Do I need to pay for my course?
Our Adult Education courses and Community Learning courses and workshops are for adults over the age of 19 on 31 August 2025 who have a postcode in England. You may need to pay for your course, depending on your immigration status. Please contact us on 01724 297146 for more information.
Courses to Achieve a Qualification (Adult Skills Courses)
These courses are either fully or part‐funded by the Department for Education. Please click on this link if you need more information ‐ (DfE) Department for Education..
When you apply for a course, we’ll check to see if you’re eligible for full funding. If you are eligible for full funding, you will not need to pay for your course unless you do not complete it.
You could be eligible for full funding under any of the following fee remissions:
1. Fully Funded Courses
Our maths and English courses up to Level 2 are fully funded for anyone who doesn’t already have these qualifications at GCSE (Grades 4 – 9 or A* ‐ C) or an equivalent. However, if you feel you need to update your maths and English skills, please contact us as you may be eligible for a funded course.
Our Essential Digital Skills courses are fully funded for anyone who needs to build their confidence and skills at Entry Level and Level 1.
2. Other Courses leading to a qualification
For our other Level 1 & Level 2 courses, you may be eligible for full funding depending on your personal circumstances.
To be eligible, ID and evidence of benefit status or low wage (if applicable) is required in accordance with the DfE Funding Rules.
If you are applying online, this evidence must be uploaded during the application process, so please have it ready before you apply.
If you fail provide the evidence required or to complete the course, you may have to pay the full cost.
3. Other Fully Funded courses
All of our Tailored Learning taster courses and engagement events are fully funded.
All of our Tailored Learning employability, family learning and targeted wellbeing courses are fully funded.
Acceptable evidence for a full fee remission (fully funded)
If you can provide evidence that you are in receipt of any the following, you may be eligible for full fee remission, meaning your course fees will be covered by DfE funding:
- Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
- Universal Credit (UC), and your take‐home pay as recorded on your UC statement (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £952 a month (sole adult benefit claim) or £1 a month (a joint benefit claim with partner)
- Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Carer’s Allowance
- Other benefits may be eligible – please enquire
- Earnings threshold – less than £25,750 annual gross salary.
If you do not fall into one of the Fully Funded categories above:
- If you are not eligible for a funded course (e.g. if you have not been a UK resident for 3 years or more), you can still do a course with us, but you would need to pay for the course when you enrol. Please enquire for details.
- If you are not eligible for a fully funded (free to you) course due to your personal circumstances (e.g. not on a low wage or on any benefits), you can still do a course with us, but you would need to pay a registration fee when you enrol. Please enquire for details.
If you do need to pay fees for your course, we have a number of options available to you:
Help with fees
If you are experiencing genuine financial difficulties, you may be able to apply for help with transport to your class, childcare costs during your class and some of your course costs (if you are not eligible for full funding).
Talk to our enquiries team on 01724 297146 or speak to one of our centre staff about our Hardship Support Fund. Information can be found in the download Hardship Support Fund Policy
Payment options
You will need to pay for your course and exam fees when you enrol. For some of our longer courses, we offer the option to spread the cost and pay by instalments.
Exam Fees
There may be an extra fee for courses that include an exam or accreditation. To check if this applies to your course, please call our enquiries team on 01724 297146 or speak to one of our centre staff.
Devolved areas
We no longer receive funding from the government for learners living in devolved areas. To find out if you live in a devolved area, please check the government website:‐ Adult Education Devolution ‐ GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)