Adult Funding
Aged 19+? Been a resident in the UK for the last 3+ years? You might be able to do a course for free or take out a loan to help you upskill, retrain, change direction and earn more. Check your details in each section below to see if you meet the criteria.
If you…
- Receive Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), including those receiving National Insurance credits only
- Receive Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Receive Universal Credit (UC), and your take-home pay as recorded on your UC statement (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £892 a month (learner is sole adult in their benefit claim) or £1437 a month (learner has a joint benefit claim with their partner)
- Are released on temporary licence, studying outside a prison environment, and not funded by the Ministry of Justice
You may also be able to do a Level 2 (and below) course for free if you are unemployed and fit any of the list below.
- Receives other state benefits (not included in the list above) and your take-home pay (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £892 a month (learner is sole adult in their benefit claim) or £1437 a month (learner has a joint benefit claim with their partner)
- Are not receiving any benefits, but would like to be employed, and you are satisfied that identified learning is directly relevant to your employment prospects and the local labour market need. To claim a fully funded course if you are unemployed and not in receipt of benefits, you must indicate that you earn below the earnings threshold.
If you are employed and earn less than £25,000 gross salary per annum, you may be eligible to do one of our Level 2 and below courses for free.
You will need to provide either:
- A wage slip or letter from your employer(s) dated within three months of your start date on the course, confirming your annual salary, for each job held, or
- A Universal Credit statement, dated within three months of your start date on the course, confirming your annual salary, for each job held.
Aged 19-23? If you:
- Don’t have a full Level 2 qualification or above?
- Are unemployed and in receipt of one of the following benefits and the course will help you enter employment
- Jobseekers Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Council Tax Benefit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Universal Credit
- Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment
- Your partner receives Working Tax Credit and you are named on the document
- Are unemployed and earning less than the stipulated threshold
You may be able to study for free.
This funding may apply to you if:
- This offer is only available for selected Level 2 courses
- You are only eligible if you don’t already hold a Level 2 qualification (see table below)
- You must be aged between 19-23 years of age at the start of the course.
| 5 GCSE Grades A*-C (9-4) NVQ 2 | ||
| 5 ‘O’ Level Passes | NVQ 3 | First diploma or Higher (National Certificate or Diploma) |
| 5 CSE Grade 1 | NVQ 4 | Access Course |
| 2 AS Levels or More | Intermediate GNVQ or Higher (advanced) | HNC/HND |
| 1 A Level or More | First Degree/Higher Degree |
If your course is part of the government’s ‘Free courses for jobs’ (FCFJ) which is a targeted level 3 offer to support adults who meet the definition of being below the earnings threshold or unemployed. The offer includes level 3 qualifications which will support the development of new skills for adult learners and improve the prospects of eligible adults in the labour market.
- This offer is only available for selected Level 3 courses identified by the government as “Free Courses for Jobs”. Please email info@newcollege.ac.uk for more details, stating which Level 3 course you’re interested in
- You must be assessed by the college as having the ability and aptitude to complete a full Level 3 programme
AND
- Have not already achieved a full Level 3 and above
OR
- Have already achieved a Level 3 but you are
- You must be aged 19-23 and you have not already achieved full Level 3, and above wage/earnings threshold
- You must not meet the earnings threshold
- You are unemployed and in receipt of benefits (JSA, ESA, UC, and “Other State Benefits”; AND earn less than £892 (individual claim) OR earn less than £1,437 a month (joint claim)
- You receive a low wage (earn less than £25,000 gross salary per annum)
- You are unemployed and not receiving any benefits, and would like to do the course to help get into employment. The course you’re studying must be in Local Labour Market Need* (ask staff for further details)
For most Level 3, 4, 5 and 6 courses, you can apply for the Advanced Learner Loan if you cannot pay for the course fee yourself and cannot use the other options on this webpage to get the Level 3 course fully funded. Like a university loan – you won’t repay the loan until you finish or withdraw from the course and earn a certain amount. The loan doesn’t depend on your current income and there are no credit checks.
- This offer is only available for selected Level 3 courses
- You are only eligible if you do not already qualify for a full Level 3 or above (please see table below)
- You must be between 19-23 years of age at the start of the course
- You must be assessed by the College as having the ability and aptitude to complete a full Level 3 programme.
Below is a list of qualifications at Level 3+. If you are already in possession of any of these qualifications you will not be eligible for fee remission under L3E. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list and you may be able to apply for funding under Free Courses for Jobs or an Advanced Learner Loan.
| NVQ 3 | NVQ 4 | NVQ 5 |
| 2+ A Levels | HNC/HND | First Degree |
| 4 AS Levels | AVCE Double Award | Higher Degree/Masters |
| BTEC National Certificate/Dip/Extended/National Diploma | Advanced GNVQ | International Baccalaureate |
| Access to HE |
Additional courses may be funded under Tailored Learning, the primary purpose of which is to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning. If you believe that a course you are applying for could be funded for you under Tailored Learning, please email info@newcollege.ac.uk or call 01793 611470. Learners who are fully funded through Tailored Learning are expected to progress on to new or more stretching courses to help gain more formal learning or employment. The College will provide Tailored Learning courses which:
- Engage and build confidence
- Prepare for further learning
- Prepare for employment
- Improve essential skills (English, ESOL, maths, digital)
- Equip parents/carers to support children’s learning
- Promote health and well-being
- Help to develop stronger communities.
As part of this provision, we have a fair and transparent fee policy in place. We are tasked to collect fee income from people who can afford to pay for this learning and use these fees where possible to extend provision to those who cannot. Our fee policy is available on our website and in the community venues where we deliver Tailored Learning.
Funding is available for English and maths up to and including level 2 for individuals aged 19 and over who have not previously achieved a GCSE grade A* – C or grade 4 or higher, and/or have been assessed as having an existing skill level lower than grade 4. Courses are offered in GCSE English and maths at both Queens Drive and North Star sites, or Functional Skills are available at the Adult Education Centre. Online Functional Skills may also be available, depending on your existing level of skill. Please Register your interest in the appropriate course or email info@newcollege.ac.uk for further information.
27-35 Fleet Street
Swindon SN1 1RQ
