Changes to Advanced Learner Loans mean adult and part-time education at Weston College is more accessible and affordable than ever.

For people who want to get new qualifications or retrain, but are worried about the cost, the Advanced Learner Loan is the answer.

These loans have previously only been available for people aged 24 or over but from the 2016-17 academic year they will be available to learners aged 19 or over.

Ceri Forsdike took out a loan to pay for a Level 3 Hairdressing course at Weston College, and now runs her own mobile hairdressing business.

She said: “I would not have been able to progress onto my Level 3 course without having an Advanced Learner Loan – it allowed me to complete my learning to the best possible level.

“This has given me the confidence to set up my own business, which I wouldn’t have been able to do without my qualifications.”

The loan covers tuition and exam fees and does not have to be paid back until a person is earning more than £21,000 per year. Even then repayments are automatically deducted from a person’s salary at a rate of 9%, so if someone earns £22,000 their monthly repayment is just £7.50.

If you take out an Advanced Learner Loan for an Access to Higher Education course and then go on to complete a Higher Education course the loan is written off completely and you will never have to pay a penny back.

The provision has also been expanded to not only cover Level 3 and 4 courses, but also some Level 5 and 6 courses.

James Moodhoo was a self-employed builder who wanted to retrain to become a fully-qualified electrician.

He said: “Funding was my biggest issue when I was considering furthering my studies.

“I was a new father, and we didn’t have a lot of money. Self-funding the course just wasn’t an option.

“Weston College provided fantastic advice and the Advanced Learner Loan has really opened doors for me.”

A new short film has been produced about the Advanced Learner Loan scheme; it can be viewed via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PJQTvnhZes

There is also a dedicated section, with some helpful FAQs, here: www.weston.ac.uk/supporting-you/financial-support/advanced-learner-loans

POLITICIANS from Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset visited Weston College to help students to understand how immigration affects modern politics.

Conservative MP for Weston-super-Mare, John Penrose, and UKIP politician Ian Kealey, who stood as UKIP’s parliamentary candidate for North Somerset in the 2015 General Election, visited the College on Friday 6th May.

The two politicians visited students on the social science diploma of the Access to Higher Education course, a course which provides adults with the qualifications and academic skills to progress to university.

The visit tied in with the students’ last assignment, contemporary political issues, where they are required to take part in a debate on immigration.

The two-hour debate covered a range of topics relating to immigration, including the economy, healthcare, cultural values, refugees, freedom of movement, border controls and more.

Mr Penrose said: “I was impressed by the depth of understanding on an extremely difficult and emotionally-charged issue and by the good natured style of the debate – perhaps a few MPs in Westminster could learn a bit if they were with me today.”

Sarah Rees, a qualified lawyer who lectures in Law and Social Policy at the College, said: “This was a great opportunity for students studying politics to hear first-hand from active members of parliament about a subject close to many people’s hearts.

“We are grateful to Mr Penrose and Mr Kealey for their contribution.”

Mr Kealey said: “I thought the students seemed well-informed about the topic and the issue of immigration, its economic impacts and how it affects services.”

TWO performing arts students from Weston College have been commissioned by a theatre in Taunton to perform their solo shows.

Charlie French and Katrina Titcombe, who are both on the College’s BA (Hons) Performing Arts course, will be performing at The Brewhouse, in Coal Orchard, on Saturday 4th June.

Charlie’s show, Scratch, is a piece exploring who we really are through the words of others. It asks whether words convey identity or just paraphrase the thoughts people hear from those around them.

He said: “'I'm thrilled to have my work commissioned by the Brewhouse Theatre.

“Not only is it fantastic experience for an aspiring actor to see what it's really like to work within the industry, it is also a great encouragement.

“It is because of my training at the Wessex Academy of Performing Arts that I feel I have grown in overall confidence since starting the course and have ultimately matured as a performer, both in terms of my knowledge of performance and the skills that I have learned.”

Katrina’s show, You Are Invited, revolves around a few items of clothing which combine to perform a wedding in 40 minutes.

She said: “I am really excited for my first commissioned show. I think it will be a really good experience and a start to the outside world of performing.

“I think it will be a really good experience and a start to the outside world of performing!

The course has helped me develop my confidence within performing. It's made me explore more of what theatre really is and different ways it can be explored.”

The College’s Higher Education Section Leader in Performing Arts, Ged Stephenson, said: “Performing arts students held a festival of contemporary performance in which each student performed their own 40-minute solo piece.

“The Brewhouse was impressed with the festival and chose two of the performances to be put on at their venue as a double-header.”

The performance will begin at 7.30pm and tickets, priced £5, are available via www.thebrewhouse.net or 01823 283 244.