Course fees and financial help for adult learners

We run hundreds of courses a year. The government offers part or full funding for some of our courses.

The last letter of our course codes will help you work out what fees (if any) you need to pay.

Commercial courses 

The course code will end with a 'K' or 'L'.

Our commercial courses have no government funding. You will need to pay the full fee to do the course.

There is:

• No age restriction for adults attending the courses
• No requirement to live in Norfolk
• No financial support available for the courses

Government funded courses 

We fund most of our courses with help from the Education & Skills Funding Agency, which is a government department.

To claim this funding, you must: 

• Live in Norfolk 
• Be aged 19 or over on 31 August 2024 and you do not have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• Meet the residency eligibility requirements set out by the Education & Skills Funding Agency 

You may be able to claim funding if you:

• Have been a UK resident for the last three years
• Are an asylum seeker or refugee
• Are a member of a UK resident's family

If you need to check your eligibility, please contact our Learner Services team on adultlearning@norfolk.gov.uk or 0344 800 8020 (Option 5).

Courses up to and including level 2 

English, Maths, and Digital Skills or ICT courses 

The course code will end with 'A'.

We will fully fund you (your course will be free) if: 

• You are joining an English course and you do not already have a GCSE grade C or 4 in English 
• You are joining a maths course and you do not already have a GCSE grade C or 4 in maths 
• You are joining a Digital Skills/ICT course and you do not have a Level 1 qualification in Digital Skills or ICT 

If you already hold a GCSE grade C or 4 and wish to get a higher grade please contact our Learner Services team on adultlearning@norfolk.gov.uk or 0344 800 8020 (Option 5).

Other courses

The course code will end in a 'B', 'C', 'F', 'H' or 'J'.

No fees

Your course will be free if any of the following apply to you: 

• You are claiming Universal Credit or another means tested benefit:
  • As a single claim. Any other monthly income you receive (not including the benefits) is under £892 per month
  • Or as a joint claim. Any other monthly income you receive (not including the benefits) is under £1,437 per month
• You are:
  • Employed and have an income under £25,000 per year 
  • Over state retirement age and have an income under £25,000 per year. 
  • Unemployed, do not claim any benefits, and the course will help you gain employment 
  • Aged 19-23, do not already hold a level 2 qualification and are joining a level 2 course  
  • Joining an Independent Living Skills or Lipreading course. 

Reduced fees

If your income is between £25,000 and £35,828 per year you will pay a reduced fee of between 25% and 75% of the course fee. The reduction to the fee depends on your personal circumstances.

If you apply online, please choose the 'Apply: Financial Support' option. One of our team will then contact you to discuss the reduced fee.

If you apply over the phone, please ask to speak to our Learner Services team on 0344 800 8020 (Option 5).

If you have an income of less than £35,828 per year, we can pay your childcare, travel and equipment costs in full. This includes: 

• Travel costs to and from your classes - bus/train/taxi fares or petrol and parking 
• Course materials such as books, pens, folders 
• Childcare while you learn, even if your course is online 

We may also be able to loan you a computer. 

Please note that we will ask you to provide evidence of any benefits or income. This is so we can claim the additional funding for your course.

Courses at level 3 and above 

The course code will end with 'D'. 

Certain courses we run at level 3 can be fully funded by the government. You will not have to the pay the fee if: 

• You are claiming Universal Credit, or another means tested benefit:
  • As a single claim. Any other monthly income you receive (not including the benefits) is under £892 per month 
  • Or as a joint claim. Any other monthly income you receive (not including the benefits) is under £1,437 per month 

• You are:
  • Employed and have an income under £25,000 per year 
  • Unemployed, do not claim any benefits, and the course will help you gain employment 
  • Aged 19-23 on 31 August 2024 and do not already have a full level 3 qualification. For example 3 A-Levels, 4 AS-Levels, a level 3 Diploma or BTEC.

Where no funding is available for your course and you need to pay the fee. You may have the option to pay using an advanced learner loan.

Advanced learner loan

This relates to courses where the course code ends in 'D', 'E' or 'O'. 

If you are age 19 or over, you can apply for an advanced learner loan to pay for some of our qualification courses at Level 3 or 4. 

An Advanced Learner Loan isn't like other loans because: 

• It doesn't depend on your income 
• You don't have to pay it back until you earn more than £27,295 per year 
• We base your repayments on how much you earn, not how much you borrow 
• It won't affect your credit rating 
• Your current credit rating doesn't affect the application

Find out more about Advanced Learner Loans and how to apply.

Apprenticeships 

We do not charge any fees for our apprenticeships.   

Apprenticeships are employer led with apprentices classed as employed. There is no financial aid provided by us for apprenticeships.

The employer should cover additional costs. For example, this might include costs related to travel, equipment and books. Childcare costs are up to the apprentice, as part of their normal contract.

Contact us

For advice or more information, call 0344 800 8020 (option 5), or email adultlearning@norfolk.gov.uk. Read our privacy notice to find out how we use your personal information.

Frequently asked questions

Class cancellation and refunds

Class Cancellations

We reserve the right to cancel courses that fail to recruit minimum numbers. If this becomes necessary, we will contact you by post, telephone, email or text. Please let us know if your contact details change.

Course Refunds

It is not the policy of Norfolk County Council to refund fees automatically when a change in circumstances prevents or discourages a learner from continuing with a particular class.

Read our course fees policy (PDF, 163 KB).

What if I live outside the UK/EU?

You might have additional costs to pay.

Call us on 0344 800 8020 option 5 or email adultlearning@norfolk.gov.uk for advice.