Information on fees and financial support

Course costs

All tuition fees and awarding body costs are non-refundable, unless the course is cancelled by the college. The advertised course fees are for the full duration of the course.

Payment plan

Darlington College offers an instalment payment plan for tuition fees. You are required to pay 25% of the tuition fee at the point of enrolment along with the examination and registration fees. The remaining 75% of the tuition fee will be collected in monthly instalments by direct debit concluding one month before the end of the course.

Failure to make payment on the due date will result in all outstanding fees being immediately due. Continued failure to pay course fees may result in your removal from the course of study.

If you withdraw from your course before completion you will still be liable for payment of all outstanding fees.

Exam late entries and re-sits

Registration and exam entries that do not meet awarding body closing dates means you may become liable for late fees payments. There is no remission on late entry fees. Contact Exams on 01325 503104 for further details. Examination re-sits may be charged at the discretion of the college. Any student requiring more than 2 re-sits of any individual examination will be referred to the curriculum manager and a fee will be charged at the discretion of the manager. The manager will ensure that adequate tuition is received before another re-sit is booked. If a fee is required it will be charged at the awarding organisation fee plus 10% administration cost. If a re-sit is requested for an examination that has been passed, in order to improve a grade, this will be charged at the same rate as above.

University level qualifications

If you are studying a Teesside University course at Darlington College then you may be able to apply for a tuition fee loan. Ask for a copy of the Higher Education Courses Financial Information leaflet for more details.

Advanced Learner Loan

If you’re aged 19 or over, you may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan. These loans help you to pay the fees charged by colleges and training organisations. Most learners aged 19 and over, studying at Level 3 to 6, will qualify for these loans from the UK government. It’s easy to apply, your household income isn’t taken into account and there’s no credit check. You won’t have to pay anything back until your income is over £27,295 a year if you started your course before 31 July 2023 (this reduces to £25,000 a year if you start your course after 31 July 2023).

To qualify you must be:

• aged 19 or over on the first day of your course (there’s no upper age limit)

• living in the UK on the first day of your course and have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years immediately before this unless you meet one of the exceptions

• studying with a college or training organisation in England approved for public funding

• enrolling on an eligible course at Level 3 to 6 which includes A levels, Access to HE Diplomas and other Vocational Qualifications.

Financial advice

It is important for you to consider your own circumstances and look into all options relating to the payment of your course before choosing to take out a loan. For free, impartial advice go to www.moneyhelper.org.uk or contact them on 0800 138 7777

If you earn less than £20,319 a year you may be able to access free training. Please come and talk to us if you think this could apply to you.