Part-time Fees & Funding | East Surrey College

As an adult student you may be eligible for financial support depending on your circumstances. You may be entitled to FREE or subsidised tuition fees, even if you are working.

Our Client Services advisors can help you access a range of funding to help with course fees, and for use towards equipment, travel or childcare. The amount of funding will vary depending on your household income and the course you want to study.

Fees and Payments

Individual course fees are listed as part of the course information on this website and within the part-time guide. The costs for adults on each course fall into different bands, and some small group prices apply.

Instalment Agreements are available on request for course fees totalling more than £400. In all cases, at least 25% of the fee will be due on enrolment.

In exceptional circumstances for example financial hardship, please speak to a member of the Finance team who will discuss with you possible alternative options.

Please contact our Client Services Team with any further queries on 01737 788444.

Qualification Course Fees

FREE Tuition

FREE tuition may apply if you are aged 19+ on 31 August 2024 and if you satisfy one (or more) of the criteria below:

You are working and earn less than £25,000 (annual gross salary), or £25,642 if you are resident in the GLA* area.
Aged 19-23, studying or working towards your first full Level 2 or 3 qualification.
Aged 19+, completing a qualification on the Free Courses For Jobs list and meet the earnings criteria.
You receive any recognised state benefit (means tested benefits including JSA, ESA or UC).

FREE Maths & English courses

Courses will be FREE if you are 19+ and do not already have a grade 4/C (or above) in Maths or English GCSE.

Standard Fee

The Standard Fee will apply If you are aged 19+ on 31 August 2024 and meet the ASF (Adult Skills Fund) residency criteria, unless you’re eligible for financial support.

For Level 2 courses (or below) the Government will co-fund your fees if you are aged 19+ on 31 August 2024 and meet the ASF residency criteria. The fee you pay equates to approximately 50% or less of the Full Fee.

Full Fee

Full Fee will apply if you are aged 19+ on 31 August 2024 and you do not meet the ASF residency criteria.

You may also need to pay additional fees based on the course eg assessment fees.

Full Fee also applies if there is no Government funding for this qualification.

Remember, it’s always worth checking with our Client Services team to see what support you could be entitled to, as the rules and guidance can be complex and waivers are subject to change as per ESFA guidance.

Employer/Sponsor Undertaking Form

Please complete an Employer Undertaking Form if your Employer/Sponsor has agreed to pay your tuition fees and/or examinations/registration fees.

Please email Client Services at clientservices@esc.ac.uk to request a copy.

ADVANCED LEARNER LOANS

If you’re looking to improve your career prospects and training costs have always been the barrier, then you may be able to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.

If you are aged 19 or over, an Advanced Learner Loan could help pay for the cost of studying a Level 3 course or above (if you do not qualify for FREE tuition). The minimum loan amount is £300 and is provided by the Government. Our advisors can help you to apply.

Financial help for those studying Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 courses
No Income or credit checks
Repayments don’t start until after the end of your course
No repayments until you earn more than £480 a week
or £2,083 a month (before tax and other deductions)

All applications are via the Gov.uk website – apply now.

ADVANCED LEARNER LOAN BURSARY SCHEME

East Surrey College has a discretionary bursary fund available from the Skills Funding Agency for students aged 19 and above. To be eligible for support from this fund, you must be enrolled onto a Level 3 or 4 course and have a Advanced Learner Loan agreed by the Student Loans Company for your tuition fees. This bursary can contribute towards travel, childcare costs for the days you attend college and essential kit and equipment. This award is assessed on an individual basis and you will be informed in writing of our decision to support your costs.

Any support you receive will be subject to the conditions outlined on our bursary form.

To make sure that we direct the right support to you, please fully complete the form below, and submit to Client Services.

APPLY ONLINE

Short Course Fees

FREE Tuition

FREE tuition may apply if you are aged 19+ on 31 August 2024, are taking a short course in the current academic year (note: you may be required to pay a small materials charge) and meet one of the following criteria:

You are working and earn less than £25,000 (annual gross salary), or £25,642 if you are resident in the GLA* area.
You receive any recognised state benefit (means tested benefits including JSA, ESA or UC).

Standard Fee

The Standard Fee will apply if you are aged 19+, unless you qualify for a concessionary fee.

Payments for all Courses

To qualify for free tuition or a concessionary fee, suitable evidence must be supplied when you enrol:

For students with learning difficulties or disabilities we need to see a copy of your EHCP.
For those in receipt of JSA, ESA, Universal Credit or other means-tested benefit, evidence must be supplied as an official letter (from a Government department). This letter must not be dated more than 3 months prior to enrolment and must clearly state your National Insurance number.
For those on a low income, please provide evidence of your 3 most recent payslips.

If you do not qualify for free tuition fees or concessionary fees, payment must be made at least 2 weeks in advance of your enrolment. To discuss payment options, please contact the finance team.

Late payment of fees – the College reserves the right to charge 5% of the course fee for late payments outstanding 30 days after enrolment. This only applies to course fees without any payment arrangement.

Refunds

You will not normally be entitled to a refund unless your course is cancelled by the College. If in exceptional circumstances a written request for a refund is agreed, an administration fee of £30 will be applied, please refer to the Refund Policy at www.esc.ac.uk/fees-and-funding. Orbital South Colleges will abide by the Terms and Conditions of the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

All refunds will be processed via bank transfer or credit/debit card.

Download a copy of the College Refunds Policy.

Cancellations

We may have to cancel sessions of courses in circumstances beyond our control, such as power failure, extreme weather or sudden staff sickness. The fee you pay is for the whole course, not a set number of weeks and hours. In the event of a cancelled session, we endeavour to ensure that any missed content is covered in the remaining available weeks.

Need Help?

If you would like clarification on fees, payment terms or how to qualify for the Concessionary fee please contact Client Services on 01737 788444.

Customer Satisfaction

Our Commitment

We are committed to providing high quality education and customer service at all times, so your comments are very important to us. If you are not satisfied with your course for any reason, we would ask that you discuss your concerns with your course tutor in the first instance.

In case of a query or issue encountered with an online application, or if you have a complaint about a course booked online, you can contact our Client Services team on 01737 788444 or view our customer feedback process at www.esc.ac.uk/comments-and-feedback.

If the problem is unresolved you may wish to submit your complaint online at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

Workers' Educational Association (WEA)

The WEA offers courses in Health and Wellbeing, Employability, Community Engagement, Fitness and Personal Development.

In the Autumn term the WEA will be returning to face-to-face provision provided that it is safe to do so. A complete list of WEA East Surrey courses can be found at wea.org.uk.

In East Surrey, the WEA works in partnership with East Surrey College delivering a wide range of targeted provision for those: