You make an agreement with a participating bank to borrow an amount between £300 and £10,000. Then once you’ve stopped studying, you pay it back in the normal way.

The difference with a Professional and Career Development Loan is that the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) pays the interest on the loan while you’re studying – and for one month afterwards.

After this, you’ll pay interest at the rate fixed when you took out the loan. Interest rates on the loans are set so they’re competitive with other ‘unsecured’ personal loans that are commercially available.

Currently, banks offer Professional and Career Development Loans at a reduced customer rate of 9.9% per annum, equivalent to a typical APR of 5-6% over the lifetime of the loan. However, interest rates may vary from bank to bank. For further information, consult the participating banks.

For further information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact Careers Advice on 0800 100 900. To order an application pack call 0800 585 505.

How widely are the courses recognised?

Because the courses that we offer are accredited through the Central YMCA Qualifications (CYQ), your qualification will be recognised by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS) and the National Register of Personal Trainers (NRPT) in the UK. They are also recognised throughout Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.

What IT equipment do I need?

It is useful to have frequent access to your own computer to receive emails and to download the additional learning materials that are available to students. Most computers should be compatible. As some of the documents are in the Adobe PDF format you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed (download a free copy here) Some of the courses also require that you can play DVDs, either on your computer (speakers would be required) or through a normal DVD player and TV.

How do I enrol on a course?

You can either enrol on-line by going to the page on this website relating to your course and clicking the 'Book Now' button. You will then be lead through the enrolment process and receive an email confirming your place; or you can download and print off a booking form and mail it to our office address: Hamiltons Training, 5 Kale Croft, Colchester, CO3 0YW.

Do I have to pay for the course up front?

No, there are three ways to pay for your course. (not all methods are available for all courses)

1. Pay a deposit to secure your place (From £50 to £100 depending on course) and pay the balance four weeks before the course start date.

2. Spread the cost over four payments with our payment plan. The first when you book the course, the second approximately 1 month before the course start date, the third just as the course is starting and the final payment a month into the course.

3. Pay for your course in full 2 months before the course start date to receive an Early-Bird booking discount.