Prices, Payments & Refunds
All of our course fees included on this website are the amount payable at enrolment. However, on some courses there may be an additional fee to cover materials or examinations fees. If so, you will be advised of these at enrolment. You can pay your course fees by cash, cheque, debit or credit card.
All cheques should be made payable to Dudley College of Technology. If your employer is paying your fees you should bring a letter stating this fact when you come to enrol.
You will need to bring the following documents with you to enrolment:
- A form of ID such as a driving licence or passport
- Benefit/household income documents if you are applying for financial support or asking for a fee concession
- Exam certificates or exam entry slips if your course requires evidence of a previous qualification
- The means to make the payment i.e cash or card (if applicable).
If you have not lived in the UK for the last three years we will need to see supporting documentation confirming you are eligible for funding.
If you are an Asylum Seeker, Refugee or have a Study Visa or any other Visa type covering your time in the UK please bring this documentation with you when you enrol.
As our course prices are related to Government Funding, there may be changes to costs and eligibility. You will be told the most recent course prices at enrolment. We would not normally expect our published price to vary but, if they do, please be aware that any price amendments are out of our control and the published price is an indicative price. Where the duration of the course exceeds one year, only the first year fee is shown.
Students aged 19 and over are usually subsidised by the Government for most qualifications up to a level 3. Students are expected to pay the fee published which relates to their age.
Students who are aged 19 years and over wanting to enrol on an additional level 3 course are not funded by the Government and consequently are expected to pay the fee listed. These students can either pay fees themselves or apply for a Government Advanced Learner Loan to pay for tuition fees.
For further information and an explanation of fees and funding please contact Student Services on 01384 363 363
| Course Type | 19-23 Years of Age, Employed | 19-23 Years of Age, Unemployed on active benefits JSA/ESA WRAG or Universal Credit or wider offer undertaking skills training | 24 Years of Age +, Employed | 24 Years of Age +, Unemployed on active benefits JSA/ESA WRAG or Universal Credit or wider offer undertaking skills training |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English & Maths Adult Basic Skills up to Level 2 | FREE | FREE | FREE | FREE |
| ESOL | Listed fee payable | FREE | Listed fee payable | FREE |
| Progression funding Entry Level /Level 1 excl. S4L without a L2 | FREE | FREE | Listed fee payable | FREE |
| First full level 2 | FREE | FREE | Listed fee payable | FREE |
| Additional full level 2 | Listed fee payable | FREE | Listed fee payable | FREE |
| First full level 3 or above | FREE | FREE | Apply for Advanced Learner Loan or pay listed fee | |
| Additional full level 3 | Apply for Advanced Learner Loan or pay listed fee | Apply for Advanced Learner Loan or pay listed fee | Apply for Advanced Learner Loan or pay listed fee |
Higher Education HNC and HND courses fee are payable, regardless of a student’s age or circumstances.
Some courses listed are not fundable by the Government. Therefore, students are expected to pay these fees, regardless of age or circumstances. Adult learners may be eligible for reduced fees depending upon criteria such as your age, residency in England and any benefits being claimed.
Please contact student services on 01384 363 363 to find out if you may be eligible for reduced fees.
Funding may be available to support your learning as an adult (aged 19+) studying at Dudley College in the following circumstances:
- If the course is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and they have given us permission to offer it at no cost to you and you live in the WMCA area.
- If the course is part of the ‘Free Courses for Jobs’ government scheme and you are unemployed or working for a low wage.
- If the course is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) / WMCA and you meet certain criteria (such as this being the first qualification of this type and level you are studying, or unemployed, or working for a low wage).
If you have not previously achieved GCSE grade C or above in English and/or maths, you can study these for free.
Your personal circumstances and the funding available to you will be discussed at enrolment, if would useful if you bring evidence including proof of income / benefits; proof of age (i.e. driving licence); prior qualifications.
Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) student applications now open
Students starting a course on or after 1 January 2027 can now apply for the LLE.
Students domiciled in England who are starting their studies on a higher education course or module in the UK on or after 1 January 2027 can now apply through the LLE.
The LLE replaces the previous undergraduate funding system for students who are eligible through Student Finance England (SFE). Some postgraduate level courses will also be funded under the LLE, such as postgraduate healthcare and teaching qualifications. Additionally, the LLE will also fund some courses previously funded by the Advanced Learner Loan (ALL) system.
How do I apply?
To apply for the LLE, you’ll need to sign up to GOV.UK One Login. Find out more about how to sign up to GOV.UK One Login, or sign in to your GOV.UK One Login – GOV.UK.
What funding is available?
You may be able to get:
- Tuition Fee Loans to help pay your course tuition fees
- Maintenance Loans to help with your living costs
- Extra help such as grants or an allowance if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children
The amount of support you can get depends on the number of credits you study. All courses that qualify for funding will be worth a certain number of credits. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits.
Students who haven’t received student finance before can get a standard entitlement of Tuition Fee Loan of up to £39,160. This is equivalent to approximately 480 credits. Depending on the course or modules you study, you may be able to fund more than 480 credits with this based on how much your provider charges.
If a student has studied and received student finance before, this will be considered when working out how much tuition fee funding they can get through the LLE.
Maintenance Loans up to a maximum of up to £15,415 per course year are available depending on factors such as: household income, where you live while studying and the number of credits you’re studying. The amount of Maintenance Loan you can get can change in each year that you study.
You may also be able to receive additional financial help from other sources, for example:
- money from your university or college such as a bursary, scholarship or hardship fund
- NHS funding or a bursary if you’re studying certain courses such as nursing or social work
Repayment
Loans only need to be repaid once you have finished or left your course or individual module in line with Repayment Plan 5 earning thresholds, find out more about what you’ll repay. Any loan that you take out will have interest applied from the day the first loan payment is made, find out more about how interest works. Any outstanding loan(s) through the LLE will be cancelled 40 years after the April you are first due to start repaying.
Further information
For full details on eligibility, what you can get and how to apply, visit Lifelong learning entitlement (LLE): overview – GOV.UK
You can pay by instalments if your course fee is above £200. This includes any remaining balance if part of your course fee is being paid for by your employer.
The full cost for short courses of 10-12 weeks in duration must be payable by two concurrent instalments.
Please see the chart below for payment schedules:
| Total course fee | No. of instalments |
|---|---|
| £200 – £299 | 2 |
| £300 – £399 | 3 |
| £400 – £499 | 4 |
| £500 – £599 | 5 |
| £600 – £699 | 6 |
| £700 – £799 | 7 |
| £800 – £899 | 8 |
| £900 – £999 | 9 |
| £1,000 and above | 10 |
All learners paying in instalments must first complete an Instalment Agreement.
The first payment must be paid at enrolment by cash, debit/credit card or cheque. The remaining instalments can either be paid directly into the college bank account (details of which will be given at enrolment) or by calling the Finance Office.
Unfortunately, we do not currently allow direct debits. We are looking to put in place an online payment gateway soon.
All instalment plans must be paid one month prior to the course end date. Where course fees remain outstanding the college maintains the right to recover any debts and to withhold certification until all debts are paid.
No refunds will be given for courses of 12 weeks duration or less. Refunds of course tuition fees of more than 12 weeks will only be given in the following circumstances:
- Where Dudley College of Technology cancels a course
- When the learner withdraws from a course within the first three weeks of the start date (although an administration fee will be charged).
- All other requests for fee refunds will be considered in exceptional circumstances and will be at the discretion of the Vice Principal of Finance.
Please note: Dudley College of Technology reserves the right to cancel any course that does not meet the minimum learner numbers. If this is necessary, all learners will be notified in writing.
Eligibility Residency and Funding
As part of the enrolment process at Dudley College of Technology, you will be required to provide certain identification and residency evidence.
You will be asked to provide evidence for identification purposes at enrolment.
Identification we can accept:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Driving licence (UK Nationals Only)
- National insurance Letter
- Adoption certificate
For certain applicants, we may ask for proof of visa or immigration status. This is required by the college when proof of UK residency is necessary. If this applies to you, you will receive an email from Dudley College Enrolment Team requesting the documentation. If you have been asked to provide this information, please follow the instructions from the table below.
| Residency Status | Can you study? | Documents Required |
| Asylum Seeker | Yes if you have been resident in the UK for 6 months | • ARC Card or Bail 201 Letter from the Home Office • Aspen card & 2 recent receipts |
| Refugee – Discretionary Leave to Enter / Leave to Remain | Yes | • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVISA • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) |
| Migrant Victim Schemes | Yes | • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) – stating DV • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVisa |
| Humanitarian Protection Scheme | Yes | • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) – stating HP • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVisa |
| Ukrainian or Afghan Schemes | Yes | • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVISA • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) |
| EU Settlement Scheme | Yes | • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVISA • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) |
| Refugee – Indefinite Leave to Remain | Yes | • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVISA • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) |
| Spouse / Dependent | Yes | • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVISA • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) |
| British National (Oversees) | Yes | • Proof of Immigration Share Code or eVISA • Biometric Residency Permit (if in date) |
| Student / Graduate / Skilled Worker | No | You are not eligible to study at Dudley College |
*To obtain a share code please visit www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status.
The UK government is changing how people with the right of abode confirm residency status. Because of this change, from 1st January 2025 BRP cards will no longer be a valid way of evidencing residency.
To get access to your eVisa you need to create a UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) account. From your account you will be able to share a link to your eVisa with organisations. Dudley college of Technology will use the information shown on the eVisa to process your request to enrol.
If you are unsure about your current visa status, please contact Learner Services at learner.services@dudleycol.ac.uk and attach a copy of your documents/paperwork.