Free Courses

You may be able to enrol on our Skills for Work or Essential Skills (Skills for Life) courses for free. The below article details eligibility criteria for each set of courses

Please note that the Low Wage waiver is only offered on Essential Skills (Skills for Life) courses. 

1) Business, technology & communication skills (Skills for Work) may be FREE for you if you are:

1. a permanent resident in England and you have lived in the UK or EU for the last 3 years;

OR

2. are a citizen of the UK or a country within the EU;   

AND one or more of the following applies:

a) You live in London and are at risk of redundancy. Before you enrol, you need to self-declare via email that your job is at risk of redundancy (please send this to infoline@citylit.ac.uk). Please be aware that if you have already been made redundant you will not be eligible, however, one of the below options may apply to you

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol.

b) You are on Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseeker's Allowance.

You need to provide evidence that you are on ESA or JSA.  This can be a recent letter from Job Centre Plus/DWP confirming you are on one of these benefits. We cannot accept Jobseeker’s Allowance appointment booklets as evidence. The letter must be dated within 6 months of the course start date

You must also self-declare to us that you are enrolling on your course/courses to gain the skills needed to become employed or to move into more sustainable employment

Evidence must be provided before you can enrol. Please email it to infoline@citylit.ac.uk

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol. 

c) You receive Universal Credit

You will need to send us a full copy of your latest Universal Credit letter showing a breakdown of your monthly payment, other benefits you receive (if applicable), expenses and income (if applicable). If you receive an income it must be £343 or less per month for an individual claim and be £549 of less for a joint household claim. The date on your statement must fall within your most recent payment period.

If you are employment, you must work less than 20 hours a week to qualify for a free place. Unfortunately, if you work more than this, you will not be eligible.

You must also provide us with your National Insurance number

Finally, you must also self-declare to us that you are enrolling on your course/courses to gain the skills needed to become employed or to move into more sustainable employment

Evidence must be provided before you can enrol. Please email it to infoline@citylit.ac.uk

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol. 

d) You are in receipt of Other Benefits

Your take home pay is less than £343 a month (individual claims) or £549 a month (household claims), you are unemployed or work less than 20 hours per week, and are doing the course to become employed or move into more sustainable employment and are on benefits such as:

• Housing or Council Tax Benefit/Support Please show us your official letter/evidence. (we do not accept Council Tax exemptions or Council Tax discounts).
• Income support  Please show us your official letter/evidence
• Working Tax Credit or Pension Guarantee Credit Please show us your original full award certificate from Inland Revenue.
• Disability Living Allowance Please show us your official letter/evidence
• Carers Allowance Please show us your official letter/evidence
• Personal Independence Plan (PIP) Please show us your official letter/evidence

You must send us a a letter proving that you are in receipt of one of the above benefits. The letter must be dated within 6 months of the course start date

You must also provide a copy of your latest bank statement

Finally, you must also self-declare to us that you are enrolling on your course/courses to gain the skills needed to become employed or to move into more sustainable employment

Evidence must be provided before you can enrol. Please email it to infoline@citylit.ac.uk

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol. 

You may also be entitled to a free course if you hold other immigration statuses. 

Browse our full range of Skills for Work courses here: https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/vm/skills-for-work

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2) Essential Skills - English, Maths, ESOL and Digital Skills (Skills for Life) may be FREE for you if you are:

1. a permanent resident in England and you have lived in the UK or EU for the last 3 years;

OR

2. are a citizen of the UK or a country within the EU;   

AND one or more of the following applies:

a) You are on Low Income

You are employed and you earn less than £21,157.50

When you enrol, you need to give us either (i) a pay slip dated within 3 months of the course start date or (ii) a current employment contract that shows your gross salary.

You must also show us a recent bank statement that confirms your monthly salary.

If you are self-employed and on a low income you must provide the following:

a) a copy of your latest tax return.

b) One of the following forms of evidence:

• Personal tax calculation / computation statement from HMRC
• Statement of accounts
• Accountant’s letter
• Annual tax summary

Ideally evidence must be provided before enrolment and no later than one week after enrolment Please email it to infoline@citylit.ac.uk

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol. 

b) You are on Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseeker's Allowance.

You need to provide evidence that you are on ESA or JSA.  This can be a recent letter from Job Centre Plus/DWP confirming you are on one of these benefits. We cannot accept Jobseeker’s Allowance appointment booklets as evidence. The letter must be dated within 6 months of the course start date

You must also self-declare to us that you are enrolling on your course/courses to gain the skills needed to become employed or to move into more sustainable employment

Ideally evidence must be provided before enrolment and no later than one week after enrolment Please email it to infoline@citylit.ac.uk

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol.

c) You receive Universal Credit

You will need to send us a full copy of your latest Universal Credit letter showing a breakdown of your monthly payment, other benefits you receive (if applicable), expenses and income (if applicable). If you receive an income it must be £343 or less per month for an individual claim and be £549 of less for a joint household claim. The date on your statement must fall within your most recent payment period.

If you are employment, you must work less than 20 hours a week to qualify for a free place. Unfortunately, if you work more than this, you will not be eligible.

You must also provide us with your National Insurance number

Finally, you must also self-declare to us that you are enrolling on your course/courses to gain the skills needed to become employed or to move into more sustainable employment

Ideally evidence must be provided before enrolment and no later than one week after enrolment Please email it to infoline@citylit.ac.uk

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol. 

d) You are in receipt of Other Benefits

Your take home pay is less than £343 a month (individual claims) or £549 a month (household claims), you are unemployed or work less than 20 hours per week, and are doing the course to become employed or move into more sustainable employment and are on benefits such as:

• Housing or Council Tax Benefit/Support Please show us your official letter/evidence. (we do not accept Council Tax exemptions or Council Tax discounts).
• Income support  Please show us your official letter/evidence
• Working Tax Credit or Pension Guarantee Credit Please show us your original full award certificate from Inland Revenue.
• Disability Living Allowance Please show us your official letter/evidence
• Carers Allowance Please show us your official letter/evidence
• Personal Independence Plan (PIP)Please show us your official letter/evidence

You must send us a a letter proving that you are in receipt of one of the above benefits. The letter must be dated within 6 months of the course start date

You must also provide a copy of your latest bank statement

Finally, you must also self-declare to us that you are enrolling on your course/courses to gain the skills needed to become employed or to move into more sustainable employment

Ideally evidence must be provided before enrolment and no later than one week after enrolment Please email it to infoline@citylit.ac.uk

Please create a student account on our website before you call to enrol. 

You may also be entitled to a free course if you hold other immigration statuses. 

Browse our full range of Essential Skills (English, Maths, ESOL and Digital Skills) here: https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/essential-skills

When you have sent full evidence, please call 020 7831 7831 to enrol or if you would like more information email us on infoline@citylit.ac.uk