Support
A safe and supportive experience for all our learners.
Learning support
Everything we do is to help you succeed. No matter where you want to get to or where you are starting from, we want to help you achieve your ambitions. Your wellbeing is very important to us and we understand that some learners need more support to meet their needs.
Each of the colleges where we run our courses has a dedicated student support team and we work with learners, their families and external partners to support learning on full- and part-time courses at college, right through to moving into employment or higher-level learning.
Staff can also support a wide variety of learning difficulties and disabilities and support may be provided if there is evidence that this is an appropriate way to help you. Please contact us at least a month before your course starts if this applies to you: gss@activatelearning.ac.uk
If you are aged 19+ and not in receipt of income-related benefits, you will need to pay for all fees and programme costs.
You might not have to pay fees if you are:
- aged 19+, unemployed, receiving benefits and seeking employment on a programme that is eligible
- aged 19+ and working towards—but have not already achieved—a GCSE in English and maths at Grade 9-4 (A*–C)
- aged 19+, employed and earning less than £18,525 per annum, and your programme is eligible
- aged between 19-23 when you start your programme, this is your first full Level 2 or 3 qualification and your programme is eligible
A limited number of free community learning places will be made available on some courses where indicated and to be eligible, you will need to be:
- aged 19+ unemployed and receiving benefits
- aged 19+ employed and earning less than £18,525 per annum
If your course is eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan, your course is non-funded, so you are not eligible for bursary funding until you have confirmation of the loan. You may apply to get financial support from the Loan Bursary Fund after you've received a letter approving your bursary.
Bursary funds cannot support course fees if you are eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan.
If you are aged between 19-23 when you start your programme, this is your first full Level 2 or 3 qualification, and your programme is eligible, you may not have to pay fees. Contact us to find out if you're eligible before enrolling.
If you are studying on a full-time Level 3 or 4 programme or apprenticeship, you are eligible to apply for a loan to help you pay your tuition fees. These loans are not means-tested or subject to credit checks, and you start repaying the loan when you earn over £27,295 per year.
Loans for Access to Higher education programmes are cleared if you go on to complete a higher education programme with the support of a higher education student loan.
For more information regarding eligibility criteria, please visit the government website.
Please note that the following area is only for those with an offer for a course at our colleges. For access online, a link will be sent with your joining instructions.
See our HE page for financial support information.
Please be reassured that your application will remain confidential, please refer to our privacy policy on our website.
If you need help filling out the form, you can call an adviser on 0800 612 6008 and we will be happy to help.
Apply early!
Please apply as early as you can. These Government bursary funds are limited, we will distribute them on a first come, first served basis. It is possible that the fund might be exhausted by the time you apply.
Careers advice
As an Activate Learning student you can book a meeting with one of our qualified, impartial Careers Advisers. They can help you to make informed decisions about your next steps, create a CV or prepare for an interview.
Use the booking links on the Careers section of ALO, meetings can be offered onsite or online via Microsoft Teams.
The National Careers Service provides free careers advice and guidance for anyone over the age of 19. Visit the website National Careers Service website or call 0800 100 900.
I’ve been working as a mechanic for a long time, but after taking up a new hobby in woodwork, I realised I wanted to try and pursue that as a career. I’ve really enjoyed working with other people and giving support to my classmates. I’m now trying to get into the teaching side of things, as I’ve found it really rewarding.Neil, Furniture at Oxford
Our learning locations
There's plenty to discover at your local Activate Learning College and beyond in your community
