at learning providers in England only).

Learners can also apply if they have one of the following Home Office statuses:

  • Humanitarian protection or the family member of someone with this status
  • Stateless status or the family member of someone with this status
  • Refugee status or the family member of someone with this status
  • Calais leave and dependent child granted 'leave in line'
  • Leave to remain under section 67 of the Immigration Act or the dependent child of someone with this status
  • Indefinite leave to remain in the UK as the victim of domestic violence or abuse
  • Indefinite leave to remain as a person who has been a bereaved partner
  • They or their family member have been granted limited or indefinite leave to enter or remain under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) or the Afghan Citizens Relocation Scheme (ACRS)
  • They or their family member have been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme

Learners could also be eligible if they are not a UK national and have been living in the UK for at least half their life or at least 20 years. They must have limited leave to remain (including discretionary leave to remain) and have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of their course. They must also live in England on the first day of their course.

Learners whose courses start before 1 August 2021 will continue to get student finance for the rest of their course.

 

Find out more on GOV.UK.

 

Learners who live outside England may also be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan if they're:

  • a serving member of the UK armed forces
  • the spouse/civil partner of a serving member
  • a child, step-child or adoptive child living with a member of the UK Armed Forces serving outwith England
  • a dependent parent living with a serving member

We've created an eligibility tool for learners considering an Advanced Learner Loan.

 

Previous Study

Learners can usually get a maximum of 4 Advanced Learner Loans.

The exception to this is if they're studying an AS or A level where they can apply for up to a maximum of 8 Loans for the programme of A level study, and can still get a further 3 loans for other designated further education. Previous educational study will not affect a learner's entitlement to their first FE loan.

Learners will be able to get up to 4 loans for the same type of vocational qualification. However, they'll still only be entitled to one loan for a programme for A Levels or Access to HE Diploma.