Course Fees

Further Education Programmes

For home students the full-time tuition fee for Further Education courses for 2010/11 is £1,310 per year and for overseas students the tuition fee £5,970 per year. Please note that these fees do not include the examination fees.

The fee for part-time Further Education courses is calculated on a pro rata basis.

If you are under 19 years old prior to the start of the course, and are a permanent resident in the UK, you will not be charged tuition fees.

If you are 19 and over, in receipt of income-based benefits, or you are the unwaged dependant of someone in receipt of such a benefit, your tuition fees may also be waived.

Alternatively there are free courses for adults who wish to return to education and undertake a first Level 2 or first level 3 qualification or the course is skills for life/basic skills (literacy, numeracy) you will also have no fees to pay. However you will still have to pay any exam or materials costs.

There are some courses where ALL learners have to pay full fees, and these include the College’s evening workshops and bespoke training courses.

For two year courses, the fees above are for the first year only. There will be a separate fee when you enrol for the second year of your course.

For more information see the section on what do I have to pay?

Higher Education Programmes

For Higher Education students the tuition fee for full-time Higher Education programmes in 2010/11 is £3,290 per year. The fee for part-time Higher Education programmes is calculated on a credit basis; £28 per credit, so for example 10 credit module would cost £280, £560 for a 20 credit module and £1120 for a 40 credit module for 2010/11 (fees subject to annual review). The tuition fee for the Higher Education Level 0 programme is £1,310.

For overseas students the tuition fee for full-time Higher Education programmes is £8,930 per year.

Student Loans for tuition fees and maintenance are available to eligible full-time students doing a Higher Education course in the UK. You should check your entitlement to financial support. The Department for Education and Skills publishes details of the funding arrangements for Higher Education and provides a Information Line on 0845 300 5090. Information is also available from the www.direct.gov.uk and www.studentfinanceengland.co.uk websites.

It is important to remember that if you receive a student loan to pay your tuition fees, repayment will not be required until you are earning over £15,000 per annum before tax is deducted (2009 figure). This equates to earning a salary of £1,250 per month or £288 per week.

In most cases, these repayments are collected automatically through the tax system. Any disability-related benefits you receive will not be counted towards the £15,000 threshold, even if they are taxable. If you receive a disability-related benefit and are permanently unfit for work, your loan will be cancelled.

Student Loan maintenance for students starting a programme in 2010/11 has the following maximum rates:

Source: www.direct.gov.uk

Additional Costs

You will be expected to pay for any personal books or materials you need. In addition there may also be payments for trips, registration and examination fees which vary depending on the course or programme of study. Details of any costs you may incur will be given at interview.