Lift College
020 4652 5904Start 7-day free trialFree trial0

Health and Social Care Course Cost in the UK: Level 3 Fees

What a Level 3 health and social care or childcare qualification costs in the UK, which fees are extra, and how to fund it, with Lift College's monthly prices.

Start 7-day free trialRequest a call back
Updated 8 min read

Knowledge hub

A Level 3 health and social care qualification studied online with Lift College starts from £59.99 per month for the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care. A Level 3 childcare qualification, the Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator, starts from £79.99 per month. Awarding-body fees are included in our subscription. Elsewhere, the headline price is often only part of the cost, because registration, certification and workplace placement can sit outside it.

This guide sets out what you can expect to pay, what the fee should cover, and how funding and instalments work. It covers Level 3 health and social care and Level 3 childcare.

TL;DR

  • Lift College’s Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care is from £59.99 per month. The Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator is from £79.99 per month.
  • Our monthly subscription includes tuition, tutor support and awarding-body certification fees, with no contract or credit check.
  • Always check whether a course price includes awarding-body registration and certification. One published NCFE Level 3 certificate lists a £205.50 fee for this alone.
  • Advanced Learner Loans in England, apprenticeships and instalment plans can reduce the upfront cost, subject to eligibility.
  • You can pause or cancel at any time, and a 7-day free trial is available.

Table of Contents

What a Level 3 health and social care qualification costs

The price depends on the provider, the type of qualification and what is bundled in. The qualification itself is usually one of two types: a certificate or a diploma. A diploma is larger and normally leads to work in a care role. If you are unsure which suits you, our guide to the Level 3 health and social care certificate or diploma explains the difference.

At Lift College, prices are monthly and published on our site. The figures below were read from our qualifications page in 2026.

You can see the full range on the qualifications page. The total you pay depends on how many months you study, so the monthly price is a rate and not a fixed fee.

What the fee usually covers, and what may be extra

When you compare Level 3 courses, ask the same four questions of every provider.

  1. Tuition. Is access to the learning materials and teaching included?
  2. Tutor support. Is there a named tutor, and is marking and feedback included?
  3. Awarding-body fees. Are registration and certification charged separately?
  4. Placement. Does the qualification need hours in a real workplace, and who arranges them?

The awarding-body question matters most. NCFE’s page for the Level 3 Certificate in Health and Social Care lists a registration and certification fee of £205.50. The same page states 619 guided learning hours, a minimum entry age of 16 and mandatory placement in a real work environment. This shows why two headline prices are not directly comparable: one may include the awarding-body charge and the other may add it on top.

Our positioning is simple. With Lift College, tuition, tutor support and awarding-body certification fees are included in the subscription. You pay the monthly price and nothing else is added for certification.

Workplace placement

Many Level 3 care and childcare qualifications involve practical experience. The NCFE certificate above requires 75 placement hours in a real work environment. Placement rarely carries a course fee, but it affects your cost in time: you may need to arrange hours with an employer, or reduce paid work to fit them in. If you already work in care or an early years setting, your current job may be able to count. Check the placement rules for the exact qualification before you enrol.

For a wider view of what early years roles require, see this overview of early childhood education course requirements, including study hours, minimum age and placement.

What a Level 3 childcare qualification costs

The Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator is the qualification most people mean by Level 3 childcare. At Lift College it is from £79.99 per month. Details of the content and entry requirements are on the Level 3 Early Years Educator page.

If you want to work in a nursery or similar setting in England, check that the qualification counts toward staff:child ratios. GOV.UK’s Check an early years qualification service lets you see whether a qualification awarded in England is on the Early Years Qualifications List and approved as full and relevant by the Department for Education. It also shows whether the holder can count in ratios at level 2, 3 or 6. Run this check on any course, from any provider, before you pay.

Other childcare and education routes at Lift College include:

  • Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning, from £39.99 per month
  • Higher Level Teaching Assistants (RQF) Level 4, from £49.99 per month
  • Access to HE Diploma (Education Professions), from £69.99 per month

If you are weighing up routes into the sector, our guides to early years teacher qualifications and childcare apprenticeships set out the options and their costs.

How the study format affects what you pay

Study format changes both the price and the hidden costs.

  • Classroom courses at a college are often charged as a single fee for the course. They add travel, set timetables and sometimes time off work.
  • Online courses remove travel and fixed timetables. Pricing models vary: some charge a lump sum, others a monthly subscription.
  • Tutor-supported online study adds personal feedback. This is the format we offer: named UK tutors on every course, with materials available immediately.

A monthly model suits adults who want to control the pace. Because there is no contract or credit check at Lift College, you can pause or cancel at any time. If your circumstances change, the cost stops changing with them.

Lift College subscription plans

Alongside individual qualification prices, we publish three plans on the pricing page:

  • Monthly: from £29.99 per month
  • Annual: from £304.99 per year
  • +Exams & CPAC: £119.99 per month

The monthly plan gives you the flexibility to pause or cancel. The annual plan is designed for learners who expect to study for a full year and prefer to pay once. Check the pricing page for what each plan includes for your chosen qualification.

Funding and paying in instalments

You may not need to pay the full amount from your own pocket. The main options in England are below. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check your own nation’s funding body.

Advanced Learner Loans

GOV.UK states that Advanced Learner Loans are for learners aged 19 or over studying a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification with an approved college or training provider in England. Eligibility depends on your age, the course, the provider and your nationality or residency. You normally need to meet UK residence conditions. Confirm that your chosen course and provider are eligible before you apply.

Apprenticeships

If you are employed, or can find an employer, an apprenticeship can remove the training cost to you. For the Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship, the government lists maximum funding of £7,000 for training and assessment costs. You earn a wage while you train, but you study to your employer’s schedule.

Instalment plans

Some colleges let you split the fee. For example, Wolverhampton Adult Education says taught classes with course and examination fees of at least £60 may be paid in three instalments, with a £10 administration fee. Terms like these are local, so ask your own college.

At Lift College the monthly subscription already works as an instalment model: you pay month by month, with no credit check. Our health and social care funding and costs page gives more detail.

How to compare providers before you pay

Use this checklist for any Level 3 course.

  1. Confirm the qualification is regulated and the awarding body is named.
  2. Ask whether registration and certification fees are included.
  3. Check the entry requirements. Ours are set out on the health and social care entry requirements page.
  4. Find out whether workplace placement is needed and how many hours.
  5. Ask whether there is a contract, a credit check or a cancellation fee.
  6. For childcare, run the GOV.UK qualification check.
  7. Work out the total: monthly price multiplied by the months you expect to study.

Start with Lift College

Lift College offers regulated online qualifications for adults, including the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care, from £59.99 per month. Every course comes with a named UK tutor, immediate access and awarding-body certification fees included. There are no contracts or credit checks, and you can pause or cancel at any time.

If you are unsure where to begin, the online care courses overview shows the Level 3 and Level 5 diplomas side by side. You can then view plans and start the 7-day free trial.

FAQ

How much does a Level 3 health and social care course cost?

At Lift College, the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care is from £59.99 per month. Awarding-body certification fees are included. Other providers price differently, so compare what is included before you decide.

How much does a Level 3 childcare course cost?

The Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator at Lift College is from £79.99 per month. If you plan to work in an English setting, check the qualification on the GOV.UK early years qualification service first.

Are there extra fees on top of the course price?

They can be. Awarding bodies may charge registration and certification, as one published NCFE Level 3 certificate does at £205.50. Some qualifications also need workplace placement hours. At Lift College, awarding-body fees are included in the subscription.

Can I get funding for a Level 3 course?

In England, learners aged 19 or over may be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan for a Level 3 qualification with an approved provider. Apprenticeships are another route if you are employed. Check eligibility on GOV.UK before applying.

Can I pause or cancel my course?

Yes. Lift College courses have no contract, so you can pause or cancel at any time, and a 7-day free trial is available.

Sources

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the Lift College team. It is provided for general information and does not replace personalised advice. For guidance on your specific situation, contact our learner support team on info@liftcollege.co.uk.

Back to the knowledge hub