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Money makes the world go round: finance as a barrier and enabler

Many people find that money, or a lack of it, is a barrier to engaging in learning.

Cost of courses - The cost of course fees and the amount of financial help which learners can get widely varies according to the type of course, the learning provider and other factors. As well as course fees, there may be the cost of textbooks, travel or equipment to take into account. Some people find that they are unable to do the course of their choice because the cost is prohibitive:

"I went to do an aromatherapy and massage course at Hull College. And I applied and they said I could get it for free, and then on the day I turned up they said it was £500 a module. Five hundred and something pound a module!" (Female, 24, full time mother)

The cost of going on a course can be too high, especially for those on a low income. Some people have chosen not to enter into learning because it is too expensive. In fact, it is those who are in low waged employment who face the biggest financial barriers to learning. This is because they need to pay course fees as they are employed, but often do not have enough spare money to pay for the learning.

Arguably, this is the section of society which needs the most support to engage with learning, as those better off will often already be well-qualified and have the resources they need to be able to pay for learning, and the unemployed receive targeted assistance into learning.

However, there is a suggestion that when courses are free potential learners attach less value to them, or feel less of a commitment to turn up because they haven't invested financially. So perhaps free courses are not appropriate for all, but they should be given a fair price.

Other priorities - Of course, people have financial priorities other than learning. Many of those with children say that providing for their family is the most important thing. Others say they have to make sure they can pay for the mortgage and other bills before considering spending money on learning.

As one person comments, the idea of getting a better job or higher wages in the future through learning is no good if you can't support yourself through the learning in the present!

Those in receipt of benefits can be very cautious when it comes to learning; whilst many may be keen to do some further learning, they can be at risk of having their benefits stopped or changed depending on how many hours a week their course is. As well as this, some people engage in a course of learning only to find that they are under pressure to give it up and get work:

"I've also got to be careful with me benefits, they're getting a bit, they're starting to get on me back as well. They asked me if I would, if I would give in the course if I found a job. I said, 'no, I wouldn't, no, sorry' I would find a job that fit in with me course - I would not give this course up! ...So I put me foot down, I said no and I don't think they liked it."                                                       (Female, 36, unemployed, part time student)

Help - Ways in which people are financially enabled to go on courses are when courses are free or heavily subsidised and equipment is provided without charge - this happens predominantly on employment programmes, but courses are often subsidised for those on a low income.

Often when people talk about the high cost of learning, they are drawing on their perceptions of how expensive it is to do a course rather than experience. This is not to say that learning is not out of the reach of some people's purse strings; courses can indeed be priced too highly which creates a barrier and stops some people from pursuing learning opportunities.

However, sometimes people's impression of the cost of learning is very different from the reality:

"I thought it would have cost me more. I thought I couldn't afford to go to college because when you look in the paper it looks expensive. But when you go along to a meeting and they say how much it is, the...course only cost me a fiver!"

Overall - Information about the cost of courses needs to be clearly communicated so that potential students are not put off learning by misconceptions. More importantly, though, courses need to be affordable with help available for learners who need it on a range of different courses.

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