If you cannot get a full mandatory award or any other funding to help pay for the course you want to do, you may be able to apply for a Career Development Loan (CDL).

The Employment Department manages CDLs through a partnership with a number of high street banks. They can support courses in a wide range of vocational areas.

A - How do CDLs work?

A CDL is designed to cover course fees and other costs such a books, materials, child care and, if the course is full-time, living expenses. You can apply for a CDL of between £200 and £8,000 to cover up to 80% of course fees plus other costs.

You make no repayments while you are training and for up to one month afterwards, or up to six months if you are unemployed when repayments are due to start. During this time the Employment Department will pay the interest on the loan for you. At the end of this period you become responsible for the loan repayments and any further interest.

If you have not worked for three months or longer (whether or not you were registered for work or you were a full-time student), immediately before you make a CDL application you may be able to apply for a loan to cover the full cost of course fees. Your local Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) must "endorse" such applications. TECs can be found in the local phone book or you can get details about them from your nearest job centre.

If you are claiming, or wish to claim, social security benefits you should check with your local benefits agency office and local authority how your benefits may be affected.

B - Who is eligible to apply?

Anyone aged 18 or over who lives or intends to train in Great Britain.

C - Which courses qualify?

A CDL can support any type of full-time, part-time or distance-learning course as long as it:

• is related to a job (though not necessarily to a current job);
• lasts no more than two years; and
• is not supported financially by a full mandatory award.

If the course is supported financially by an employer, you may still be eligible for CDL support provided the local TEC "endorses" your application.

If the course lasts for more than two years, the CDL can only apply to 24 months of that course.

D - How can you find out more?

CDL booklets which include full details on eligibility, an application form and lists of bank branches you can apply to, are available from job centres, TECs, careers advisers, universities and colleges. For the Employment Department's free booklet on CDLs, tel: 0800 585 505 between 9 am and 9 pm, Monday to Friday.