Getting started
Account sign up
My account
Applying for a free course
Studying with vision2learn
Course completion
Am I eligible for a free course with vision2learn?

The government will fund your study if you are:

  • Living in England
  • Aged 19 or over from the 31 August 2023 (born before 01 September 2004)
  • A citizen of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) and a resident in the EEA for the last 3 years
  • Not in receipt of any other government-funded training.

You may also qualify if you're:

  • Employed and in receipt of a low wage
  • A non-EEA citizen with permission by UK government to live in the UK which is not for educational purposes, and lived in England for at least 3 years
  • A family member of an EU national
  • A refugee
  • Asylum Seeker.

Your employment status or prior level of qualification may affect your eligibility to study with some colleges. This is dependent on your age, employment status and level of education.

When applying for one of our free courses you will be asked to supply a copy of your ID, which can be either a passport, driving licence, birth certificate or national identity card. If you were born outside the EU, you must have proof of residency status and you will need to provide a copy for our records. If you have declared you are in receipt of benefits you will also need to provide us with evidence of this.

If in doubt please contact us.

How are vision2learn courses funded?

Our courses are funded through the governments Adult Education Budget (AEB) which enables the delivery of education and training to adults aged 19 and over.

The Adult Education Budget (AEB) is allocated to devolved Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Devolved funding regions

  1. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
  2. Greater Manchester
  3. Greater London
  4. Liverpool City Region
  5. Tees Valley
  6. West of England
  7. Midlands
  8. North of Tyne
  9. Sheffield City Region
  10. West Yorkshire

Non-devolved regions

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will fund individuals resident in areas of England outside of devolved authority areas.

If you reside in a devolved region then funding will be provided by the Mayoral Combined Authority or the Greater London Authority, otherwise the ESFA will provide funding if your residential postcode falls outside of a devolved area.

You will be assigned to the appropriate funding body when you sign up for a vision2learn account.

Why are courses offered with vision2learn free?

There are a number of possible reasons why courses offered with vision2learn may be free:

  • Some colleges and local funding agencies will allow you to study online for free because you are making a significant tuition fee contribution in kind, i.e. you are learning from home so you are covering the costs of computer facilities, Internet connection and phone charges etc. This contribution reduces the college’s costs.
  • If you choose to study at work, your employer has the option of paying your tuition fee directly to the college on your behalf. Again, this saves the college money, which means you can learn for free.
  • You are in receipt of certain means-tested benefits. This is called Fee Remission. In these cases, where evidence of benefits is provided, the Government pays your tuition fee.
  • If you’re under 24 and do not already hold a full Level 2 qualification (e.g. 5 GCSEs at grade A to C or equivalent) or a higher level qualification, you may be entitled to study a full Level 2 qualification (e.g. a Certificate in IT User Skills) as part of the Government’s Level 2 Initiative. Again, the Government pays the college the tuition fee on your behalf.
  • In some cases, a college may have an agreement with your employer to pay your tuition fees.
Do I have to attend a college?

No. All of our courses are completed 100% online.

As an enrolled learner at a college you will be entitled to the same benefits as any other student, e.g. full use of its library and other drop-in facilities.

Do I have to sit an exam?

No. You will work through a series of assessments on all courses.

What computer software will I need?

To study online with vision2learn you will require the following:

  • An Internet enabled desktop / laptop PC.
  • An active email account.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar PDF reader.
  • The ability to read / edit Microsoft Word documents using Word or similar (e.g. LibreOffice).

    Note: You will specifically need a recent full version (including Excel & PowerPoint) of Microsoft Office for our IT courses.

Supported web browsers

We currently support the following browsers which all follow a continuous release policy. We will support the latest 2 major versions of each.

Please ensure that your browser settings allow Popups from vision2learn and that JavaScript and Cookies are enabled.

Note: If you are unsure of your browser version and JavaScript / Cookie settings visit: www.whatismybrowser.com.

Will I be charged if I withdraw from my course?

We accept that sometimes there are exceptional circumstances where it simply isn’t possible for you to complete your course. We will work with you to find an appropriate solution.

However, if you are studying on a free course and choose to withdraw you may have to pay a fee to cover administration costs. This is fully dependent on what stage you are at on your course and the policy of the college you are studying with.

If you have any questions please call us on 0191 215 4100.

How do I apply?
  1. To start your online application sign up for a vision2learn account. You will only need to do this once. We will then send you an account activation email containing an account activation link.
  2. Click on the account activation link in the account activation email to verify your email address and complete the sign up process.
  3. Login to your account using the username and password you created at sign up and submit your online course application.
Can I sign up using a shared email account?

We don’t recommend it. It is not possible to create more than one vision2learn account using the same email address.

If you share an email address with a friend or another member of your household we recommend that you both use separate email addresses.

Why is it important to specify a valid and active email address?
  • After sign up we will send you an account activation email to confirm your email address. You will need access to this email in order to activate your account.
  • If you forget or lose your account password, we can send you a password reset link to the email address assigned to your account.
  • Once you have been placed on a course with vision2learn, we will contact you using the email address assigned to your account.
How do I check my existing qualification level?

Please read this document to check your qualification level. As you can see, each vocational and academic qualification has an equivalent NVQ level. Still unsure? Just give us a call on 0191 215 4100 between 9am–8pm Monday to Thursday and 9am–5pm Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

How do I activate my account?

Once you have signed up for an account we will send you an account activation email. Please use the link provided in the email to activate your account.

I have not received an account activation email. What do I do?

If you haven’t received the email to activate your vision2learn account, first check your junk or spam folder for an email sent from no-reply@vision2learn.com to see if it has landed there.

If you still haven't received the email after a few minutes of signing up, you can request a resend of the account activation email. You will be asked to enter your account username and password to complete this process.

If you think you may have mistyped your email address when you signed up you can update your account's email address and we will send you a new account activation email. You will be asked to enter your account username and password to complete this process.

I have lost/deleted my account activation email. What do I do?

If you have lost or deleted your account activation email before your account was activated, you can request a resend of the account activation email. You will be asked to enter your login username and password to complete this process.

I have forgotten/lost my username. What do I do?

Use the Forgotten your username? link in the Login page and follow the instructions to request an email reminder.

I have forgotten/lost my password. What do I do?

Use the Forgotten your password? link in the Login page and follow the instructions to request a new password.

I can't login with my username and password. What do I do?

If you enter the wrong username or password, you'll see this error message: "Incorrect username or password."

Please remember that passwords are case sensitive. If you continue to have problems, you should request a username reminder followed by a password reset.

How do I change my username?
  1. Login to your account using the Login button displayed in the top right corner.
  2. Use the My account button displayed in the top right corner of this website to visit your account profile.
  3. Use the Change button in the Account security section.
  4. Follow the instructions on this page to change your username.
How do I change my password?
  1. Login to your account using the Login button displayed in the top right corner.
  2. Use the My account button displayed in the top right corner of this website to visit your account profile.
  3. Use the Change button in the Account security section.
  4. Follow the instructions on this page to change your password.
How do I change my name, telephone number, email or postal address?
  1. Login to your account using the Login button displayed in the top right corner.
  2. Use the My account button displayed in the top right corner of the website.
  3. Use the Edit button in the Personal details and Home address section to update your details.

It is important to keep your account details up-to-date, as we will need to contact you by telephone, email and post in order to process your course applications.

Please note if you are already studying a course or have recently completed, you will need to contact us on 0191 2154100 or email enrol@vision2learn.com in order for your certificate to be sent out to the correct address.

How do I change the emails I receive?
  1. Login to your account using the Login button displayed in the top right corner.
  2. Use the My account button displayed in the top right corner.
  3. Select the emails you would like to receive from us under the Email settings section.
How do I apply for a free course?

Once you have successfully activated your vision2learn account, login and navigate to the individual course page then select the Apply for free button to begin the application process.

Can I apply for more than one course?

It is currently not possible to sign up and study on multiple courses at the same time.

I've applied for the wrong course. What do I do?

If you immediately recognise your mistake, it is possible to change to another course online (subject to eligibility and availability). Simply select your preferred course and use the Change my course button.

Alternatively, you can call our friendly Learner Support Team on 0191 215 4100 and we can reassign you to another course (subject to eligibility and availability). Office hours: from 9am-8pm Monday - Thursday and Fridays between 9am-5pm. On Sat 10am-3pm

The course I am interested in is not available in my area. What can I do?

If you find your chosen course isn't available when you apply and there are no suitable alternative courses offered to you, please register your interest and we will send you an email once the course becomes available in your area. Course places can be limited so opting into our marketing emails can help secure you a place.

You can also view our course pages at any time to check current regional availability. You will find your assigned funding region on your profile page.

Please refer to our How are vision2learn courses funded? question under Getting started for more information.

I've signed up for an account but there are no courses available in my area?

If you find there are no courses available in your area when you first sign up, please register your interest and we will send you an email once the course becomes available in your area. Course places can be limited in certain regions so opting into our marketing emails can help secure you a place when our courses do become available in your area.

You can also view our course pages at any time to check current regional availability. You will find your assigned funding region on your profile page.

Please refer to our How are vision2learn courses funded? question under Getting started for more information.

I've successfully applied for a course. What happens next?
  1. We will send you a secure digital enrolment form via email for you to complete and return. Expect this email to arrive within 30 minutes after submitting your course application. In some cases, this can take longer so please allow up to 24 hours.
  2. You may be required to complete a short telephone eligibility check (expect this within 3 working days after we receive your completed enrolment pack).
  3. Receive your login username and password to access our e-learning platform (expect this within 5 days after your telephone eligibility check). Please note that these details will be different to your account username and password.
  4. Start studying with vision2learn!

In most cases we should be able to get you started within 2-4 weeks after your online course application. You can check the progress of your application by selecting the View button in the Course applications section of My account page, and then selecting the View Status option.

Why hasn’t my course enrolment form arrived?

Your digital enrolment form will be sent to the email address specified in your account. If you have not received your digital enrolment form within 24 hours after successfully submitting your course application, please give us a call on 0191 215 4100 and we can send another form to you.

When will my course start?

In most cases we should be able to get you started within 2-4 weeks after your online course application for free courses. You can check the progress of your application by selecting the View button in the Course applications section of the My account page, and then selecting the View status option.

6 easy steps to get you started on your course:

  1. Sign up for a vision2learn account
  2. Apply for a course
  3. We will send you a secure digital enrolment form via email for you to complete and return (we aim for this to reach you within 5 working days after you apply for a course).
  4. You may be required to complete a short telephone eligibility check (expect this within 3 working days after we receive your completed enrolment pack).
  5. Receive your login username and password (expect this 24 hours after your telephone eligibility check). Please note that these details will be different to your account username and password.
  6. Start studying with vision2learn!
How do I access my course?

All courses are accessed online through our vision2learn e-learning platform. Once your course application has been accepted, you will receive an email containing instructions on how you can access your course and begin your studies.

What support will I receive during my studies?
  • You will receive support from a dedicated online tutor throughout your studies.
  • Monday–Thursday 9am–8pm and Friday 9am–5pm (excluding Bank Holidays), our team of E–learning Programme Quality Leaders are available to deal with any issues you may have with your course. Just give them a call on 0191 215 4100.
  • If you have a technical issue, you can talk to a member of the technical support team on 0191 215 4100.
  • You can use the onscreen Help button to get assistance any time you are logged on.
I no longer wish to study on my course. Can I cancel?

We accept that sometimes there are exceptional circumstances where it simply isn’t possible for you to complete your course. We will work with you to find an appropriate solution.

However, if you are studying on a free course and choose to withdraw you may have to pay a fee to cover administration costs. This is fully dependent on what stage you are at on your course and the policy of the college you are studying with.

If you have any questions please call us on 0191 215 4100.

What happens after I complete my course?

Please note that your work will be subject to both internal and external moderation after your tutor has marked it as a pass. It is important that you regularly log in and check your learning platform after completion to ensure you have no moderation actions to complete.

When will my certificate arrive?

In most cases, your certificate should arrive from the Awarding Organisation approximately 12–16 weeks after you have successfully completed your course. During this time your work will be moderated, so keep logging in to check on progress.

What is moderation?

Moderation is the process undertaken by the awarding body to ensure that standards of assessments and marking is consistent and monitored to ensure that it meets required standards.