Published: 3/11/2026 · Last Updated: 3/11/2026
Advanced Learner Loan bulletin - October 2026
November drawdown date
Active learners will populate on your attendance worklist from 1 November. We'll remind you of this at the beginning of the month.
You'll need to review your attendance worklist and submit all outstanding attendance confirmations. Please do so by the drawdown date of 12 November.
You should also check your Change of Circumstance worklist and clear this ahead of the drawdown date.
Suspensions and withdrawals
If you can't establish the status of learners on the attendance worklist, please coordinate with the relevant academic staff to suspend or withdraw them.
It is vital that all providers meet the service standards, as outlined below:
- 70% of suspensions and withdrawals submitted within 60 days of notification
- 95% of suspensions and withdrawals submitted within 90 days of notification
If you submit information late or inaccurately, it could mean that:
- you fail to meet the service standards
- future growth may be at risk
- there could be an incorrect fee payment made requiring recovery
- learner loan liability may be incorrectly calculated
If you have any concerns about meeting the service standards please get in touch with your Account Manager. We offer face-to-face or online workshops to help your academic staff understand the importance of their role. They also help make sure that your organisation is compliant. Sessions can be standalone or built into a staff development day.
Interest and repayment threshold
The Plan 5 student loan threshold for individuals who started their courses on or after 1 August 2023, is £25,000 per year (£2,083 per month or £480 per week). We calculate repayments at 9% of income earned above this threshold. The Bank of England sets interest rates on 1 September each year, using the Retail Price Index of the previous March. So, from 1 September 2026 until 31 August 2027, the interest rate for Plan 5 loans will be 4.1%.
National Careers Service (NCS)
The government is creating a new service called the Jobs and Careers Service (JCS). This service will offer support and advice for jobs and careers.
The in person element of the NCS will move over to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Careers Service. Careers advisors within DWP will now deliver careers advice in England for adults as well as those who are under 18 and eligible.
This NCS website and helpline will remain live and offer information and digital tools to help people of all ages with their careers.
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.