If you are considering applying for a Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL), you need to be aware that as from the 25th January 2019 this loan will no longer be available to new borrowers. Existing loans will not be affected.

What is a Professional and Career Development Loan?

The Professional and Career Development Loan is different from a personal loan in that that you don’t pay any interest on the loan while you’re studying, as this is paid for by the Government instead.

The loan is specifically designed to pay for courses and training that improve your employability or, if you already have a job, improve your career prospects. The loan can be used to pay for either some or all of your course costs, including books.

Who can apply?

You can apply if you are 18 years or over, a British citizen, have been living in the UK for at least 3 years before your course starts or you plan to work in the UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) after the course.

How does the loan work?

You can apply to borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help fund your course. Once accepted, the Government will pay the interest on the loan for the duration of your course and for one month after it has finished.

This allows you to complete your course and only start repaying your loan after your course has finished. It will then be up to you to start repaying the loan, plus the interest stated in your loan agreement in fixed monthly payments which you can spread over 1 to 5 years. If you drop out of the course you are still liable to pay the full amount.

The Professional and Career Development Loan is offered by the Co-op Bank. Below you can see a representative example but for more details on interest rates and eligibility please visit the Co-op bank website.

To qualify for the PCDL you need make sure that you apply 8 weeks before your course starts, this will give your bank enough time to process your application. If you apply more than 8 weeks ahead your application will not be accepted. The final date for submitted applications is Friday, 25 January 2019, with a course start date no later than 24 March 2019.

What can I use the loan for and how do I apply?

You can apply to use the Professional Career Development Loan to pay for the C&G 2365 Diploma Course Package us. Please be aware that we have limited spaces on each course, so please ensure you contact us on 0800 856 4448 or 03330 123 123 to discuss if we have loans available on your chosen start date.

We would advise reviewing all the information on the Government Website before making your application.

It is your responsibility to fully research whether the loan is the right choice for you before deciding to make an application. If you do take out a loan it is your responsibility to make the payments for this loan once the course is finished as you would if taking out any kind of private finance.

Alternatively to find out whether a PDCL is the best option for you please call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.