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Course Fees & Financial Support

Some adult learners may be eligible to study their course for free, depending on their circumstances.

Adult learner in classroom

How much will my course cost? 

For students looking to return back to education, there is a large amount of financial support available. Depending on your financial circumstances, your previous qualifications and the course you choose, you may pay no fees at all!

If you fall under one of the following categories you may not have to pay any fees for your course:

• I am unemployed and receiving a state benefit* or employed and earn less than £20,319 annual gross salary or £33,210 if you are a Tees Valley CA resident

• I am aged 19 or over and want to gain a GCSE in English or maths and do not have a grade C or above

• I am aged 19 or over and want to gain Basic Skills Certificates or Functional Skills in English and Maths

• I am aged 19 or over and want to gain a Digital Skills Certificate

• I am aged 19-23 without a full Level 2 qualification and I want to study;

  • Entry or Level 1 qualifications needed to progress to a full Level 2 qualification
  • First full Level 2 qualification
  • First full Level 3 qualification

• I am 19-23, already hold a full Level 2 qualification, earn less than £20,319 annual gross salary or £33,210 if you are a Tees Valley CA resident and want to study a course up to & including Level 2

• I am 24+, earn less than £20,319 annual gross salary or £33,210 if you are a Tees Valley CA resident and want to study a course up to & including Level 2

• I am aged 19 or over, do not hold a full Level 3 and wish to study an eligible L3 course under the Free courses for jobs offer

If you are not eligible for full funding, there are a range of Government loans to support students with the cost of their tuition including the Advanced Learner Loan. Don’t let the cost of studying put you off reaching your dream career. While affordability is one of the biggest factors in going back to education, here at Middlesbrough College, we make it easier, thanks to straightforward support from our dedicated team, as well as a range of support funds to help with costs.

You will find the cost for each course detailed on individual factsheets.

Financial Support

Middlesbrough College has a number of different funds to help with expenses for individual adult learners, such as kit, uniform, equipment or help with childcare.

Here are brief details of the main schemes:

Advanced Learner Loan

Don’t let money stand in the way of your career ambitions!

If you are aged 24 or over or are 19-23 and already have a Level 3 qualification, you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to fund the costs for a range of Level 3 and 4 courses.

Advanced learner loans have been introduced by the UK Government for those wanting to return to study. They are easy to apply for, your household income isn’t taken into account and there’s no credit checks. Better yet, you don’t have to repay them until you are in employment and earning over £27,295 a year!

The loan is paid directly to the College covering the cost of your tuition fees so you don’t have to pay anything up front to study. You don’t have to borrow the full amount available- you can pay for some of the course yourself if you prefer. The minimum amount available is £300.

If you complete an Access to Higher Education course then go on to study a higher education programme, your repayments will be written off and you won’t have to pay anything back!

If you take out an Advanced Learner Loan for one course, then go on to study another eligible course afterwards, you can take out an additional Advanced Learner Loan to help with those fees too. You can take out a maximum of four loans in total.

 

How to apply
Chat to our Student Services team who will talk you through the process. They are available to help and support you through your enrolment. Email the team today on studentservices@mbro.ac.uk or call 01642 333606 for further information. Or you can fill out an application form here.*

* Please note: The launch of the Advanced Learner Loan 2022/23 online application service has been postponed by LP Services due to technical difficulties. Learners applying for support for academic year 2021/22 can continue to apply as normal. For support, please call 01642 333606.

Need more support?

If you require more support with understanding course fees, the financial support available or to see if you are eligible for a free course, our Student Services team are available to help in anyway.

Talk to us about your next step

Our friendly team are always happy to help! Get in touch with us to get your questions answered and to find out more about our College. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and stay up to date.