Fees & Funding

We aim to make learning available to everyone. Our fees are structured to ensure our courses are accessible to all parts of the community.

Please note, we no longer accept cash payments. Please contact us if you need any help with this.

If you have any queries about fees or funding, please email info@waes.ac.uk or call 020 7297 7297.

Course Fees

Fees are found against each of the courses listed on this website along with concessionary rates where applicable. For more detail about how fees work, please view our fees policy.

Policies and Procedures

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Residency Requirements

British Citizen

Or have settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme (depending on the course funding criteria)

Or have one of the following immigration statuses:

Refugee status
Discretionary leave to enter or remain
Exceptional leave to enter or remain
Indefinite leave to enter or remain
Humanitarian Protection

International Learners

International learners pay a higher fee because government funding does not cover the cost of your learning. You will be classified as an overseas/international learner if you have not been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years preceding the start of your course or if you have any restrictions on your stay. A visa does not constitute ordinary residence. If you are unsure of your status and for details of course fees, please check with our enrolment staff on 020 7297 7297. Please note, you will not be able to submit an online application from outside the UK.

Funding Requirements

On means-tested benefits:
We need to see evidence received within the past 3 months and it must be in the learner’s name.

Or earn less than the London Living Wage (for Greater London residents, currently £28,860 annually as of 22 October 2025) or less than £25,750 annually (for those living outside Greater London)
We need to see evidence received within the past 3 months and it must be in the learner’s name.

Or for free Level 3 provision, must not have any qualification at Level 3 or higher
The course must be on the list of funded courses provided by the GLA or ESFA.

Documentation Requirements

Depending on British Citizenship, a combination of the below documentation will be required:

ID – for example, passport, UK driving licence
Proof of visa or settled status – for example, passport, visa letter
Proof of 3-year residency – for example, entry date information
Proof of British Citizenship – for example, passport, birth certificate

Concessionary Fees

Many learners are entitled to full fee remission:

If the learner is aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August in the year they start their studies.
Learners aged 19-23 who are undertaking a first full level 2, 3 or 4 “jumper” qualification – for this category the age of the learner at the time of application is taken into account.
Learners aged 19 and older who are unemployed and are undertaking a course up to level 2 and/or is a dependent of a person in receipt of:
- Job Seeker Allowance (JSA) or Employment Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Income Tax Credit (applicable to dependents only)
- Working Tax Credit (applicable to dependents only)
- Universal Credit – due to being unemployed and required to undertake skills training.

Course fee instalments

You may be able to pay in instalments for courses that run over two or more terms. Please ask an adviser about paying in instalments when you enrol.

Refunds

For more detail about refunds, please view our fees policy.

Policies and Procedures

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Advanced Learner Loans

Advanced learner loans are available for individuals aged 19 or above to undertake approved qualifications at Levels 3 to 6 at an approved provider in England. These loans give you access to financial support for tuition costs similar to that available in higher education and are administered by Student Finance England. You can find out more at www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan

What is the process?

Choose | Apply | Start

Decide on the Level 3, or higher, course you would like to do and complete any required assessments.
Apply for a place on your chosen course by contacting us or visiting one of our centres.
Once you have your acceptance letter, visit www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan and fill in your application.
We will let Student Finance England know that you have started studying with us.
Student Finance England will pay the course fees directly to us, so you don’t have to do anything else.
The loan is not due for repayment until you have completed your studies and are earning at least £25,000 per year.

What are the benefits of the loan?

You can start studying immediately but will only have to start paying back the loan when you have completed your course, and you are earning more than £25,000 per year (£480 per week or £2,083 per month).
Studying for a qualification can often lead to better career prospects that could offset the cost of studying.
The loans do not depend on your current income level and there are no credit checks.
Once you have a loan, you can also apply for a bursary to cover any exam and materials fees and you can apply for help with travel costs and childcare.

What is included in a loan?

The loan covers your tuition fees, which are paid directly to the training provider on your behalf.
There could be additional exam and materials fees, depending on the course, and these won’t be covered by the loan.
Once your loan has been approved, you can apply for a bursary to cover these additional fees.

What happens once you start working?

When you have completed your studies, the Student Loan Company will inform HMRC. The repayments are made via HMRC.
Once you are earning more than £25,000 per year, your employer will deduct the repayments from your salary, the same way that tax or National Insurance contributions are deducted.

Other important things to keep in mind

It is important to remember that the Advanced Learner Loan agreement is a contract and contains a number of terms and conditions. It is important that you understand these clearly before you sign up.
You also need to keep in mind that you will need to repay any money that was paid to the college or training organisation even if you do not complete the course.
You will be charged interest on the loan, so it is important that you understand what the financial implications will be for you.
You can find out more from the government here: www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan
It is important that you make the right choices taking your circumstances into account before you choose to take out a loan. www.moneyhelper.org.uk has impartial advice.

Time Credits

Time credits are a community currency that brings people, organisations and businesses together through the sharing of time.

A time credit is earned for every hour that a volunteer gives to their community, which they can spend on an hour an activity that will improve their or their community’s lives. This can be adult education courses, exercise at local leisure centres, family trips to attractions they might not normally be able to afford or even watching a film at a local cinema.

WAES is offering opportunities to spend time credits on our short courses. The Head of Learner Experience will determine if there are places available for time creditors on each course.

The value is calculated as 1 hour’s training = 1 time credit. On some courses, there may be a further charge for materials at the discretion of the Head of Learner Experience.

Time credits cannot be accepted as part payment. If a course does not run, time creditors will be entitled to a full refund in the form of time credits (there is no cash value).

How to spend your Time Credits with WAES:

Choose your course from our Short Courses section of the WAES website.
Email us at info@waes.ac.uk or call 020 7297 7297 to check time credits availability for the course.
Visit WAES Lisson Grove Centre to complete your enrolment and pay with time credit vouchers.

Bursary

The Learner Bursary provides financial support to assist learners aged 19 or above who are experiencing difficulty in meeting the costs associated with their learning.

This includes those who may need a contribution towards:

Tuition Fees
Examination Fees
Course Materials (as identified by course area)
Contribution towards travel expenses
Breakfast or After School Club

Who can apply for support?

To be eligible for funds from the Learner Bursary, learners must be aged 19 years or older and must be studying an Adult Skills Fund funded course. Learners will also need to demonstrate that they are on a low income or accessing means tested benefits.

Please note that learners enrolled on Full Cost courses are not eligible to apply.

Eligible learners must be in receipt of one of the following:

Income-related benefit such as Job Seekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit/Tax Credit, or Income Support
(Please provide a letter from DWP or Universal Credit dated within the last 3 months).
Low household income on or below the London Living Wage plus 10% (£29,708.25 per year, as of 23 October 2024)
(Most recent payslip dated within the last 3 months).
Individual salary on or below the London Living Wage (£27,007.50 per year, as of 23 October 2024)
Evidence of your payslip which highlights your salary and includes your name, address and either:
3 x bi-weekly payslips
2 x monthly payslips
4 x weekly payslips.

Alongside evidence, we also require a copy of your most recent bank statement which clearly shows your name, address, account number and sort code.

For more detail about how the bursary works, please view our bursary policy.

Policies and Procedures

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How to apply for the Learner Bursary

In most cases, the application will be completed at the point of enrolment and/or Induction. Learners are entitled to one application and for one course only per year. Other applications will only be accepted at the discretion of the Head of Learner Development.

To apply please log into the WAES Learner Portal and click on the Learner Bursary tab, where you can complete your online application – for further information please email learnerbursary@waes.ac.uk

Travel expenses reimbursement

The Learner Bursary provides a contribution towards financial support to those incurring travel expenses as part of their study.

The amount of support for travel is based on the learner’s address, the WAES centre of study and the days that the study takes place.

Contribution towards the cost of travel:

For journeys 1 mile and over, a contribution towards bus travel up to £4 per day and a maximum of £9 per week.
For journeys involving more than one bus/ tube, a contribution towards travels up to £8 per day and a maximum of £18 per week.
In exceptional circumstances, WAES could pay higher.

WAES will not backdate travel and applications will be processed once we have received your full application including evidence.

Further information

If you require advice about other sources of financial help, please speak to a Welfare Officer. Further information is also available from the Department for Education.

London Learner Survey

As a condition of funding, it is expected that learners living in Greater London who are starting an adult education course funded by government, should complete the London Learner Survey. This is your chance to share your views about living and studying in London, and is also a chance to enter a prize draw to win an iPad. If you are paying for your course up front, there is no need to complete the survey.

Complete the London Learner Survey (this link should only be used for WAES learners who have recently started a course).

What is the survey?

The London Learner Survey is an important online survey about adult education in and around London. The Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority, who oversee adult education in the area, want to find out what kind of changes happen in people’s lives while they are studying.

The survey asks about why you want to study, your health, your job (if you have one) and how you feel about other things in your life like working, volunteering and spending time with different kinds of people. The survey is hosted by an independent research company, IFF Research.

IFF Research will then contact you 5 months after you have finished your course to see what difference your learning made to you.

Find out more about the London Learner Survey.

Why should I complete the survey?

By taking part in the survey you will:

help WAES improve our courses
help to improve adult courses for all Londoners
help make sure that the right courses are available in the right areas, so that all Londoners have access to the help they need to achieve their goals
help the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority understand who is taking part in adult education in London, and how it has helped them
To thank you for taking part you can enter a prize draw to win an iPad! The terms and conditions for the prize draw can be viewed here.