Cost of A-level course, UK student.

hungryoshi

Hey, I have just completed my A2 levels and have recently recieved a bill of £200. My situation is quite strange. I am aware that there is a service that deals with these sorts of problems, but i am unable to find it and now sceptical of its existance. i have asked my college in the past and I was told there is somewhere i can apply for money to cover Alevel costs, but when i've asked for more details somce ive been fobbed off. I believe the organisation was something along the lines of the LCA or LSA, but there are that many abbreviations, im a bit stuck. The next paragraph is a little more detail.

I completed my As levels at a sixth form, however i left the sixth form and moved to the local college for my A2 levels, i have just finished there. When i made the change, the college did not offer Music as an A-level. Instead i completed this at a night college/evening class.I i have applied to local funding of no avail and, granted, have left it quite late now. I have a bill for my A2 level music course with the local music service, and no means of paying this back.

Nobody knows of the/a group/organisation which i would/could contact, in this situation?

Thanks

PasturesNew

Learning & Skills Council?

Alternatively, only other close thing I can think of is an Individual Learning Account (ILA)

However, they won't settle up debts you've built up. They might have been running a scheme for certain people (usually benefits or similar).

What are the fees for exactly? Course fees or exam fees?

hungryoshi

"A'Level Tuition Fees - 2007/2008 " so i assume that it is both, which will be: course, A2 exam fees and 1As resit exam fee.

I have looked into the LSC site breifly,(may i add: i am currently 18 such that i have missed no academic years previously, and received £30EMA throughout the past two years)

celyn90

It was a while ago when I did mine, so I'm not sure if it has changed or not. It used to be that some evening classes at A-level were funded by the government and certain people were exempted. I did two at night school and did not have to pay as I was still in full time school education. However - in order to qualify for the exempted fee I had to get a form signed by my school proving that I qualified to do the course for free - and this had to be handed in before the start of the course and was a condition of my acceptance onto the programme.

I don't know what the system is now but I would check to see firstly if your course is one that is offered free to qualifying persons, then check what the criteria for not paying is, then check to see if you fulfil the criteria and if they will make an exception if you are "out of time".

Regardless of all this, the fee structure should have been made clear to you at the start.

I'm suprised they left it so late in billing you - most places at least ask for a deposit at the start of the course.

Titch89

Isn't there something called Learner Support Fund? (LSF)

iNFLUENCE_2

celyn90 wrote: »

It was a while ago when I did mine, so I'm not sure if it has changed or not. It used to be that some evening classes at A-level were funded by the government and certain people were exempted. I did two at night school and did not have to pay as I was still in full time school education. However - in order to qualify for the exempted fee I had to get a form signed by my school proving that I qualified to do the course for free - and this had to be handed in before the start of the course and was a condition of my acceptance onto the programme.

I don't know what the system is now but I would check to see firstly if your course is one that is offered free to qualifying persons, then check what the criteria for not paying is, then check to see if you fulfil the criteria and if they will make an exception if you are "out of time".

Regardless of all this, the fee structure should have been made clear to you at the start.

I'm suprised they left it so late in billing you - most places at least ask for a deposit at the start of the course.

I thought that all A-Levels done my an approved point of learning were government funded so long as they learner met certain criteria (be under 19 or be on certain benefits etc).

I find it a bit strange really that they have billed you. I'd contact the night school and point out your 18 and you dont think you should be billed for an A-Level course and they didnt make it clear they would be billing you. Might aslo be worth contacting the Learning Skills Council who generally deal with fundung to leaning institutions. If all else fails contact the CAB and explain the situation, emphaisze that it wasnt made clear you would have to pay becuase your 18 and therefore could have done them for free at a 6th form/college.

PS: Are the night schools run by a local college or anything? All the night schools in my area are run by a metropoliton college, and there administration is as shoddy as it gets, oit could also be a simple billing mistake....

Titch89

If you're between 19 & 25 (under 19s get free education anyway) and don't have a level 3 qualification, I think you only either pay a small amount or nothing at all