| Author: | Alistair Gourlay last updated by Will Harris |
| Date of Publication: | September 2020 |
| Revision | 15 September 2023 Grainne Hillery |
| First date of review | August 2024 |
Fees are charged on a per course basis and vary according to the length and nature of the programme. Fees are made up of two components: a tuition fee and an administrative fee.
No tuition or administration fee is charged to the following individuals (aged 19 and over)
Please note that some courses are only on offer at full cost and therefore this fee waiver will not apply. Please check course details for further information.
Universal Credit
If the learner is working AND are claiming Universal Credit and earn less than £617 a month (individual claims) or £988 a month (household claims). Note that the actual amount of UC claimed by the learners is irrelevant – eg a learner can claim £1000 UC and if they are earning less than £617 a month they would still not pay a tuition fee.
If the learner claims UC but is not working then the amount of UC claimed is irrelevant and they should not pay a tuition fee.
(There is some discretion to waive fees if the learner is claiming UC, earning more than £617/£988pm, but wants to be employed or progress to more sustainable employment and the learning is directly related to this.)
Details of a claimant’s earned and unearned income can be found on their Universal Credit Home Page Statement. As Universal Credit entitlements change on a monthly basis, eligibility for a fee concession will be determined at the time of booking and evidence dated within the previous calendar month will be required.
Proof needed: screenshot of individual’s current online Universal Credit account record, presented at time of enrolment or within 2 weeks of enrolment
Income based Jobseekers Allowance
Proof needed: Benefit Awards letter dated within the current financial year and within 3 months of enrolment date.
Employment and Support Allowance (Work Related Activity Group WRAG)
Proof needed: Benefit Awards letter dated within the current financial year and within 3 months of enrolment date
Note: some work related benefits do not send out monthly/quarterly letters only an annual letter. If the learner only has an annual letter, take a copy and speak to Operations Manager/MIS manager if unsure
Accredited courses for learners earning less than £20,319 p.a
If you earn less than £20,319 per annum, you may be eligible for a fee reduction.
Proof needed: You will be asked to provide payslips or a contract of employment dated within 3 months of your course start date.
19-23 Year Old Learners
Learners aged 19-23 who do not already have a full level 2 qualification do not have to pay any fees to study for:
- Entry or Level 1 qualifications (excluding ESOL).
- A first full level 2 qualification. Fee remission type: Level 2 entitlement
- A first full level 3 qualification. Fee remission type: Level 3 entitlement 19-23
Proof needed: You will be asked to declare your qualification level and intention to enter employment by signing a document.
16-18 year old learners
Learners aged 16-18 when they start their learning programme do not have to pay any fees to study qualification based programmes.
Proof needed: You will need to provide photographic ID (e.g. passport or driving licence).
Learners aged 19 and older
Learners who wish to study a level 3, 4 or 5 qualifications, for courses other than maths and English, will in most circumstances be entitled to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan which will cover some, or all, of the course fee. Learners can also pay the course fee in full. Option to pay by instalments will also be available.
Learners aged 24 and over
Learners who wish to study up to and including a level 2 qualification will be required to pay the course fee in full unless eligible for a fee waiver (on receipt of specific means tested benefit as detailed within this policy document). Option to pay by instalments will be available.
A learner who has not got any L3 qualifications at all will be entitled to ONE L3 qualification for free with the Government Lifetime Skills Guarantee. If a learner has L3 qualifications in any subject, the Government Lifetime Skills Guarantee may not apply – see Government Skills Guarantee Funding Rules for more information.
As a rule of thumb a learner with preexisting L3 qualifications but unemployed and on UC and/or earning less than 20,319 MAY be eligible for Government Lifetime Skills Guarantee – pass enquiry to relevant curriculum manager
Maths and English Programmes
There is no tuition fee for all maths and English courses for Functional Skills and related Skills Units up to and including Level 2, regardless of individual circumstances.
GCSE Maths & English
There is no tuiton fee applicable for GCSE Maths and English for anyone without a Grade C (or new Grade 4) or above in those subjects. Those wanting to attend the course to improve an existing C (4) grade or above will pay the full fee, regardless of circumstances.
(but see note about devolved areas)
General eligibility rules about access to English/maths apply, if the learner is not eligible self funded candiate rules apply – see policy.
Additional Notes
- If there is a material cost and it will be additional, these will be highlighted in the Course Guide.
- Proof of receipt of the above benefits is required at the time of enrolment. If this is not available and is not produced within 2 weeks of the enrolment the learner will be required to pay the full fee (and will be invoiced accordingly)
Learner Support Fund
There are limited funds available to support learners experiencing financial hardship. Please contact Will Harris – will.harris@york.gov.uk or 07887 545795 to establish eligibility and availability of funds.
EU (excluding UK) citizens – EU Referendum June 2016
As of August 2023 all EU residents are still eligible for funding as detailed in this policy document.
Non EU residents
Non EU residents will be required to pay the full cost of the programme, which includes examination and registration fees. The full cost of a programme is double the advertised course fee.
Learners from devolved funding areas
Learners who apply from devolved funding areas will NOT be able to access programmes for free due to the educational funding for those areas being pre-devolved to those authorities already unless they pay a fee – see individual programmes for fees as these can vary depending on length of course . If the programme does incur a cost, the cost will be double to anyone from a devolved funding area.
If you live in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority area (WYCA) then there is a limited fund currently available to cover the cost of certain courses in certain subject areas. Please talk to us about what you want to do and we will investigate whether this can be covered. There is no guarantee that the course you wish will be covered by this fund.
Non EU residents
Non EU residents will be required to pay the full cost of the programme, which includes examination and registration fees. The full cost of a programme is double the advertised course fee.