Money Matters

How Much Will My Course Cost?

The cost of courses varies depending on a number of things, for example the length of the course, whether or not it leads to a qualification, and whether or not it receives government funding. The tuition fee published against each course on the Course Listings pages are the full fees, assuming no concession, for UK residents. Depending on the type of course you enrol for, concessionary fees may or may not be available, as follows:

• Full-Cost courses are charged at £7.15/hour and there are NO concessionary fees available. All students must pay the full tuition fee for these courses, along with any awarding body fees and additional costs.
• SFA-funded courses are charged at £3.75/hour and students may be eligible for full or partial concessions on fees. See below for further details.
• Community learning courses are funded through the local council, and cost £3.40/hour. Students may be eligible for full concessions on fees. See below for further details.
• Higher Education courses are funded through HEFCE and no concessions are available. However, students may be eligible for loans or grants. Visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

If you are not a UK or EU resident, please see the 'Fees for non-UK/EU residents' section below for details of what tuition fee you will need to pay. Where courses are for more than one academic year, the fees stated on this site are for the current year only - further fees are payable for each academic year.

Fees may be subject to change because of government funding reviews, which can happen at any time, or because of price changes made by awarding bodies.

Current fees will always be confirmed at enrolment and updated here on our website as soon as we are aware of any changes.

Additional Costs

For some courses, there are other costs that you are required to pay on top of the basic tuition fee. These include awarding body fees (registration and exams), and depending on your choice of course costs for equipment, handbooks or work-wear. Some of these costs have to be paid at enrolment, for example, awarding body fees. However, in the case of workwear, you may need to go out and buy these before the course starts (in some cases this is arranged for you by the College department).

Free Tuition

• Students aged 16-18 years
  Students aged 16-18 years old, studying at the College on full-time courses are fully funded by the government, so there is no charge for tuition or exams (other than re-sits). 16-18 year-olds can also study on funded part-time courses at no cost, as these are paid for by the government - please check at enrolment which part-time courses are funded. You must be under 19 on 31st August 2011 to be eligible in this category.
• Skills for Life - Adult Basic Education Courses
  There is no charge for Adults studying on our Skills for Life Upgrade your English or Maths courses, as these are funded by the government.

SFA-Funded Courses

• Full-time Course fees
  If you are 19 or over and would like to enrol on a Full-time Further Education course, then there is a tuition fee of £360 to pay at enrolment, along with any awarding body fees. A concessionary tuition fee of £10 per course is available only to students who meet the criteria set out below.
• Part-time Course fees
  Students aged 19 and over enrolling on SFA-Funded part-time courses will need to pay the full tuition fee, unless you meet the concession criteria set out below.
• Concessionary Fees
  Government funding cuts have significantly restricted the availability of concessions. The College is able to offer two levels of concessionary fee for 2011-12, which will be subject to review at the end of the year.

  1) Full-Concessionary Fee
  This means that you only pay a £10 registration fee; your tuition is free. To be eligible for the concessionary fee from 2011 you must be in receipt of either Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) for those who are in a Work-Related Training Group (WRAG). If you are a joint claimant for JSA/ESA (WRAG) you will also be eligible.

  If you receive either of the above allowances, you will need to bring evidence with you to an enrolment session - an award notice or other confirmation of payment to you.

  Other students who will receive the full concession include:

  • Students studying for their first full Level 2 qualification (eg. NVQ2, BTEC Level 2 Diploma, GCSE, not ESOL) regardless of age, or those studying at Entry or Level 1 in order to progress to a first full Level 2.
  • Students aged between 19 and 24 studying for their first full Level 3 qualification. In this instance, the student may still have to pay for materials and examination fees where applicable.
  • Students taking a full Level 3 qualification without having a Level 2 qualification.
  • Students aged 19-24 taking GCSE English and/or GCSE maths, who do not already hold the qualification at grades A*-C.
  • Students in receipt of these income-based benefits: Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit (not single occupancy/student reduction) AND who are seeking to carry out a course to help them enter employment.

  2) Part-Concessionary Fee
  This means that you will pay 75% of the tuition fee, plus all other awarding body and additional costs. Students can only receive this part-concessionary fee for 1 course at any one time. Full tuition fees must be paid for any additional courses being studied at the same time. The part-concessionary fee is available to adults in receipt of certain income-based benefits (formerly known as mean-tested benefits). These include:

  • Council Tax Benefit (not single occupancy/student reduction)
  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit where your total household income is less than £15,276 per year. (Child Tax Credit paid on its own does not qualify for fee remission)
  • Pension Guarantee Credit (you must be in receipt of Guarantee Credit Award Notice, not just Savings Credit).

  Other students who will pay the part-concessionary fee include:

  • An unwaged dependant of a person in receipt of one of the above benefits or JSA/ESA (WRAG).
  • Asylum seekers in receipt of an equivalent income-based benefit

  You will need to bring evidence of your benefit to enrolment to obtain any concession. For Working Tax Credit and Pensions Guarantee Credit this evidence must be your award notice.

  The rules surrounding eligibility for tuition fee subsidies are complicated - please come in to College during one of the public enrolment sessions if you would like any further advice. If you have already enrolled and received a 25% subsidy but think that you may be eligible for additional help under the new rules, please contact the College for a further assessment.

  For students on a 2-year course, entering the second year of that course, the old eligibility criteria for a full concessionary fee apply to 2011-12 only. The full concessionary fee may be available if you are an adult in receipt of certain income-based benefits (formerly known as mean-tested benefits). These include:

  • Council Tax Benefit (not single occupancy/student reduction)
  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit where your total household income is less than £15,276 per year. (Child Tax Credit paid on its own does not qualify for fee remission)
  • Pension Guarantee Credit (you must be in receipt of Guarantee Credit Award Notice, not just Savings Credit)

  Other students who will pay the concessionary fee include:

  • An unwaged dependant of a person in receipt of one of the above benefits or JSA/ESA (WRAG)
  • Asylum seekers in receipt of an equivalent income-based benefit.

  You will need to bring evidence of your benefit to enrolment to obtain any concession. For Working Tax Credit and Pensions Guarantee Credit this evidence must be your award notice.

Community Learning Courses

These courses receive local council funding and typically do not lead to qualifications, so will not carry awarding body fees.

Concessionary Fees for Community Learning Courses

This means that you only pay a £10 registration fee; your tuition is free. The concessionary fee is available to adults in receipt of certain income-based benefits (formerly known as mean-tested benefits). These include:

• Council Tax Benefit (not single occupancy/student reduction)
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit where your total household income is less than £15,276 per year. (Child Tax Credit paid on its own does not qualify for fee remission)
• Pension Guarantee Credit (you must be in receipt of Guarantee Credit Award Notice, not just Savings Credit)

Other students who will pay the part-concessionary fee include:

• An unwaged dependant of a person in receipt of one of the above benefits or JSA/ESA (WRAG)
• Asylum seekers in receipt of an equivalent income-based benefit

Payment of Fees

In general, your tuition fees and additional costs are payable at enrolment. Some further conditions might apply, depending on your fee status and what type of course you are enrolling on.

• A £10 registration fee per course will be charged at enrolment to part-time adult students who qualify for a full fee concession and provide evidence to support this, except those studying Skills for Life.
• All students applying for a Higher Education programme are required to pay £100 deposit at enrolment. Deposits may be refundable subject to the learner receiving an LEA fee award or student loan. Invoices will be issued to all HE students by the end of September. Any loans, grants, deposits or part payments will be offset against the invoice - any outstanding amounts are your responsibility.
• Higher Education courses, for example Foundation degrees and University Certificates, will be charged at £1875 per year in most cases. There are a few exceptions to this, either because of the awarding body or because of the number of learning hours included in the qualification - please see the course listings to check. All students on Higher Education courses, who are not sponsored by their employer, should apply to their local education authority for assistance with their fees.
• You can pay fees at enrolment by cash, cheque, credit or debit card (excluding American Express and Diners Club). If the fee exceeds £300, an instalment plan with a maximum of three payments by standing order may be arranged at enrolment (including HE courses).
• Financial assistance may be available depending on your circumstances - please see the Learner Support Fund paragraph for more information.
• If you require further guidance about fees, please ask at advice and enrolment or contact the Welcome Desk.

Employer Sponsorship

If your employer is paying your fees, please bring an official purchase order on letter-headed paper to support your enrolment; if a training agent is paying your fees, please bring a letter with you to confirm this. Please note: should an employer or training agent fail to make payment, the student will become personally liable for payment of fees.

Refunds

If the course is cancelled due to insufficient numbers, full refunds are available within 10 working days. Other refunds are only available under the terms and conditions indicated on the reverse of the enrolment form. If you enrol online, the refund will be made to the original payment card.

Learner Support Fund

If lack of money is preventing you from studying, whatever your age, we may be able to help. You can apply for assistance from our Learner Support Fund, which is intended to help people in financial hardship. You could get help with the costs associated with your course, eg materials, books, childcare. If you wish to be considered please contact the Welfare Officer at one of our advice and enrolment sessions, or by telephone on 01270 654654. All requests are dealt with in confidence.

Fees For Non-UK/EU Residents

Colleges are required to charge two levels of fee for courses - a 'home' fee to UK and most EU/EEA residents, and an 'overseas' fee for other students. Learners are classed as 'home students' if they fall into one of the following categories:

1. Students who are settled and meet residence requirements in the UK
2. EU Nationals and their family members, who have lived in the EU for the last three years
3. European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss workers and family members
4. Child of a Swiss National
5. Asylum seekers, their spouse / civil partner and children (for FE courses only, not HE)
6. Those not granted refugee status but allowed to remain in the UK with their spouse / civil partner and children, or still awaiting a decision on their asylum request
7. Exchange students
8. Children of Turkish workers
9. Students from specified Overseas Territories of Britain and EU member states

If you do not fall into one of these categories, then you will be classed as an 'overseas student' and will need to pay the overseas fee rate.

In addition, the type of course on which you are enrolled can affect the level of fee, for example Further Education or Higher Education. If you are in any doubt as to your fee status, please do not hesitate to contact the Information Centre on +44(0)1270 654654.

Additional Information For Overseas Students Regarding Payment Of Fees

• Fees for one academic year must be paid in advance and no certificate of acceptance for studies (CAS) which is necessary to obtain / renew a student visa, will be issued until fees have been paid or documentary evidence produced confirming that you have a Government award or Scholarship.
• Fees should not be paid until specifically requested by the College. We will send out an invoice.
• The 2011-12 overseas student tuition fee for one academic year is £5000 for full-time Further and Higher Education courses. This figure may be revised at the beginning of each academic year, so a two year course may be subject to a higher fee in the second year.
• Part-time courses will be charged at £11 per hour subject to a maximum of £5000 per annum. Overseas students who are in the UK on a student visa may not enrol on a part time course unless they can prove that they are also a full time student elsewhere.