Community Learning Fees Policy 2022-23

Overall Aim

Community learning is funding that aims to widen participation and enable as many people as possible to access the wide benefits that engagement in learning can bring. However, emphasis is placed on groups and communities that face the greatest levels of disadvantage and deprivation. It also aims to support community organisations and the community in its wider sense to build its capacity to improve skills within the community and work to change their own communities for the better.

Eligibility for Free Courses

The following learners will be entitled to free courses.

Adults aged 19 or over who:

• Do not hold a full-level 2 qualification including English or maths.
• Are unemployed or retired.
• Are attending a designated ‘engagement’ course where the learning totals less than 12 hours.
• Are referred to the provision directly as part strengthening families’ initiative.
• Are parents/carers of children/young people who are entitled to free school meals.
• Have been referred to the course by a partner organisation for the purposes of improving their mental health and wellbeing.
• Do not meet the above criteria, but work for a voluntary and/or community organisation where the learning aim will build the capacity of that organisation to support and develop its local community.

Fee Rates

The service recognises that learning has many benefits and that fees should be kept as low as possible in order to enable as many people as possible to access learning.

Course fees are calculated on the basis of £4.00 per guided learning hour (information sessions are not included in the fee calculation)

Full Cost Recovery

Our leisure based courses have fees attached to them. The fee will be published alongside the course. Enrolment onto these courses is subject to the non-refundable course fee being paid in full prior to commencement. There is no option for fee remission on these courses.

Level 3 Courses

Level 3 courses will have fees attached to them that will need to be paid at the beginning of the course. There is no option for fee remission but learners are able to access full funding should they wish through the Adult Learner Loan facility. More details on Adult Learner Loans are available on the Learn Telford website.

Discretionary Fee Remission (DFR)

The service recognises that personal circumstances can be wide and varied and that some people who do not meet the criteria above may not be able to afford the course fee.

Fee remission may be available to cover some or all of the course costs, you can apply for fee remission by completing the DFR request form. You will need to contact a member of the Learn Telford to help you do this.

Email us at support@learntelford.ac.uk or call us on 01952 382888.