Learners aged between 16-18 will not be required to pay for their studies, and Middlesbrough College offers a range of services designed to support you through your studies.

• Certain students may be able to claim a bursary of £350 per year. These are means tests and subject to status. Bursaries are linked to attendance, performance and behaviour
• If you are currently receiving free school meals, this will continue at college. All full-time students also receive 10% discount of all food. There are currently six cafes located within the College campus catering for a range of dietary requirements
• You may be able to receive help with equipment, costs, travel expenses and residential s depending on your personal circumstances
• Care to Learn provides financial support to parents under the age of 20 with the costs of childcare to ensure they are able to continue in education. Some young parents will also be eligible for Income Support, in which case they are entitled to a £1,200 Bursary
• All full-time students can access free bus travel to and from college, and reimbursed train travel from selected stations
• Certain categories of full-time students can apply for additional help from the social security system

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! And for those who do, there are usually no upfront fees as there are a range of loans and grants available.

• The Advanced Learner Loan covers the fees of a range of Level 3 courses and you don't need to pay this back until you are earning £27,295 a year!
• Professional and career development loans are available to help pay for work related studying. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning
• The DLSF provides funding for childcare support for students over the age of 20 depending on their personal circumstances

Choosing to study a higher education course at college can be a considerably cheaper route than traditional university study. On top of this, there are a number of loans available to help fund the cost of our HE courses.

New students enrolling on a designated Higher Education programme and studying at least 30 credits a year can apply for a loan to cover the full cost of fees each year.

This means that the course will be free at the point of entry and repayments will only be made if and when the students is earning over £25,000 a year.

Loan repayments will start in the April four years after beginning the course, even if the learner is still in the process of studying, or in the April after leaving the course, whichever comes first.

Repayments are based on the amount earned annually, not on the amount that has been borrowed.

If learners are earning less than £25,000 a year, at this point they will not begin repaying their loans. If they are earning over £25,000 a year, repayment will be calculated as 9% of any income over £25,000. After 30 years, any outstanding balance is written off.