About Our Courses
Our free online qualifications utilise funding from the Adult Education Budget to allow our learners in England to access opportunities to develop valuable skills for their work.
What is the Adult Education Budget?
The Adult Education Budget (AEB) is a government initiative available to individuals and employers to fund a range of education and training.
AEB funding is available to adults in the UK. Funding for these qualifications has been made available to enable more adults to gain new skills and knowledge to gain employment, further job prospects or to progress their education.
How Does The Adult Education Budget Work?
AEB funding is shared across England. It is shared between combined authorities and national funding. This funding is utilised by training providers and colleges to provide individuals with the opportunity to study and upskill with free qualifications.
We have a wide range of over 60+ free online courses that are available through the Adult Education Budget.
Are Level 2 Qualifications Free?
Our Level 2 qualifications are available to study for free, ensuring that you meet the eligibility criteria below:
- You MUST currently be living in England.
- You MUST have been a resident in the UK/EU for 3+ years.
- You MUST be aged 19+ years old.
- You MUST NOT currently be enrolled on another government-funded qualification.
Providing you meet these eligibility requirements you can study a range of online level 2 qualifications available in your area.
Visit our courses page and filter by your postcode to view the free level 2 courses available in your area.
Are Level 3 Qualifications Free?
We have several free level 3 courses available for you to study.
These are available and fully funded through the government's 'Free Courses For Jobs' scheme. These qualifications are the equivalent of an advanced technical certificate, diploma or A-level.
These courses have been designed to help improve your career prospects and boost your income. Some studies suggest a level 3 qualification can increase your income by as much as 16%.
However, their eligibility criteria are slightly different to level 2's and will be dependent on the college you are enrolling with:
An example of some eligibility criteria you MAY have to meet is below:
- You MUST currently be living in England.
- You MUST have been a resident in the UK/EU for 3+ years.
- You MUST be aged 19+ years old.
- You MUST NOT be currently enrolled on another government-funded qualification.
- You MAY need to complete an initial Maths and English assessment.
- You MAY only be able to study if you have not yet gained a Level 3 qualification.
- You MAY need to work in the industry to which the qualification is applied.
You can find our free level 3 qualifications on our course page.
Are There Any Fees Associated With Free Courses?
Depending on the college you enrol with, some providers may choose to include a withdrawal fee for learners who wish to withdraw from the course without proper reasoning.
The overall cost of the withdrawal fee will come at the discretion of the college, however, you will always be made aware of any potential withdrawal fees by a member of our team before completing your application.
In some cases, the college will not include a withdrawal fee. Although, we would only recommend registering for one of our qualifications if you are certain you will complete the course.
How Do I Find Free Courses?
If you're looking for free learning opportunities our course page is the perfect place to start.
You can filter between paid and free qualifications using the pricing filter. To view the fully funded level 2's & 3's in your area, simply use the postcode filter.
If you are struggling to find the right course for you, you can also get in touch with our qualifications team.