You may be entitled to free or reduced tuition fees when you study with us at Bolton College. This entitlement is based on age, income (linked to benefits received), qualifications already held and the type of course you want to study. Evidence confirming that you meet requirements will be required when you come to enrol.

The following requirements will enable you to have concessions on these courses so long as you are taking the course to EITHER gain employment OR are currently in employment:

• JSA, including those receiving National Insurance credits only

• ESA and one of working related activity groups

• Universal Credits AND

• You earn either less than 16 times the national minimum wage / national living wage a week or £338 a month (this is subject to change)
  
  
• One of following groups: All Work-Related Requirements Group, Work Preparation Group OR Work-Focused Interview Group

• Other State benefits (see 5 bullet points below) and you earn either less than 16 times the national minimum wage / national living wage a week or £330 a month (this is subject to change)

• Housing Benefit
• ESA (SUPPORT)
• Council Tax Benefit
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit (On a joint WTC claim and only the unemployed person can gain fee remittance)
  
  

• You earn either less than 16 times the national minimum wage / national living wage a week or £338 a month (this is subject to change) and are looking to progress into more sustainable employment.

You may also get your fees waived if:

• You are enrolling on your first full Level 2 qualification
  
  
• You are enrolling on a Literacy, numeracy, GCSE English or Maths course and you don’t already have grade      A*-C / 9-4
  
  
• Enrolling onto Entry Level or Level 1 course (if you do not already have a qualification above this level and require it to progress to level 2) and are aged between 19 and 23 years old

Aged 19 – 23 progressing onto a Full Level 3 who DONT ALREADY HAVE a Full Level 3*

Learners should in the main be entitled to have their first full level 3 course free. You will be required to sign a Declaration to say you don’t already have a full Level 3 qualification and we will check with a national database that this is the case.

If you are found to have a full Level 3, you will be required to fund the course. 

Payment options are:

1. Pay for the course yourself
2. Take out an Advanced Learner Loan (click here for more information).
   
   

Student Finance England will “write off” any Advanced Learner Loan balances that are owed on an Access to HE course once you have completed a recognised Higher Education course.

If you are 24 years old or over on the course start date they will have to fund the course.  

Payment options are:

1. Pay for the course yourself
2. Take out an Advanced Learner Loan 

Aged 19 – 23 and progressing onto a full Level 3 and already have a Full Level 3?

If you already have a full Level 3 qualification you will have to fund the course yourself.

Aged 19 - 24 who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)

•  If a learner is aged between 19 - 24 on 31st August  (for the academic year 2019-2020) with an EHCP to support their learning there is no course fee payable.

•  For learners aged 18 or under on 31^st August 2019 there is no course fee payable 
•  Eligible learners may only receive one Free* course at Level 2 and one Free* course at Level 3
•  The College reserves the right to change qualifications attached to courses, should the qualification become unavailable for public funding.

Students in receipt of the following benefits may have their fees waived providing that they produce the evidence required (restrictions apply):

The College seeks to help students who are on an annual income of under £26,575, or students who receive an income-based benefit, with some of the costs associated with studying (e.g. childcare and travel) through our Learner Support Fund. The fund is limited, so early application is advised. For further details call Student Services on 01204 482 182 or visit our Deane Road Campus.

Any learner aged 19 or over, taking a Level 3 or higher course (but not Higher Education) who is liable for fees, may be eligible to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for their course tuition fee. With this loan, you do not need to pay anything when you enrol and you only need to make loan repayments once you earn over £26,575 per year. For more information visit our Advanced Learner Loan information page.

Once you have completed an enrolment form, you will be asked to pay any fees that apply. You can pay for your course yourself or the fees can be met via a loan or through your employer/training provider. 

Please note: Some Level 3 (and above) full-cost (£) courses may be eligible for Advanced Learner Loan funding via another provider.

FEES: College course fees are charged on an annual basis and are payable before the start of the course. A two-year course will therefore incur two annual payments. 

If you pay for the course yourself: You can pay for the whole course in cash, with a cheque or by credit/debit card. You can pay in installments if your course is longer than 12 weeks and costs £150 or more. The total cost of your course will be split into up to 6 equal monthly payments; the first of which you will pay at enrolment. You will also need to visit a College Centre to take advantage of any special offers.

Please note that all courses are non-refundable unless the College cancels the course. Courses marked with an i require an interview. You can still pay online for these but please note that if you pay for a course without attending an interview and receiving an offer of a place, your booking will be cancelled and you will receive a refund minus the administration fee.

If your employer is paying your fees by invoice, you must bring proof of this on the employer’s letter-headed paper or a purchase order showing the complete address of where the invoice should be sent. 

Free Meals Fund: Some students aged 19-24 (on 31st August  for the academic year 2017-2018)  with Education, Health & Care Plan needs (EHC Plan) may be eligible for FREE College meals – depending on the benefits they or their family receive (please visit www.boltoncollege.ac.uk for details and apply using the College’s Financial Support application form provided by Student Services). Please bring relevant documentation with you to enrolment.

If you are paying for your course with an Advanced Learner Loan: Please bring your Learning & Funding Information Letter and your awarding letter from the Student Loans Company with you, if you have it, when you enrol. You will also be asked to sign a Fee Payment Advanced Learner Loans form. Please see our Advanced Learner Loan page for more information on the loan scheme available to students aged 19 and over, studying at Level 3 or above (but not a HE course).

Please note: All learners enrolling on a course with a (Q) symbol next to the course title must bring their prior qualification certificates with them to enrolment. Learners will not be able to enrol without this information. If you have lost any certificates, please contact your school or exam board. The main exam boards being: OCR , Edexcel and AQA

Refunds: If a course is cancelled, or if there is an administration error made by the College resulting in an overcharge to the student, a full refund/overcharge element will be paid to the student. No other circumstances will result in a refund.

Ofsted-registered childcare are provided at our Early Years and Preschool Centre, Deane Road campus. The centre caters for children aged from 6 weeks to 5 years of age. For information on places available and how to apply, call 01204 482 196 or email audrey.west@boltoncc.ac.uk

There is a charge for using the College childcare facilities but you may be entitled to receive help towards these costs. You may also be entitled to receive help towards the cost of childcare if your child is placed with an Ofsted-registered child-minder or nursery external to the College. For further details, call us on 01204 482 182 or visit Student Services at our Deane Road Campus.­­