Advanced Learner Loan bulletin - November 2025

October performance management review point

The Department for Education (DfE) began notifying providers on the outcome of the October review point the week beginning 17 November.

If your loan facility is increasing, you'll receive an updated contract. You must digitally sign this before DfE will tell us about the increase. Please do this as soon as possible. If you return the contract by the stated deadline, you’ll see an increase on LP Portal on 10 December. You can find further details in the Advanced Learner Loan funding rules guidance. 

January performance management review point

The second and final performance management point for academic year (AY) 2025/26 is approaching and the review date is 15 January. You'll need to use at least 90% of your loan facility to automatically be in scope for consideration of a growth award. 

If you need growth but have not reached the 90%, please encourage new learners to apply for their loan as soon as possible. Once approved, applications become scheduled and are part of your loan facility usage figure.

Level 3 entitlement

You must check the full funding eligibility of learners undertaking level 3 qualifications before they make their loan application.

For learners who mistakenly make a loan application where full funding is available, if you've already confirmed attendance, you should submit a Fee Charged CoC notification on the Learning Provider Portal.

This reduces the learner's fee liability to zero and leaves their application in an approved status. Please do not withdraw the application.

Advanced Learner Loans – Learning Provider forums

We'll be running face-to-face forums in the first quarter of 2026. We'll reflect on the current academic year and look towards AY 2026/27. We’ll share the latest updates in Advanced Learner Loans in context of the wider further education sector.

You’ll be able to feed back on all areas of our partnership with Learning Providers and speak with other providers. We'll gather insight to feed back to DfE and other partners and share best practice.

We’ll publish dates and venues in the new year.

Loan Position Report

The Loan Position Report was one of the original financial reports available when Advanced Learner Loans were set up in AY 2013/14. Following extensive feedback, we'll remove the Loan Position Report from the LP Portal as of 15 December.

Please use the Payment Instalment Report to track pre-approved applications, outstanding actions on approved applications and payments made and scheduled over the academic year.

Level 3 entitlement

You must check full funding eligibility for learners undertaking level 3 qualifications. Please do so before they make their loan application. If a learner already has a loan in place and full funding is available, you should submit a Fee Charged Change of Circumstance notification. You can do this on the Learning Provider Portal. This will reduce the learner's fee liability to zero and leave their application in approved status. Please do not withdraw the application.

Partners Support Desk

Our Partners Support Desk is here to help you with any day to day operational questions about individual learners, application processing, payments and system issues.

You can contact the support desk on 0300 100 0643 or by emailing lpservices@slc.co.uk.