Next Steps for
Adult Learners

Just because you don't have formal qualifications like A Levels doesn't mean you shouldn't have the chance to study a degree at university. Choose an Access to Higher Education Diploma, and you'll be able to bridge the gap and continue studying at a higher level.

Our Access to Higher Education diplomas are delivered through our Higher Education partner, UCEN Manchester.

If you're still not sure about the different course types available for adult learners - or you want to be certain that a specific course is relevant for you and your goals – we're here to help.

As long as you're passionate about learning and want to advance your skills, our expert team can give you all the help and guidance you need. Call us on 03333 222 444.

There is a range of funding available to help you pay for a course at The Manchester College. This funding comes from the GMCA/ESFA ASF Funding rules. All funding is applied for at the point of enrolment when a fees assessment will be completed.

Eligibility for funding is based on:

• Residency (where you live and for how long*)
• Age (you must be 19 or older on 31 August)
• Course (can your course be funded)
• In some cases, household income (below £25,000 for college bursary tuition fees)
• In some cases, household income (below £32,400 for Level 3 GMCA).

Adult Skills Fund (ASF) Funding Rules 2025-2026

You can be fully funded if you meet the residency eligibility criteria, are aged 19 and over and earn below the earnings threshold or are unemployed. We may fully fund you if you are unemployed, employed, or self-employed, up to and including Level 2 and Level 3 offers, if you earn below (Level 2 and below £25,000, Level 3 GMCA £32,400 and all levels DFE £25,750).

*In most cases you must have settled status and been ordinarily resident in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or the British Overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and Isle of Man). Speak to the enrolment staff or Careers and Welfare team if you're unsure.

Asylum seekers are eligible to receive funding if you:

• Have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while your claim is being considered by the Home Office and no decision on your claim has been made, or
• Are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014.

Your immigration permission in the UK may have a 'no recourse to public funds' condition. Public funds does not include education or education funding. Therefore, this does not affect your eligibility, which must be decided under the normal eligibility conditions.

Are you unemployed?

You may be eligible for funding if you are classed as unemployed and looking for work, if one or more of the following apply:

You receive Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), including those receiving National Insurance credits only:

• You receive Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• You receive Universal Credit (UC), and your take-home pay as recorded on your UC statement (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £952 a month (if you are the sole benefit claimant) or £1,534 a month (if you have a joint benefit claim)
• You are released on temporary licence, studying outside a prison environment, and not funded by the Ministry of Justice.

You may also be classed as unemployed if:

• You receive other state benefits (not included in the list above) and your take-home pay (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £952 a month (if you are the sole benefit claimant) or £1,534 a month (if you have a joint benefit claim)
• You are not receiving any benefits, seeking employment, and your course is directly relevant to the employment prospects and the local labour market needs.

GCSE English and maths

If you haven't achieved a grade 9-4 or A*-C, then you can study for these qualifications with us. You don't usually have to pay any tuition or exam fees, regardless of other qualifications you might have.

Full cost courses

Some of our courses are not eligible for funding. Regardless of your financial circumstances, you will not be eligible for any remission and all course fees, including any exam or materials fees, will be payable at enrolment. At the point of enrolment, you will have a full fees assessment and we will advise on the best funding options for you.

What is it?

If you're going to be 19 or above when you start a Level 3 or Level 4 course with us, you could take advantage of an Advanced Learner Loan, available from the UK government. This loan can be used to pay some, or all, of your tuition fees.

Note: Level 4 courses (such as AAT) must be taken within the College and not courses within UCEN Manchester (Higher Education HNC, HND, Foundation Degree or Top-up) to be eligible.

Am I eligible?

The Advanced Learner Loan is available for those over 19 years old, studying a Level 3 or Level 4 course in further education and training. This includes Access to Higher Education (HE) diplomas, and some other certificates and diplomas.

You'll need to have been resident in the UK for the last three years to be eligible. You can also apply if you are a member of the UK armed forces serving outside of England studying distance learning. The minimum loan amount you can take is £300, and the maximum is the full cost of your tuition fees.

If you wish to take a loan out for an Access to HE diploma, when you progress on to a university-level course that's eligible for student finance, the loan for the Access to HE course will be written off, meaning you won't have to repay any more of it.

Please note: this does not apply to all level 3 courses.

Some courses can only be part funded by Advanced Learner Loans such as L4 counselling. In these cases, you will be expected to pay the remaining balance. The college can set up payment plans but you will be expected to set this up at the point of enrolment. Failure to provide an Advanced Learner Loan award letter prior to the first payment date, the college reserves the right to request a full payment from your bank rather than a part payment.

How do I apply?

Once you have been accepted onto your course, you'll receive a letter telling you what to do, together with the amount you need to apply for, and any reference numbers needed for the application.

The process is simple; there is no means testing or credit rating check. You apply online, and then you don't need to do anything – your tuition fees are paid automatically. The loan will only apply for tuition fees only. You may be eligible for your exam fees to be remitted under Welfare Benefits or low income.

The Student Careers Team will be able to assist with your application or give further advice on how to apply.

The 19+ Access to Industry Award is made up of four different elements: tuition fees, travel awards, exam fees, and childcare. The elements you can apply for will depend on your circumstances and the course you are studying.

Am I eligible?

You may be eligible if your household income is less than £35,000 for travel and £25,000 for childcare, and you must have lived in the UK for at least three years. If you're an EU citizen and you were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living here after 30 June 2021. If you want to move to the UK from 1 January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa.

Tuition fee support is available for courses up to and including Level 2 and learners aged 19-23 who already have a full Level 3 qualification. Travel awards are dependent on the number of weekly hours of your course and your attendance.

Travel is also available for Level 3 learners who are on a low income/benefit regardless of age.

For childcare support, your childcare provider must be registered with Ofsted, and you'll be expected to pay 5% of the cost yourself.

How do I apply?

This will be discussed at the point of enrolment and you will be asked for evidence of income by showing either a P60 or wage slips. You may also be asked for evidence of residency by showing passports/visas etc.

If you wish to appeal a decision, you will need to put this in writing outlining why you feel the decision was incorrect and send to the Bursary Team within 10 days of the decision date. It will then go to an appeal panel and you will be informed of the outcome within 10 days.

Depending on your personal circumstances and income you may be eligible for travel support through our TMC Go travel award.

TMC Go will not only help you with getting to and from college, it can also provide you with a way to explore all the great places in Greater Manchester.

If you are on a low income and studying on a substantial programme of eight hours or more per week you can apply for support with the cost of travel. The TMC Go travel award will be provided based on eligibility. Payments and support may stop if attendance falls below college expectations.

We've been working with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to incorporate your bus pass with your College ID and if eligible, you will be able to load a travel pass onto it every 28 days via a smartphone on campus.

If you lose your bus pass

If you lose or misplace your bus pass, you will incur a fee of £2 to obtain a replacement from the bus company. Refunds are not available if a bus pass is later found.

Whilst the bus pass is being replaced, there will be no replacement funds available. Any student found misusing their bus pass will be subject to the student disciplinary procedures.

Any learner in extreme hardship will go through an eligibility assessment for additional financial support. In cases where students have lost their ID three or more times, the college will adjust the award to daily scratch cards.

Any student who lives outside the GM area or is studying under the eight hour threshold and needs travel support must submit in writing to the Bursary team explaining why they should be considered for travel support. This will be looked at by the Bursary Appeals Panel and a decision will be reached accordingly.

Find out more by visiting our Travel page.

19 – 24 Unwaged Learners

In some circumstances, for a Level 1 or 2 programmes of study, a learner aged 19 – 24, unwaged, may be eligible for support should a signed declaration from parents/guardian be in place, confirming that they do not financially support the learner for educational purposes (eligibility criteria apply).

Childcare can be expensive so we are offering you the chance to apply for funding from Access to Industry Award. If you incur childcare costs with an Ofsted regulated childcare provider whilst studying you can apply for support.

The level of childcare funding available to you will be determined by other sources of childcare support available through government led initiatives, such as the 15-30 hours of free childcare for all 2- and 3-year olds.

The maximum childcare funding available will be as follows: 

For children aged up to 2 years old:

• You will be expected to pay 5% of the nursery place directly to the provider
• The college will pay a maximum of £175.00 per week

For children aged 2 years and under 11 years:

• The college will support any additional childcare hours above the NEG hours voucher up to a maximum of £175.00 per week, per child
• You will be expected to pay 5% of the nursery place directly to the provider

Any fees over the maximum must be paid by the learner.

Where you have children both under and over 2 years of age, the maximum that the college will pay is £350 per week.

Any childcare costs incurred before you have official written confirmation from the college that childcare funding has been agreed and you have returned the signed contract will remain the learner's liability to pay the nursery provider.

The 5% student contribution does not apply to Asylum Seekers.

Your attendance is monitored and acted on in relation to the contract. If you leave the course you may incur a notice period cost from the childcare provider. The college will give and pay a notice period according to the terms and conditions of the childcare provider.

Once approved the college will pay your childcare provider directly. You can download an application below or speak to Careers and Welfare for a paper copy. You must complete the application in full and return it with evidence to Careers and Welfare. Section 5 must be completed and signed by the childcare provider.

How do I apply for childcare?

Step one: Complete an application form

Download the childcare application here, complete all sections and take it to your childcare provider to complete section 6.

If you are unable to download or prefer to complete a paper application, you can go the Careers and Welfare section on your campus to pick up an application.

Step two: See an advisor on site

An adviser will check and sign your application and send it to the Bursary Team to be processed.

Please ensure you have all the evidence needed before you book an appointment, as applications will not be taken with missing evidence.

Childcare will not be paid until you have started your course.

Contact the Childcare Admin team for any issues.

Step three: Application outcome

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by email or text and the Bursary Team will communicate with your provider to arrange payments and contracts.

If you are having any problems finding childcare go to:

• childcare.co.uk
• manchester.gov.uk/education

If you wish to appeal a decision, you will need to put this in writing outlining why you feel the decision was incorrect and send to the Bursary Team within 10 days of the decision date. It will then go to an appeal panel and you will be informed of the outcome within 10 days.

If you are in college from 8:00am to 9:30am, take advantage of FREE Tea and Toast for all students. You will need to show your ID badge.

• The Access to Industry Award is paid from the college allocation of Discretionary Support Funds from the ESFA and the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan Bursary.
• These funds are paid to meet some of the costs associated with learning, to enable learners to attend college courses where financial issues may not have made this otherwise possible.
• The funds are paid subject to learners meeting the minimum college attendance requirement of at least 87% attendance and where learners have demonstrated appropriate effort and behaviour whilst in college.
• Any authorised absence that a learner may have during the academic year will NOT be counted as a positive mark for the purposes of payment of the Study Award and may affect eligibility for payment.
• Where a learner has been awarded an Access to Industry Award but they do not meet the attendance, behaviour and effort requirements, payment may not be made.
• Where a learner has been awarded childcare support, attendance will also be monitored and this support may be removed, with one month's notice in writing to the learner and the childcare provider, where the learner does not have an appropriate level of attendance or where they are not progressing with their studies. No contract should be signed with a childcare provider until you have confirmation of funding and learners are expected to pay a 5% contribution towards the cost of childcare.
• Continued personal eligibility to the study award and childcare support through the Study Award system is checked prior to any payments being made and should the learner's programme of study or number of hours have changed, the college will amend the amount of financial support available to the learner and notify them of this change in writing.
• If a learner withdraws from their studies or stops attending the college, all support through the Study Award will immediately cease and no future payments will be made – this includes the study award and childcare support, where appropriate.
• If a learner loses their bus pass, there will be a £2 charge for administration costs for a replacement.
• The Access to Industry Award is limited and the college seeks to provide the maximum benefit to the most learners possible. If further payments cannot be made, all recipients will be informed of this in writing.

Our online application process means that as soon as you've chosen your perfect course you can apply straight away from the course page. Just click the 'Apply Now' button and you'll be guided through the process.

You can search for courses based on your interests or preferred career area and we can help you find out which one is right for you. It's always best to apply as soon as you've found the perfect course, as places can fill up very fast!

We'll aim to respond within 48 hours to confirm we've received your application, but if you don't hear from us in seven days, get in touch to check we've got everything.

Please be advised you may be required to attend an interview as part of the entry requirements. This is an opportunity to meet with course tutors to discuss course content and progression opportunities. Interviews can be booked and managed via the Apply Portal, if this is a requirement for your chosen course.

In some cases, we may ask you to take a short BKSB assessment after your interview, to find out your current level in English, Maths and ICT. The instructions are really easy to follow, you'll have plenty of time to answer the questions and there's absolutely nothing to worry about.

If you don't have previous qualifications here, this helps us determine the best type of course and appropriate level for your abilities, ensuring you'll learn the most relevant information to enhance your career prospects.

We'll be on hand to help if you have any specific requirements or need extra support.

After your interview, or if we didn't need you to visit in person, you'll receive an email and updates via the Apply Portal to let you know your application was successful.

You will receive communication via email and the Apply Portal on your next steps to enrolment.

If you weren't suitable for this particular course, don't worry! We will be able to advise you on what course to transfer to and help you find the most relevant course for your experiences, skills and future plans to help you succeed with The Manchester College.

We are no longer in a position to enrol any new international students due to our current home office status as a legacy sponsor. For further information about Tier 4 of the points-based system, please refer to the Tier 4 Guidance for Sponsors on the GOV.UK website. We apologise that we are currently unable to proceed with any new applications. If you require a list of alterative UK registered sponsors please visit the Tier 4 Register of Sponsors.

If you are from a British Overseas Territories and your passport states British Citizen you can apply in the normal way.

You are a 'British Overseas Territories' national if you are a national of any of these territories:

• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Antarctic Territory
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Montserrat
• Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• St Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan de Cunha)
• Turks and Caicos Islands

Congratulations on receiving an offer at The Manchester College. We hope you are as excited as we are for you to work to achieve your goals.

You now need to take a few simple steps to complete your enrolment. Below you will find all the details of everything you need to do to activate your enrolment, as well as useful information for your new course. Our campuses are open for enrolment between 10am and 1pm.

Your enrolment will go through various steps:

Step 1 - Log in to Apply Portal

Simply login to your Apply Portal and you will see our request for you to complete your enrolment form in the 'Get Ready to Study' section. If you can't remember your login details you can reset them easily, here's a guide to regain access.

If you have not yet accepted our offer of a place, you will see the tile to accept the offer before you can complete the digital enrolment form.

Step 2 - Enrolment Form

Please check the information you've previously submitted is still accurate, and then continue to complete the other information which we require to progress your enrolment to the next stage.

Within the 'Evidence' section you will need to upload a passport-style photograph for your student ID card; instructions for this are in the Portal under 'Uploads'. You will be provided with your ID card when you come onto campus to complete your enrolment.

Step 3 - Review

Once you have completed the above steps, you will be taken to the 'Review' page. Please double check all the information is correct, including your contact details, and click 'Submit'. If you notice any errors while on the 'Review' page, simply click on 'Edit' under the section you wish to correct and make any changes required.

Step 4 - Book an Appointment

Once you have confirmed all your details you will be redirected back to the portal homepage where you will see a new tile to book an appointment for your enrolment. Clicking on 'Book' will allow you to choose an enrolment date and time that suits you.

Please note: the booking of an appointment is not a guarantee of a place on your chosen course. All offers of a place are subject to availability at the time of enrolment. We apologise in advance if your chosen course of study is full at your enrolment appointment. Our dedicated Careers Service will always be on hand to help you choose an alternative course of study.

On the day of your appointment, you will be required to arrive at your campus of choice where your details will be given a final check and you will go on to speak to your tutor team to ask any further questions you may have.

Please also be aware that: for some programmes of study you may be required to complete an initial assessment which will extend the time you are with us on campus during your appointment.

Step 5 - Signing Your Learner Agreement and Consents

You will sign your 'Learner Agreement' and read the consents and privacy notice when you obtain your ID card when on campus, where your photograph will be taken. Once you've signed the agreement, you will receive further communication via email on how to access the Student Hub, where you will find important information on when you start college, your timetable and how to stay safe on campus.

Enrolment Dates

Dates for enrolment will be confirmed nearer the time.

If you've applied to study with us in January, you will find all the details of everything you need to do to activate your enrolment.

The enrolment process is the same as above (Steps 1-5).

January 2026 Enrolment Dates:

Openshaw campus: Wednesdays from 10am-1pm for 4 weeks

• Wednesday 14 January 2026
• Wednesday 21 January 2026
• Wednesday 28 January 2026
• Wednesday 4 February 2026

All other campuses: Mondays from 10am-1pm for 4 weeks

• Monday 12 January 2026
• Monday 19 January 2026
• Monday 26 January 2026
• Monday 2 February 2026

*Last appointment for any walk-in enrolments is 1 hour before enrolment closes each day.

All tuition, examination, material and kit costs are payable at the point of enrolment.

There are a number of different options for payment methods, and you may be eligible for a tuition fee remission if you are in receipt of a means tested benefit (evidence must be dated within six months of the start date of your course). Please see the Ways to Pay guidance document.

If you have any issues in relation to paying your tuition fees, exam, material and/or kit costs, please ask a member of our staff for a guidance appointment.

If you are a continuing student you will have completed your progression interview and we now require you to complete the following steps:

• Log into the apply portal, using your college credentials/Microsoft 365 account
• Accept your progression offer
• Review your Get Ready to Study enrolment details
• Review your enrolment appointment, this will have been booked on your behalf
• Attend campus on your booked date and time to complete enrolment with the curriculum team

If you want to change your course, please attend the site where this course runs and we can arrange this for you whilst you are on site with us during main enrolment.

If you are having problems completing your online form, please phone 03333 222 444.

If you are not a national of the UK/EU and you have not been resident in the UK/EU for the last three years, you will need to provide evidence of your residency.

Our Adult Learner Week YouTube playlist has lots of useful videos from virtual sessions which took place during our Adult Learner Week with information for new students and progressing students.

If you require advice or would like to change career pathway, please contact the Careers and Welfare team by emailing careers&welfare@tmc.ac.uk to arrange an appointment or call.

If you haven't received your enrolment email or don't have an offer yet, get in touch with us on 03333 222 444.