Grant

Lozzy63

Hi, does anyone know if/where I can get a grant to train as a driving instructor? I will need about £2600 and I'm currently on Universal credit and unable to get a loan.
Thanks in advance

MSE_ForumTeam5

We've moved this to a more suitable part of the forum

Marcon

There are some basic courses at £12 a pop: https://www.reed.co.uk/courses/free/driving-instructor which don't qualify you but completion of one of these might help to indicate to a potential sponsor that you're serious.

If you google, some driving schools offer 'free' tuition where fees are only payable once you have qualified eg https://www.primedrivingschool.co.uk/free-driving-instructor-training-introduction#:~:text=Prime%20Driving%20School%20Need%20You,to%20explain%20everything%20for%20you.
Do read the terms and conditions carefully before considering whether or not to go further if this is a possible route for you.

Have you spoken to your local Jobcentre/council to see if they offer any grants? Varies widely across the country, so you need to ask locally.

Brie

And just to manage expectations....do be careful of promises any of the driving schools make about potential earnings. 

A ex colleague of mine decided to train as an instructor when being made redundant.  He was told he could make £600 a week (this was nearly ten years ago).  Given the rate then for lessons was £20 an hour he would have had to be teaching someone 30 hours a week.  Plus he'd need time to get from one appointment to the next.  So to make £600 a week he'd need to 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, add in a minimum of 1/2 an hour between appointments plus 1/2 hour for lunch he'd be working from 9 am to 6 pm every day.  And at that point he hadn't paid for petrol, the car, maintenance.  Paying back the "grant" perhaps??   And this assumes that his schedule is packed full.  

All that said - you're on UC now but what did you do previously?  Is there any part of your life that might help with the grant now?  Ex military, used to work in banking, have a strong relationship in your ethnic or religious community?  Many places might be willing to fund or partially fund this or other training.

lincroft1710

Brie said:

  

A ex colleague of mine decided to train as an instructor when being made redundant.  He was told he could make £600 a week (this was nearly ten years ago).  Given the rate then for lessons was £20 an hour he would have had to be teaching someone 30 hours a week.  Plus he'd need time to get from one appointment to the next.  So to make £600 a week he'd need to 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, add in a minimum of 1/2 an hour between appointments plus 1/2 hour for lunch he'd be working from 9 am to 6 pm every day.  And at that point he hadn't paid for petrol, the car, maintenance.  Paying back the "grant" perhaps??   And this assumes that his schedule is packed full.  

When I started learning in the 1960s my one man band instructor (and possibly others) would on some days be working to past 7.00 pm in Spring/Summer and also on Saturdays.