Student Finance & Support

The Advanced Learner Loan online application service for courses starting from 1 August will be available from 28 June.

Eligible learners will be able to apply online on GOV.UK. Learners will need their Learning and Funding Information Letter (LAFIL) to make an application.

What is the Advanced Learner Loan?
Advanced Learner Loans are there to help learners aged 19 and over to cover the cost of course fees of a level 3, 4, 5 and 6 college or training course. The course must have started on or after 1st August 2016. Your loan application will last for the duration of the course so there is no need to reapply if your course is longer than a year.

Who is eligible?
Learners aged 19 or above (at the start of their course) and who are resident in the UK and studying an eligible Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 course.

Does the loan depend on my income or credit history?
No, the loan doesn’t depend on your income and no credit checks are carried out.

Do I have to take out an Advanced Learner Loan?
No, it’s up to you to decide on your best option, depending on your circumstances.

How much will I get?
The amount you’ll receive depends on:

• the type of course
• the course fees
• the maximum loan available for your course

The minimum loan you can get is £300. You don’t have to borrow the full amount of your course fees, you can pay for some of it yourself.

How many loans can I take out?
Unless you are studying an Access to HE Diploma you are entitled to access up to four loans which you can take out one after the other or at the same time. You can only access one loan to complete the Access to HE Diploma.

How is the loan paid?
The funds are paid directly to the college.

When do I have to pay back my loan?
Repayments don’t start until the April after your course has finished and you don’t have to pay anything back until you earn more than £27,295.

What you’ll repay

Repayments are based on your income, not on what you borrow or the number of student loans you have. This is known as an ‘income contingent’ repayment.

You’ll repay 9% of your income over £27,295 a year. Even if your income doesn’t exceed £27,295 a year but is over £524 a week or £2,274 a month at any point in the year (e.g. if you work overtime) then a loan deduction will be made.

For example, if you’re paid monthly and earn £2,500 before tax you’d repay 9% of the difference between what you earn and what the threshold is:

£2,500 – £2,274 = £226

9% of £226 = £20.34

So your student loan repayment would be £20 in that month.

If your income changes, either rising or falling, your repayment amounts will automatically change to reflect this. A different threshold may apply if you move to live in a country outside the UK. Page 10 explains this in more detail.

For more Advanced Learner loan information please follow link below

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advanced-learner-loans-terms-and-conditions-for-students-who-started-on-or-after-1-august-2021/advanced-learner-loans-a-guide-to-terms-and-conditions

Bursary fund
If you need help with your learning or living costs, you may also be eligible for money from the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund. The money can help with things such as: childcare costs*, accommodation, travel, classroom assistance for a learning difficulty or disability, course materials/equipment. You need to apply to the college directly for the Bursary Fund. You can apply once you have received a letter confirming your Advanced Learner Loan.

*Learners aged under 20 on the first day of learning must apply to the ‘care to learn’ programme.

For more information contact our Admissions Team

Tel: 01932 558990
Email: bursary@brooklands.ac.uk

Click here for further information on how to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.

Brooklands Process for Instalments for Adult Learning Fees

If you are signing up for an adult learning course you are able to pay in instalments. 

The first instalment should include the £25 administration charge. Debit/credit card details must be provided so that instalments can be taken at an arranged date automatically.

Brooklands College cannot arrange payment by instalments retrospectively.

Enrolling at Brooklands

• You will be permitted to enrol initially without your loan in place
• You will be required to complete a Direct Debit mandate and instalment plan in the first instance until your loan is approved by SLC
• You will be expected to pay a £25 Registration fee to get enrolled and then our finance will do a plan for instalments. 
• If your Advanced Learner loan remains unapproved by November, Finance will take the first instalment amount as agreed.   
• At Enrolment please inform the Admissions staff that you require a loan letter and we will set your details aside and will email you the letter by the end of the week. 
• If for any reason you do not hear from us please contact Admissions
• Once you have had your loan agreed you will need to bring in a copy of your loan agreement to our Finance Department, who will then cancel the Direct Debit Mandate and cancel any payment plan in place.
• If you have a loan approved you may be eligible to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan bursary if you are on an income of less than £25,000.   You will need a copy of your loan approval letter and submit this with a Bursary application, which is available from the Admissions office,
• A Bursary will not be approved unless you have secured your loan, so please forward a copy of your loan agreement to Admissions as soon as you receive it. 
• The Bursary will offer a contribution towards financial support for travel costs, childcare costs and any non-compulsory course items and equipment

The Care to Learn scheme can help with childcare costs while you study

You must be under 20 years old at the start of your course.

The scheme is available for publicly-funded courses in England.

You can get Care to Learn if:

You’re a parent under 20 at the start of your course

You’re the main carer for your child

You live in England

You’re either a British citizen or a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country

Your course qualifies

Your childcare provider is Ofsted Registered and qualifies

https://www.gov.uk/care-to-learn

Students from low-income families can apply to the Discretionary Learner Support Fund for help with Travel Costs

Don’t worry and don’t let it stop you from applying as there is a ‘Discretionary Learner Support Fund’ which you can apply for which is designed to help 16, 17 and 18 year old students who struggle with the costs of full-time education or training.

Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they:

• are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 to 18 (‘19+ continuers’) or
• have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

These 2 groups of students can receive a discretionary bursary while they continue to attend education (in the case of a 19+ continuer, this must be the same programme they started before they turned 19), as long as their eligibility continues and their institution considers they need the additional support to continue their participation. Students aged 19 or over are not eligible for the vulnerable student bursary.

To be eligible for the vulnerable bursary, students must be under 19 and in one of the defined vulnerable groups;

• in care
• care leavers
• receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner
• receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right

Financing Your Study – Students aged 19 and over

Discretionary Adult Learner Support Fund The 19+ bursary is awarded on a discretionary basis and due to its limited nature, meeting the criteria does not necessarily guarantee an award. The bursary fund is means tested and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. You must be:

• 19 or over as at 31st August starting a new programme of study and be attending a full or part time course funded by the Education Skills Funding Agency
• You must be 20 or over to get help with childcare costs (If you are 19, you should apply for Care to Learn instead

You can apply for help towards:

• Emergency Accommodation and meals
• Childcare fees (qualifying learners) you must not be receiving funding for childcare costs from any other source e.g. free early education places (childcare) or Childcare Tax Credits. If you are these hours should be deducted from your claim for Bursary Childcare funding
• Course materials & equipment, books etc
• Exam costs
• Travel, such as for public transport or taxis
• Support with course fees up to 50%
• Educational Visits/Trips

Means-tested grants towards course-related costs for students meeting the eligibility criteria.

Click here for Students aged 16-19
Click here for Students aged 19+

If you would like to apply, you will need to complete the relevant form.  
16-18 Bursary Application Form
19+ Bursary Application Form

Once completed, please email the form to: Bursary@brooklands.ac.uk

If you are in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), Employment Seekers Allowance (ESA), or currently unemployed, actively seeking work and in receipt of benefits you may be eligible for fee remission (does not apply some courses). You must bring along evidence of receipt of one of the benefits listed below with you when coming to enrol. This evidence must be current and dated within three months of the start of the course.

Benefits to support fee remission – JSA, ESA, Income Support/Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction Benefit, Pension Guarantee Benefit.

Fee remission may also be based upon the highest level of previous qualifications achieved.

Please check your eligibility with our Admissions Team

Tel: 01932 558990 
Email: bursary@brooklands.ac.uk

Click here for more information about Financial Advice and Assistance.

There are various grants and allowances available, dependant on your age and circumstances. If you would like to talk to a member of the Admissions team about possible financial support, please contact the Admissions Office at Brooklands College.

Tel: 01932 558990
Email: bursary@brooklands.ac.uk

Are you entitled to Free School Meals (FSM)?

If you think you may be eligible, or if you were eligible in the previous year,  please visit Admissions to check. They can reinstate your FSM or ask you to make a new application.

The government funding rate for for free meals in further education is £2.53 per student per meal for the coming academic year.   

If you are approved for FSM, you will receive an allowance of £2.53 per day. This will be uploaded to your student ID card automatically on a daily basis.

To use your FSM allowance, you must take your student ID card to the college refectory each day that you are in college. You can use your allowance at either breakfast or lunch.

You will need to select from the free school meal deals available. There will be a choice of a breakfast, sandwich, or hot meal deal option each day (there will be posters in the refectory indicating the meal deals available). The deals are all worth £2.53 or less.

Take your meal deal selection to the refectory cashier. They will swipe your card against the FSM card reader entitlement list and complete the free meal deal transaction.

Please ensure you use the full allocation of £2.53 each day you are in college. If you do not use it daily, you will lose it as any remaining balance will not be carried forward to another day.

If you have any further questions about FSM, please contact the Admissions Office.

Free School Meal Eligibility

Students aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August, may be eligible for a daily free meal in the current academic year. Students who are 18 at the start of their course and will 19 during their study programme will remain eligible for a free meal until the end of the academic year, or to the end of their study programme, whichever is sooner.

Students aged between 19 and 24 who are subject to a Learning Difficulty Assessment (LDA) or Education Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) and ESF students aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August are also entitled to a free meal while attending their course, if they meet the eligibility criteria.

To find out if your child is entitled to free school meals, contact Admissions Bursary Administrator

If you receive any of the following you/your child may be entitled to receive free school meals:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• during the initial roll out of Universal Credit

A student is only eligible to receive a free meal when they, or a parent/carer on their behalf, have made a successful application to Brooklands College Bursary. On approval for FSM this will be linked to their Student ID card which they must take to the Refectory to claim their free meal.

Free meals in further education funded institutions: guide for the 2023 to 2024 academic year – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Student Finance – Student Loans Company Overview
If you’re studying full-time
You may be eligible for student finance if your course is in the UK and one of the following:

• a first degree, for example BA, BSc or BEd
• a Foundation Degree
• a Certificate of Higher Education
• a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
• a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
• a Higher National Diploma (HND)
• an Initial Teacher Training course
• an integrated master’s degree
• a pre-registration postgraduate healthcare course

Full Information

You may be able to borrow money to help pay for university or college tuition fees and to help with living costs.
You might get extra money on top of this, for example if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children.
If you’re a continuing student or you’ve already created an account, log in to your account.

Before you apply
You start repaying once you earn over a certain amount. The size of your monthly repayments will depend on how much you earn, not what you owe.

You’ll be charged interest on the loan from the day you take it out. The terms and conditions can change.

Please visit the student loans company website for further information.

Read the student finance privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

How to apply
Find out how to apply for student finance.  

Applying for Student Finance Gov UK – Information

There’s a different process if you’re a student from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Contact the education authority if you live in the Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey) or Isle of Man.

Allowing someone else to manage your student loan account

The College commits staffing and resources to courses on the basis of learner enrolments and will only refund fee payments in the following circumstances.

• When a course is cancelled by the College.
• When a learner withdraws their enrolment at least 10 working days before the planned start of the course.

No refunds will be given once the course has commenced, except in exceptional circumstances as outlined in section 2.10 of the College fees policy. No refunds will be given if a learner withdraws their enrolment from the course after their enrolment date or if the College withdraws the offer of a place as a result of disciplinary action or non-attendance on behalf of the learner.

Please see below links for travel discount:

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/buses-and-other-transport/tickets-and-discounts/apply-for-a-surrey-link-bus-card

https://www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk/young-people/transport 

https://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel

Please find below some useful links:

GOV.UK Benefits for Families information:

https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/families

https://www.gov.uk/browse/childcare-parenting/financial-help-children

https://www.gov.uk/browse/childcare-parenting/schools-education

Local Charities can also offer help.  Below you will find some examples, there may be others available in your local area.

The Walton Charity

The Weybridge Charity

The Egham Charity

The Charities are not affiliated with the College and are completely independent so therefore the College has no responsibility or liability in relation to any support you may be offered, financially or otherwise. The College is however able to refer you to a charity initially if you would prefer.

If you would like us to assist you in applying or want an informal chat about any charity and what it can provide, please pop in and speak to the Admissions Department. Email us for more information: bursary@brooklands.ac.uk

New student support fund from Walton Charity

We are delighted that Walton Charity has provided us with an Opportunities Fund to help students facing financial hardship.

Walton Charity is a local charitable foundation working across Elmbridge. The new Opportunities Fund can support Brooklands College students who live in Elmbridge.

Here are a few examples of the kind of support available: 

• Help with the cost of low-cost equipment, materials or uniform.
• The cost of travel in the short term.
• A contribution towards the cost of college trips and activities associated with your course.
• Counselling or therapy sessions (specific criteria applies).

This list is by no means exhaustive so please contact Brooklands College Admissions Service, Bursary Administrator, Sharon Bosch sharon.bosch@brooklands.ac.uk to find out more or to make an application.

Applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.