If you have one of these statuses, this information will help you understand your further education options.

I have Stateless leave or am a child of a Turkish worker: what are my options for FE?

As someone with one of these statuses, can I apply to go to college or sixth form?

Yes, if you have Stateless leave or are a child of a Turkish worker, you are allowed to study at FE college or sixth form.

If you are over 19, you must have been resident in the UK for three years before the course start date to receive government funding for your studies.

If you are a child of a Turkish worker, your relative must be ordinarily resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020 and has Turkish European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) rights or extended ECAA leave and you have been ordinarily resident in the UK, EEA and/or Turkey for at least the previous 3 years on the first day of your learning and resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020.

Some colleges may refuse to enrol you if your leave expires before the end of the course. In this situation please contact us for further advice and support.

How can I pay for college or sixth form?

There are four primary ways to pay for your course: government funding, bursaries or support from the college, scholarships or grants from organisations and LAC or Care leaver support. See below for further details.

Here's more information

Click here to return to our main Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for more information about further education

Click here to find out how REUK's Educational Progression team can help you reach university through advice, guidance, workshops and funding opportunities

Education workshops

If you want to learn more about your education options in the UK, you can attend a workshop. The workshop explains how education works and your possible routes through the system.

FAQ page

Educational progression

Education workshops

1. Government funding

Provision (above forms of leave)

16-18 year-olds

24+ unemployed

19-23 year-olds

Learning aims up to and including level 2, where the learner has already achieved a first full level 2, or above

English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) learning up to and including level 2

Level 3 (First full level 3 must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement*)

Learning to progress to level 2

Level 2 (excluding English and maths) (First full level 2 must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement*)

English and maths, up to and including level 2 (this must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement*)

Fully funded

Fully funded* (first and full)

Fully funded (up to and including level 1)

- Fully funded (first and full)

- Loan-funded (previously achieved a full level 3 or above

-Co-funded

-Fully funded - unemployed

Fully funded

Loan-funded

Fully funded

Legal entitlement: *Not all courses are in scope to receive full funding. Some commercial and training courses offered by colleges are not funded by the government, in that case, you will be required to pay full course fees. This can be confusing as they often have similar names to fully funded courses. Be aware of this and ask the college if you are unsure of what you will pay.

Use this tool if you would like to know which courses are funded by the government. This can be discussed further with your college admissions team on enrollment day.

-Co-funded

-Fully funded - unemployed

You will still need to be assessed for eligibility for example, if it is your first full level qualification, proof of income/employment or evidence of receiving support. See the age categories below.

16-18 year-olds

19-23 year-olds

24 or above

The government will pay for any course you want to study at college if you are 18 or under when you start the course.
Some colleges may charge you a small fee to cover their costs (such as materials, trips, printing, internet access). Speak to the college hardship-fund coordinator to explore the available financial support to cover these extra costs.

The government will pay for your course if you are studying functional skills, English or maths (from entry level up to level 2) and GCSE English and maths if you have not previously gained GCSE grade 4 or above (previously A*-C).
The government will pay for your first full qualification up to level 2 if it is an approved course (see below).
Students with any of the above Leave, aged between 19 and 23, can study their first full Level 3 qualification (for example A-levels or an access course) for free.
If you have already achieved a Level 3 qualification you will be required to pay for your second qualification. In this case, you should apply for a 19+ Advanced Learner Loan to help pay for your course. The loan is only repayable once you get into employment and earn over £26,575 per year. Furthermore, If you complete a Higher Education degree following your Level 3 course, you do not have to pay back your advanced learner loan. You must have been a resident in the UK/EU/EEA for the past 3 years on 31 August of the academic year to be eligible for this loan.

The government will pay for your course if you are studying functional skills english or maths (from entry level up to level 2) and GCSE english and maths if you have not previously gained grade 4 or above (previously A*-C).
The government may pay for your first full qualification at level 2 if you are unemployed, on low income, or receive support from your Local Authority.
If you are 24+ and want to study a Level 3 course or above. As someone with one of the above types of Leave, you are eligible to apply for the Government’s 19+ Advanced Learner Loan to help pay for your course. The loan is only repayable once you get into employment and earn over £26,575 per year. Furthermore, If you complete a Higher Education degree following your Level 3 course, you do not have to pay back your advanced learner loan. You must have been a resident in the UK/EU/EEA for the past 3 years on 31 August of the academic year to be eligible for this loan.

Top tip: Evidence of the support you receive is essential. Be ready to provide original copies on your college enrollment day.

2. Self-funding

3. LAC or Care leaver support

4.Scholarships and educational grants

Students with the above types of leave have the right to work and can earn money to pay for further education studies. Many colleges offer part-time and evening courses that allow you to work and study. It is important to remember that further education colleges are very strict and will require a good attendance record for a student to graduate.

If you are in care or a care leaver make sure you let the college know because they may charge you less fees.

If you are in care or a care leaver you can apply for a 16-19 bursary to help with any costs that you have from going to college. This bursary is worth up to £1200 per year. If your course is shorter than a full academic year, the bursary will be offered to you on a pro-rata basis.

You should also talk to your Personal Advisor for information about additional care leaver support for young people in education. Local councils often have a range of financial support for young people who stay in education and training.

Some charities also offer scholarships and bursaries to learners from a forced migration background who are struggling to pay for their course.

Here is a list of education grant providers that you can apply to. Not all the suggestions on this list will be suitable for everyone so make sure you look at the criteria for the different charities (i.e. some may only fund people of particular ages, particular religions, studying particular subjects, with particular immigration status etc).

How do I choose an FE course?

How do I enrol at college?

What if I need extra funding for college?

I need help with my mental health

I need help with learning English

Other FAQ's for students who have the above statuses

Provision (above statuses)

1. Government funding

The UK government funds some courses depending on your age. Please refer to the government contribution table below for the ESFA funded Adult education budget (and for 16-18) funding for more details about which provision is funded.

16-18 year-olds

24+ unemployed

19-23

year-olds

Learning 3 courses for jobs

Level 3 legal entitlement (learners first full Level)

Learning aims to progress to a full Level 2 up to and including Level 1

First full Level 2 (excluding English and Maths and Digital)

Essential Digital Skills Qualifications up to and including Level 1

English and Maths, up to and including level 2

Fully funded

N/A

Fully funded

Some are fully funded, others are co- funded. See note to the right and below for scholarships and bursaries.

Fully funded

N/A. Loan funded. (If ineligible for a loan, see below for scholarships and bursaries)

Use this tool if you would like to know which courses are funded by the government. This can be discussed further with your college admissions team on enrollment day.

Notes

Must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement qualifications

Must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement qualifications list

Must be delivered as part of the Digital legal entitlement qualifications list

Must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement qualifications list

First full Level 2 must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement qualifications. Level 2 provision from the local flexibility offer will not be funded for 19-23-year-olds who do not have a first full Level 2

Fully funded for those eligible through unemployed or on a low wage. Co-funded for those who do not meet the definition of unemployed or do not meet the eligibility criteria for low wage.

Must be delivered as entry or Level 1 provision from local flexibility

Fully funded for those eligible through unemployed or on a low wage. Co-funded for those who do not meet the definition of unemployed or do not meet the eligibility criteria for low wage.

First full Level 3 must be delivered as part of the legal entitlement qualifications

All 24+ learners who are not eligible for the level 3 courses for jobs must refer to Advanced Learner Loans

Learners without a full Level 3 or above can access a qualification on the Level 3 courses for jobs qualification list

Learners without a full level 3 or above accessing a qualification on the level 3 courses for jobs qualifications list

ESOL learning up to and including Level 2

Learning aims up to and including Level 2, where the learner has already achieved a first full Level 2, or above

Fully funded

Some are fully funded, others are co- funded. See note to the right and below for scholarships and bursaries.

Fully funded for those eligible through unemployed or on a low wage. Co-funded for those who do not meet the definition of unemployed or do not meet the eligibility criteria for low wage.

Some are fully funded, others are co- funded. See note to the right and below for scholarships and bursaries.

Fully funded for those eligible through unemployed. Co-funded for those who do not meet the definition of unemployed or do not meet the eligibility criteria for low wage.

Fully funded

Some are fully funded, others are co- funded. See note to the right and below for scholarships and bursaries.

Fully funded for those eligible through unemployed. Co-funded for those who do not meet the definition of unemployed or do not meet the eligibility criteria for low wage.

Some are fully funded, others are co- funded. See note to the right and below for scholarships and bursaries.

Fully funded for those eligible through unemployed or on a low wage. Co-funded for those who do not meet the definition of unemployed or do not meet the eligibility criteria for low wage.

Source: ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB): funding and performance management rules 2021 to 2022

Important information

Some colleges may charge you a small fee to cover costs such as materials, trips, printing, internet access. Speak to the college hardship-fund coordinator to explore the available financial support to cover these extra costs.

If you have been told that you have to pay for your course, get in touch with us or click here for a list of charities you can apply to for funding for your studies.
Evidence of the support you receive is essential. Be ready to provide original copies on your college enrollment day. As above - link to enrolment section.

Courses that are funded by the government change every year, prioritises seem to be given to courses that lead more directly into employment. The government publishes a list of these courses each year, so you should first speak to the student services department at college to see whether your course is funded and/or use this search function to check for yourself.
Some courses offered by colleges are not funded by the government (not part of the legal entitlement), in which case, you will have to pay full course fees. It is important to check in advance whether you will have to pay for the course you want to study. It is worth looking at different colleges because similar courses will be free at one college and not at another.

1. Government funding

Please refer to the government contribution table below for the ESFA funded Adult education budget (and for 16-18) funding for more details about which provision is funded depending on your age.

Click here to view the table

2. Bursaries and financial support

FE and sixth form colleges often have financial support (sometimes called bursaries) for students who do not have a lot of money. You may be able to apply for this depending on your age, the course you are studying, your college and any other financial support you and your family receive.

You should ask student services at your college if there are any bursaries you can apply for. Some colleges may choose not to charge you any fees or to reduce your fees - it is always worth asking if this is possible.

3. Scholarships and educational grants

Some charities also offer scholarships and bursaries to asylum seekers who are struggling to pay for their course.

4. LAC or Care leaver support

If you are in care (ie a looked after child) or a care leaver make sure you let the college know because you may be eligible for a fee waiver.

If you are a care leaver , you should also talk to your Personal Advisor for information about additional care leaver support for young people in education. Local councils often have a range of financial support for young people who stay in education and training.