What are they?

•  They are colleges which offer a mixture of full and part-time courses.

•  There are about 40 of them across London

•  They take students aged 16 and over.

•  Many of their courses are free or low cost

What sort of courses do they offer?

•  They are a good place to do work-related courses such as carpentry, childcare or bookkeeping. You often get a qualification such as an NVQ or City & Guilds

•  You can also do more academic courses, perhaps because you want to get back into education or just because you enjoy a particular subject. You could, for example, take GCSEs or A-levels.

•  If you left school at 16 but now want to progress in education, you could do ‘return to education' or Access courses at a Further Education College

•  You can also do courses just for fun – from astrology to Yoga

When do courses run?

•  Many courses run from the beginning of the college year in September through to the end of the college year the following July.

•  Some courses only run for one ‘term' (about 10 weeks). Further Education Colleges have three terms: Autumn (September to December); Spring (January to March); and Summer (April to July).

•  Some shorter courses might just be for a few weeks or days.

•  Many colleges now run short ‘taster' courses over the summer which might be for a week or two

Full-time or Part-time courses?

If you are on benefits then you will probably be restricted to part-time courses (less than 16 hours a week). This is because you cannot usually study full-time and receive benefits. See Studying or Training and Benefits

What does it cost?

•  If you are on benefits, you will usually qualify for a special ‘concessionary' rate on course fees. Often this will mean you do not have to pay any course fees at all. Sometimes you will have to pay a reduced rate.

•  Nearly all colleges will require you to pay a one-off college registration fee, whether you are on benefits or not. This will usually be in the range of £15 to £30. You will probably have to find this yourself.

•  For some courses there might be extra expenses involved, such as for books or materials. You might also have travel costs to the college. In these circumstances, you might be able to get help from special college funds, often called ‘Access Funds' or ‘Learner Support Funds'. The college will give you the forms to claim if you ask.

How do I find out about college courses?

•  Floodlight.co.uk is an excellent starting point. It has details on all courses at colleges across London. Type the name of the course you are interested in into the ‘course keyword' box and then your postcode into the box alongside. When the first list of courses appears, a good idea is to click on ‘distance' at the bottom of that page and it will arrange the list in order of the courses which are closest to where you live.

•  There is also ‘Floodlight' the book of part-time courses in London. You will find it in most libraries. The book lists courses from A to Z. It is excellent for browsing through if you are looking for ideas. If you find a course that you like the look of, the contact details for each college are then to be found at the back of the book.

•  Prospectuses (a type of brochure) for each college are published each year. They contain full lists of courses offered. They usually come out in the spring or summer for the college year starting the following September. They can be obtained from the colleges themselves or through local libraries.

•    All colleges also now publish their course lists online. These lists often contain more information about courses than you will find in a prospectus. They may also have more up to date information, for example showing how many places are left on a course.

•  Sometimes, it might even be important to speak to the tutor who will run a course. For example to check if the course is not too advanced for you or if it is suitable for your needs.

When can I book a course?

•  When you can book a course will vary.

•  You won't be able to book on any course until the college publishes its course details for the coming year starting in September. Sometimes this can be delayed into the summer for some courses.

•    For one year courses starting in September you will generally need to book during the summer beforehand. For the more popular courses, you are advised to book as early as you can.

•  For one term courses starting in January or April you need to book sometime before the courses starts. Again it might be important to book as far in advance as possible for more popular courses.

Getting final information before booking a course

•  If you have found a course you want to do, you may still want more information from the college before booking. In particular, you may want to check that there are places still available and what you have to pay towards the course.

•  Telephoning a college might be the quickest way to get further information. Although it may not be ideal if you have problems getting access to a phone or if it is not practical for a college to phone you back (sometimes you will get an answerphone message)

•  Visiting the college might be the best way to get further information. Go to the main reception desk in the college and say that you need information about enrolling on a course.

How do I book on a course?

•  You usually have to fill in a course application form first. You will find one to download on the internet, or you will usually find one in the college prospectus, or you can collect one from the college.

•  Once you have filled the form in, you will need to either send it to the college or you can drop it in, in person.

•  If you are on benefits, you will need to provide proof of this. Most colleges usually require a recent letter from the Jobcentre or DWP which confirms that you are receiving benefits.

•  You will usually have to pay a college registration fee (between about £15 and £30), even if you are on benefits. If you do not have a credit card or chequebook, then you will need to make your application at the college in person where you can pay the fee in cash.

•  Some courses may ask for a reference. Don't let this put you off. Someone who is helping you at a homeless agency might be best. Alternatively, it might be a former tutor or employer.

‘Enrolment'

Once you have been accepted on a course, you attend the college for an initial registration where you also find out a lot more about how the college works. This is called ‘enrolment'. You will usually get a letter about this a short while before your course starts.