Age and Residency Eligibility for Free Funding
Due to the way our courses are funded all candidates must be 19 years old or above as at 1st August 2022.
You must live in England (Scotland, N.Ireland and Wales are exempt from our free funding). There are also some exempt areas in England (scroll down for list below).
If you are between 19-24… you also need to have a previous qualification at ‘Full’* Level 2 or above (in any subjects). (*’Full’ means, for instance, a Level 2 Diploma, or 5 x GCSEs at grades A* – C, or 9 – 4)
You must be a UK national, resident for a minimum of 3 years or an EU national with settled or pre-settled status and resident in the UK/EEA for a minimum of 3 years prior to the enrolment date.
Anyone who wants to enrol onto a course and entered the country on a visa or as an asylum seeker will need to complete a separate form to be assessed by the College before they can enrol.
Depending on your circumstances we may need to see evidence of your residency status to confirm your eligibility for funding and to study in the UK.
Unfortunately, if you are on a student visa you will not qualify for funding.
As long as you meet the above criteria there is no fee for enrolling on a Level 1 or Level 2 course (charges apply to higher level courses).
If you have any questions please contact us at distancelearning@nescot.ac.uk
Learners not eligible for free-funding can pay for a Level 2 or Level 3 Course. Please call 020 8394 8426 or email distancelearning@nescot.ac.uk to find out more.
Geographic Restrictions
Since 1st August 2019 there have been new rules regarding regional course funding. If you are resident in any of the following areas we cannot obtain funding for your course. However, please contact us at distancelearning@nescot.ac.uk if you have any doubt about which area your postcode may be in.
These are our exempt areas (we cannot get free funding):
| Bolton | Greater Manchester |
| Bury | Greater Manchester |
| Manchester | Greater Manchester |
| Oldham | Greater Manchester |
| Rochdale | Greater Manchester |
| Salford | Greater Manchester |
| Stockport | Greater Manchester |
| Tameside | Greater Manchester |
| Trafford | Greater Manchester |
| Wigan | Greater Manchester |
| Barnsley | Sheffield City Region |
| Doncaster | Sheffield City Region |
| Rotherham | Sheffield City Region |
| Sheffield | Sheffield City Region |
| Bradford | West Yorkshire |
| Calderdale | West Yorkshire |
| Kirklees | West Yorkshire |
| Leeds | West Yorkshire |
| Wakefield | West Yorkshire |
| Halton | Liverpool City Region |
| Knowsley | Liverpool City Region |
| Liverpool | Liverpool City Region |
| St. Helens | Liverpool City Region |
| Sefton | Liverpool City Region |
| Wirral | Liverpool City Region |
| Hartlepool | Tees Valley |
| Middlesbrough | Tees Valley |
| Redcar and Cleveland | Tees Valley |
| Stockton-on-Tees | Tees Valley |
| Darlington | Tees Valley |
| Birmingham | West Midlands |
| Coventry | West Midlands |
| Dudley | West Midlands |
| Sandwell | West Midlands |
| Solihull | West Midlands |
| Walsall | West Midlands |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands |
| Peterborough | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| Cambridge | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| East Cambridgeshire | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| Fenland | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| Huntingdonshire | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| South Cambridgeshire | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| Bath and North East Somerset | West of England |
| Bristol, City of | West of England |
| South Gloucestershire | West of England |
| County Durham | North East |
| South Tyneside | North East |
| Sunderland | North East |
| Gateshead | North East |
| Northumberland | North of Tyne |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | North of Tyne |
| North Tyneside | North of Tyne |
Learners not eligible for free-funding can pay for a Level 2 or Level 3 Course. Please call 020 8394 8426 or email distancelearning@nescot.ac.uk to find out more.