Choosing to study at Nescot is an investment in your future, but we know that affording tuition fees and living costs can sometimes be tricky. At Nescot we have a range of measures to help make it easier for you to afford to take a college course.
Specialist support
Nescot has a specialist financial support team who are on hand to advise on all the monetary aspects of coming to College.
Our advisors are based in-college and can give up-to-date, expert advice on student finance issues including:
Fee remission
Level 2 and 3 entitlement
Bursary funds
Fee assessments
Student visas
Free courses for jobs funding
Advanced learner loans
Higher education student support
The team is responsible for the administration of the college’s bursary funds for students and other government schemes.
Free for 16-18 year olds
All full-time courses for 16-18 year olds are free
Over 19?
You may qualify for a free course, reduced fees or an advanced learner loan.
Free courses up to Level 3
Eligibility for free tuition on courses up to Level 3
If you are aged 19 or over on the 31 August of the academic year then you may be required to pay tuition fees for your course. However, for some courses, you may be eligible for free tuition if you meet one or more of the following criteria (subject to course eligibility):
You are unemployed, receive Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Employment Support Allowance, and need the course to help you gain employment
You receive another eligible benefit and the course will improve your employment prospects
You live in a London borough and earn less than £28,860 gross per year
You live outside London and earn less than £26,800 gross per year
You are not currently working or claiming benefits, want to find employment, and the course is directly relevant to your career goals
You are aged 19 to 23 and do not already hold a full Level 2 qualification or above.
Please note: Free tuition only covers course fees. You may still need to pay for additional costs such as equipment, materials, uniform etc. Please see our Bursary pages for more information.
*For benefit-based eligibility for London students, your take-home pay must be less than £952 per month for a single person or £1,534 per month for a house hold.
Free Level 3 courses
Eligibility for free tuition on Level 3 courses
If you are aged 19 or over on the 31 August of the academic year, you may be required to pay tuition fees for a Level 3 course. However, you may be able to study for free if your course is eligible and one of the following applies to you:
Aged 19-23
You maybe be eligible if:
you do not already hold a full Level 3 qualification or higher; and
your chosen course is on the Level 3 Entitlement List
Aged 19 or over and living in London
You may be eligible if your course is on the London Level 3 Entitlement list and you:
receive an eligible benefit; or
earn less than £28,860 gross per year; or
are not currently working and do not receive any state benefits; or
are aged 24 or over and do not already hold a full level 3 qualification or higher
Aged 19 or over and living outside London
You may be eligible if your course is on the Free Courses for Jobs list and you;
receive an eligible benefit; or
earn less than £26,800 per year; or
are not currently working and do not receive any state benefits.
Please note: Free tuition covers course fees only. You may still need to pay for additional costs such as equipment, uniforms, materials, trips and examination fees. Financial support may be available to help with these costs – please see our Bursary page for more information.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, please contact the Student Finance Team for advice.
Advanced Learner Loan
If you are aged 19 or over and want to study a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 Further Education course, you may be able to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help pay your tuition fees.
Not all courses are eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan. If you would like to check whether your course qualifies, please contact the Student Finance Team.
The loan:
is available whether you are employed, unemployed, or self-employed.
is not based on your income.
does not require a credit check.
is paid directly towards your course fees.
You will only start to repay your loan when your income reaches the repayment threshold for your loan plan. The amount you repay depends on your earnings.
Access to Higher Education Diploma students: If you take out an Advanced Learner Loan for an Access to HE Diploma and then go on to complete a higher education qualification (such as a university degree), your Advanced Learner Loan may be written off and you may not have to repay it.
Please note: If you’re aged 19 to 23 and do not already hold a full Level 3 qualification or above, you may be eligible for free tuition and may not need an Advanced Learner Loan. Contact the Student Finance Team for advice on the funding options available to you.
Further Education students living in households with a take home income of less than £30,000 who would like help towards their college costs may apply to the College bursary fund.
Nescot has laptops available to loan to students each academic year. Students who hold an EHCP, have indicated they have an additional support needs at enrolment or those in receipt of bursary, are eligible for long-term laptop loans from the LRC, subject to availability.
Laptops can be taken and used at home. The student (or parent/carer) will be required to sign to say they will pay for any damages, should they occur.
Student Finance Team
For information about the financial support available including loans, bursaries and other entitlements please contact our student finance team
Applying to Nescot is designed to be clear and straightforward. This page explains each step of the application process, from submitting your application to enrolling on your course.
We want you to be successful and to make the most of your opportunities at Nescot. Our aim is to provide a supportive environment and to help you achieve your goals.
