Member Article

Learner loan is a real beauty for Stacey

Student Stacey Dunn is fulfilling her dreams of a career in the beauty industry thanks to a change in funding by the government, which has enabled her to finance her studies and return to education.

The change in funding support was introduced last year; it gives Level 3 and 4 students in further education and work-based learning access to financial support in the form of an Advanced Learning Loan.

Stacey, 26, from Houghton-le-Spring, studied Level 2 Beauty Therapy with Team Valley-based Access Training eight years ago but left her studies to care for her mother and young daughter.

Stacey decided that the time is right to pursue her career and is studying towards her Level 3 Diploma in Beauty Therapy with the support of a learner loan.

The loans are specifically for people aged 24 years and above and who are in further education and are available for courses at Levels 3 and 4. Loans, which are accessible through the Student Loan Company, are repayable only after the student has left the course and is earning over £21,000.

Stacey said: “I didn’t think I would be able to continue studying because of the course costs but the new student loan makes it possible for me to pursue my dream of working within the beauty industry while being a parent to my young daughter.

“The process of applying for the loan was easy, and thanks to support form my tutor, I was successful in my application. If it was not for her I would never have completed my Level 2 qualification or gone on to study my Level 3 Diploma because I wouldn’t have had the funds to do so.

“I now feel that my ambition to become a qualified masseuse is more than a dream. It’s very much within reach and would never have been achievable without the financial support made available to help me fund my course.

Access Training tutor, Lindsey Stafford, commented: “Recent studies have shown that people who are qualified to Level 3 and above generally benefit from a higher earning potential throughout their career, something which certainly appealed to Stacey and others like her who want to progress something they’re passionate about.

“It’s great that people can have a chance to think about studying further in order to develop their careers. This is an affordable and manageable, government-backed scheme which I hope encourages more people like Stacey back into education.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Access Training .