Does your AP get assistance with costs of Language Classes

[Badpups]

Apologies - I think I may have accidentally posted this without any content!!

I was wondering whether anybody's AP receives discounted or free English classes this year? Some posts that I've read have indicated this.

My new AP has just had her assessment at the local college for English classes. She's got a place in a weekly class - 4½ hours a week.

In the past my APs have always received a discount on the fees from the college because they are APs and therefore not earning a proper wage. However, this year the college is insisting that she pays the full amount of the course fee - £220 + £120 admin fee for a 10 week course. If she passes the exam at the end of the year she gets an internationally recognised qualification from the Cambridge board.

I was wondering if all colleges are doing the same or whether some APs can still receive a discount?

I had a long chat with the college but they were adamant that there was no assistance available and blamed the government!

(BTW we'll help her with the course fees and she can use our car to get to the college so she'll only have to pay a small amount if there is no funding available).

Mine's just been accepted onto a local authority run ESOL course, costing £198 for an academic year (and also ending in a certificate I think). That is the same rate that anyone not on benefits pays but is very good value compared to other local courses.
There are other courses which are 'free' but the 'advisors' need to recommend them for it and we are waiting to see if she will be recommended for one of these courses too (their arguement at the moment is that it is for good english speakers to increase vocabulary and my counter-arguement is that she is in the advanced ESOL group so is at the right level to increase vocab).

I think all Private colleges have ramped their fees up a lot recently. Like Millarkie I use the LEA adult education courses, they are often free or around £100 for 10 weeks or £200 for the year. You can find them by going to your local authority website and going through to their adult education links. My AP had more than 350 courses to choose from (yoga, pottery, criminal psychology, etc etc) and they rarely went over £90 for each term.

A lot of adult and further education courses have got more expensive as the government restricts further and further access to free courses and training unless it falls within current schemes.

My Ap did her ESOL assessment yesterday. Level One which will result in her getting the Cambridge Certificate will be £130 per term for 3 terms - we are paying this. For me AP who did the exact same course last yearwe paid £120 per term, so only gone up slightly really.

my - I am typing lying down and it's not easy!