Course Fees and Financial Help

If you’re considering studying at college, you may be thinking about your finances. At WestKing, our course fees and the financial help available to you, depend on your age, the course you are studying and your personal circumstances.

Course Fees

SCHOOL LEAVERS

If you are aged 16-18 on 31 August, and have lived in the UK/EU/EEA/Switzerland for 3 years or longer prior to the start date of your course, your course will be free.

Some of our courses also have a resource fee to cover materials. You may also be asked to pay for exam/coursework resits.

ADULT STUDENTS (19+)

If you are aged 19 or older on 31 August, and have lived in the UK/EU/EEA/Switzerland for 3 years or longer prior to the start date of your course, course fees will depend on your current qualifications and the level of the course you are looking to study.

Most of our Entry Level, Level 1 or Level 2 courses at WestKing are free, regardless of your age or income. However, we will still need to check proof of income/employment, or evidence of benefits, if you are unemployed, at enrolment.

If you are aged between 19 and 23, and are a UK/EU/EEA/Switzerland citizen, and do not have a full level 3 qualification, you can also study a Level 3 (including Access to Higher Education Diploma) course for free. However, we will still need to check proof of income/employment, or evidence of benefits, if you are unemployed, at enrolment.

If you are looking to study a course at Level 3 or above, and already have a level 3 qualification, or are aged 24 or above, you may be eligible for an Advanced Learning Loan to cover your course fees. The loan is not subject to a credit check and is only repayable when you are earning over £26,575 per year. You will be charged interest on your loan once we confirm your attendance to Student Finance England (SFE). Plus, if you are going to be studying an Access to Higher Education Diploma, Student Finance England will write off any remaining Advanced Learner Loan balance, once you have completed a HE degree related to your Access course.

Some of our courses also have a resource fee to cover materials. You may also be asked to pay for exam/coursework resits.

HIGHER EDUCATION

If you’re looking to study a Higher Education course, such as a BA (Hons)/BSc (Hons), FdA/FdSc, HNC or HND, you may be eligible to take out a Student Finance England loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees and a Maintenance loan to help with your living costs – please check the individual course page for costs and further information. Funding is not available for international students.

If you have a disability you may also be eligible for further financial support through Student Finance England. Please see the disabled student allowance section in Financial Support below.

If you’re going to be studying part-time, your eligibility will depend on how much of your course you complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course.

You’ll usually only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification – even if your previous course was self-funded. You should discuss your previous HE history with the Student Finance England (SFE) team if you have already studied a higher education programme before, e.g. a HNC or Foundation Degree, or if you changed course, stopped your studies or are repeating a year. If you are studying a course at a lower level than you already have, you will not be able to apply for a Student Finance England tuition fee loan. You may be eligible for a maintenance loan.

We set the tuition fee for each course at the college, and your loan is paid directly to us. Course fees are per year and additional costs may be necessary on some programmes; details of additional costs are available on each individual course page.

You start to repay your loan once you are earning £26,575 (find out more here), but you’ll be charged interest on the loan from the day you take it out. You will need to apply online and do not need a confirmed place on a course to do so. If you withdraw from your course, you may have to start repaying any maintenance loan you received immediately. You would need to contact SFE for further guidance.

You can find all the information and a step-by-step guide to applying for undergraduate student finance here. The step-by-step guide takes you through each stage of the process, including checking if you’re eligible, finding out how much you could get, preparing your application and applying.

When applying for student finance to study with us, please choose The WKCIC Group as your institution/provider. You will also need the following details:
HEP code: FDFE
Provider type: College
UKPRN: 10007455
UCAS: W52
We will need to see proof of your application for student finance or your ability to fund your course on enrolment.

Don’t forget to complete and send off your declaration of signature so that your tuition fee and maintenance loans are released once your attendance at college is confirmed. Failure to do this may mean we have to withdraw you. If you are deemed ineligible for a loan, or cancel your loan and wish to continue studying with us, you become liable to pay the fees yourself. Otherwise, we will have to withdraw you. If you are self-funding you may be eligible to pay your fees by instalment (25% of the total course fees at enrolment, with the balance spread equally across 5 monthly instalments of 15% each on 1 November, 1 December, 1 January, 1 February and 1 March).

It can take up to six weeks for SFE to process student finance applications. Make sure you apply early, even if you have a conditional offer, as you can amend or cancel your application if your plans change.

External independent financial advice for HE students can be found online, on websites such as DiscoverUni and SaveTheStudent.

APPRENTICESHIPS

Apprentices do not pay to study an Apprenticeship – the responsibility lies with the employer to pay.

If your employer pays the Apprenticeship Levy, they can use this to fully cover the cost of your training. If they are not a levy paying company (pay bill under £3m per year), they will be asked to pay 5% of the cost of your apprenticeship and the government will contribute 95%.

Financial Support

SCHOOL LEAVERS

Some of our students may be eligible for financial support to help whilst they are studying. Some of the financial support on offer includes:
– a small bursary towards the costs of books and equipment
– travel bursary
– vulnerable learner bursary
– discretionary hardship bursary
– free college meals

Information and application forms, if relevant, will be given to you once at enrolment.

Care to Learn
If you are aged 16-19 and need help with childcare costs, call the Department for Education & Skills’ Care to Learn team on 0800 121 8989 or click here.

Oyster card
If you live in a London borough and are 18 and under, you can also apply for a Zip Oyster photo card which gives you free or discounted travel around London on buses, the tube, DLR and overground. Find out more here.

Financial Support From Your Borough Council
Many London boroughs offer financial support to young people who stay in education and training. Contact your local borough council for more information about financial support available to young people in education.

Student Discount Schemes
As a student, you will be eligible to apply for discount cards and accounts, such as TOTUM, UNiDAYS and Student Beans. These can give you discounts in high street shops and online, including at stores such as Apple, Superdrug and more.

ADULT LEARNERS (19+)

HIGHER EDUCATION

In addition to a Maintenance loan to help with your living costs, you may also qualify for other financial support if you are on a low income, are disabled or have children. Find out more here.

Disabled Students’ Allowances
If, you have a disability or additional needs, you may be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) to cover any extra study costs. This can include mental health conditions, epilepsy or dyslexia. DSA does not depend on your household income and you will not need to pay it back. You should apply for your DSA at the same time as your student loan to ensure you have all the necessary financial support you need by the start of your course. Find out more and how to apply here.

Disability Rights UK has factsheets about DSA and other useful information for HE students here.

18+ Student Oyster Card
If you live in a London borough and are 18 or older and a full-time student, you can also apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photo card which gives you discounted travel around London on buses, the tube, DLR and overground. Find out more here.

Student Discount Schemes
As a student, you will be eligible to apply for discount cards and accounts, such as TOTUM, UNiDAYS and Student Beans. These can give you discounts in high street shops and online, including at stores such as Apple, Superdrug and more.

APPRENTICESHIPS

Apprentice Oyster Card
If you live in a London borough and are 18 or older and an apprentice, you can also apply for an Apprentice Oyster card which gives you discounted travel around London on buses, the tube, DLR and overground. Find out more here.

Student Discount Schemes
As a student, you will be eligible to apply for discount cards and accounts, such as TOTUM, UNiDAYS and Student Beans. These can give you discounts in high street shops and online, including at stores such as Apple, Superdrug and more.