An Advanced Learner Loan helps with the costs of further education courses. Content provided by Student Finance England.

If you’re aged 19 or over and studying an approved course at Level 3, 4, 5, or 6 at an approved college or training provider in England, you can apply for an Advanced Leaner Loan.

Eligibility for the loan doesn’t depend on your income, and there are no credit checks. Interest is charged from the date the first payment is made to the college or training provider.

The Advanced Learner Loan, plus any interest, has to be paid back, but not until you’ve finished or left your course, and your income is over the repayment threshold.

You may be able to get Adult Education Budget (AEB) grant funding if you're studying a level 3 qualification. Check with your college or training provider if your course is eligible for AEB grant funding. You should do this before you apply for an Advanced Learner Loan as you can’t get both types of support.


What's available?

The amount available depends on:

  • your course
  • the fees charged by your college or training provider

You can choose the amount you want to borrow, up to the maximum available. This is then put towards the fees charged by your college or training provider. The minimum you can borrow is £300.

Colleges and training providers may charge more than the maximum loan available. You’ll need to self-fund any difference between your loan and your course fee.

How many loans can you get?

Eligibility

Whether you qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan depends on your:

  • course
  • age
  • nationality and residency status
  • previous study

How to apply

When you apply for student finance, you'll need to agree to our terms and conditions:

To apply for an Advanced Learner Loan, simply follow these steps:
  1. Check with your course provider that the course qualifies for an Advanced Learner Loan
    Your college or training provider should then send you a 'Learning and Funding Information' letter. You need this to complete the application.
  2. Apply online
    If you've applied for student finance from Student Finance England before, you should use the same login details.
    They'll ask for information about:
    • your personal details, National Insurance number, and contact information
    • your nationality and residency
    • your course
    • how much you'd like to borrow
  3. Student Finance England will write to you to confirm your loan
    This will usually be within two weeks, if you applied online – paper applications will take longer to process.

You should check the information on the letter to confirm the amounts and course details are correct. Make sure you let Student Finance England know immediately if anything is wrong or has changed since your application.

If Student Finance England needs more information or evidence, you should send this as soon as possible to avoid any delays with your payments.

Any other forms Student Finance England may ask for can be found at www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.

Advanced Learner Loans explained - 2023 to 2024

Change of circumstance

If your circumstances change, this can affect your eligibility. You can update your information using your online Student Finance England account. You can also change your loan amount using Student Finance England's loan request form.

If you can’t update your information online, you should contact Student Finance England.


How it's paid

Payments are made directly to your college or training provider each month. Your attendance must be confirmed before any payments will be made.

Confirmation of attendance

Your uni or college will need to confirm your attendance two weeks after you’ve started your course, and every three months after that.

If you stop attending your course

If you stop attending at any point, your uni or college should let Student Finance England know as soon as possible, so they can stop any further payments.