Guidance

Learning and funding information letter guidance 2024 to 2025

Updated 26 April 2023

Applies to England

Summary 

Before applying for an advanced learner loan (ALL), learners must speak to you, as a college or training organisation in receipt of a loans facility from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), to establish the availability of a place on an appropriate course.

The learning and funding information letter is an essential stage in the prospective learner’s journey. The learner will use it as they consider investing in further education at levels 3 to 6 with a loan. You must issue the letter as part of your discussion with learners when they are considering their education and training and funding options. You must also make learners aware of the loans information available on the National Careers Service and advanced learner loan website on GOV.UK. 

Supporting the learner

You must make all learners, including those learners who are considering funding their course through a loan, aware of your policy on fees and charging. You must do this before they decide on their payment method. 

You must either attach a copy of your fee policy to the learning and funding information letter or include a link to your fee policy on your website within the letter.

The availability of loans for learners at level 3 does not replace their entitlement to full funding if they are earning under the earnings threshold. You should check a learner’s entitlement before you provide information on ALL. More information on eligibility and offers available can be found in the adult skills funding rules and the advanced learner loan website on GOV.UK. 

The learning and funding information letter gives learners the information necessary to help them consider their options for financing their course. It is important that learners are fully informed and do not feel pressured to apply for a loan.

It also gives the essential information they need to complete an application, should they decide to apply for a loan. It will help to produce accurate applications, ensuring a swift application and assessment process.

Benefits for colleges and training organisations

The learning and funding information letter can also:

• support your management of learners’ places, particularly when considering the capacity within the agreed loans facility
• place some distance between you and the learner’s funding choice giving the learner time to consider their options

Learning and funding information letter

How to create

To enable learners to consider their options and equip them with the necessary information to make an application for a loan, if they decide to proceed, you must retain the format and order as set out in this guidance and the template letter.

You can download the letter template to populate it with the relevant detail. Remember you must issue a hard copy to the learner.  Alternatively, you may want to revise the letter to include specific information about the course offer, alternative payment options and so on. However, you must not change any of the text or the order of the information in the tables as this is designed to be consistent with the data fields as they appear on the loans application form.

Information to include

Tables 1 and 2 provide you with the specific definition and requirements of the information you will need to populate the letter.

Table 1: College or training organisation information

Data item	Application description	Information
Provider name	college or training organisation name	The name of the college or training organisation that is in direct receipt of a loans facility from ESFA. This must be the same as the name of your organisation on the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKPRL) and SLC’s Learning Provider Portal. The SLC will decline the loan if you give a subcontractor name.
Delivery location	postcode of delivery location	The postcode of location where the training takes place.
UK provider reference number (UKPRN)	UKPRN	The UKPRN of the college or training organisation that is in direct receipt of a loans facility.

Table 2: Qualifications information

Data item	Application description	Information
Learning aim title	course name	The specific title as published by ESFA on the learning aims section of submit learner data. This should match the data you will provide on the learner’s individualised learner record (ILR).
Learning aim reference	course code	The learning aim reference as published by ESFA on the learning aims section of submit learner data. This should match the data you will provide on the learner’s ILR.
Learning start date	start date	Required for assessment and profiling of payments and repayments. This information should match the data you will provide on the learner’s ILR.
Learning end date	end date	Required for assessment and profiling of payments and repayments. This information should match the data you will provide on the learner’s ILR.
College or training organisation fee	fee amount	Fee amount the college or training organisation is charging the learner following any reductions (taking into account recognition and/or accreditation of prior learning).
VAT (if applicable)	this is not required for application but individuals will need to understand this	To be completed by ‘for profit’ organisations.
Total fee	total college or training organisation fee plus VAT	College or training organisation fee + VAT.
Maximum loan amount	maximum loan available	This allows the learner to identify whether a loan can fund the full cost.

You should direct learners to information on ALL on the National Careers Service and our advanced learner loan website on GOV.UK. 

Further information

If you have questions after reading our guidance, or if there’s anything else you need help with, you can find more support in our customer help centre.