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The lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will transform the post-18 student finance system to create a single post-18 student funding system. It will replace:

• higher education (HE) student finance loans
• advanced learner loans

From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for LLE funding for the first time for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards.

The LLE will allow people to develop new skills and gain new qualifications at a time that is right for them.

From its launch, the LLE loan will be available for:

• full courses at level 4 to 6, such as degrees, technical qualifications, and designated distance-learning and online courses
• modules of high-value technical courses at level 4 to 5
• modules from full level 6 qualifications – for example, degrees – that align to:
  • priority skills needs
  • the government’s industrial strategy

Under the LLE, eligible learners will be able to access:

• a tuition fee loan, with new learners able to access up to the full entitlement of £38,140 – equal to 4 years of study based on academic year 2025 to 2026 fee rates
• a maintenance loan to cover living costs, for courses with in-person attendance

Financial help will also be available for:

• learners with disabilities
• support with childcare

An additional entitlement will be available for priority subjects or longer courses, such as medicine degrees.

Learners will be able to see their loan balance through their own LLE personal account. The Student Loans Company (SLC) will host this.

Why we need the LLE

The government is committed to ensuring the country develops the skills needed to:

• drive sustained economic growth
• break down barriers to opportunity
• improve the living standards of hardworking people

The LLE will deliver transformational change to the current student finance system by:

• broadening access to high-quality, flexible education and training
• supporting greater learner mobility between institutions

This will enable individuals to learn, upskill and retrain across their working lives. It will create opportunities for both young people and adults to develop the skills needed to succeed in life, contributing to growth across the entire country.

We have worked with Skills England to ensure the LLE:

• aligns to the government’s skills priorities
• creates opportunities across the country for young people and adults to develop skills

Who will be eligible for the LLE

The LLE will be available to new learners and learners who have previously studied a course or module in higher education.

For returning learners, the amount they can borrow will be reduced depending on the funding they have previously received to support study.

LLE tuition loans will be available for people up to the age of 60. The age limit is designed to offer the vast majority of the working population access to tuition loans, enabling them to:

• train, retrain and upskill
• make a significant contribution to the economy over a longer period of time

Learners who are over 60 may still qualify for maintenance support, though not a tuition fee loan.

Eligibility criteria for the LLE will track existing higher education student finance nationality and residency rules.

LLE in devolved administrations

In the UK, education is devolved. The government is working closely with partners in the devolved administrations ahead of the LLE rollout in the 2026 to 2027 academic year. This is to ensure students can move seamlessly between institutions throughout the UK.

If learners living in England already have funding in place (through the current HE student finance system) to study courses at providers in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, it will be carried over.

Courses included under the LLE

The LLE will be available for full years of study at levels 4 to 6, including higher technical and degree qualifications.

It will also be available for modules from higher technical qualifications and full level 6 qualifications that align to:

• priority skills needs
• the government’s industrial strategy

LLE learners will apply for their funding in September 2026 for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards.

The LLE will fund full years of study on courses currently funded by HE student finance, including:

• traditional bachelors degrees
• postgraduate certificates in education (PGCE)
• integrated masters degrees – a 4-year programme that awards a masters degree on top of a bachelors degree
• foundation years available before some degree courses start, as long as these form part of an overall bachelors degree
• foundation degrees

It will fund all higher technical qualifications (HTQs), including both full courses and modules of those courses.

It will fund level 4, 5 and 6 modules from full level 6 parent qualifications – for example, degrees – in subject groups that address priority skills needs and align with the government’s industrial strategy. This will be for:

• computing
• engineering
• architecture, building and planning, excluding the landscape gardening subgroup
• physics and astronomy
• mathematical sciences
• nursing and midwifery
• allied health
• chemistry
• economics
• health and social care

It will fund level 4 to 6 qualifications currently funded by advanced learner loans, if there is clear learner demand and employer endorsement.

It will fund the tuition fees for designated distance learning and online courses. Learners will only get maintenance loans and grants if they are required to attend in person, unless they do not attend because of a disability.

Higher education tuition fees for foundation years provides guidance for HE providers on tuition fees for foundation years in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

Foundation years are not:

• the same as foundation degrees
• standalone courses and do not typically lead to the award of a recognised qualification

A foundation year is a 1-year (or equivalent, if studied part-time) programme of study that is integrated at the start of an undergraduate course.

Foundation degrees are 2-year undergraduate courses that lead to the award of a level 5 qualification.

Both foundation years and foundation degrees will be eligible for funding under the LLE. To be eligible, a foundation year must form part of an eligible undergraduate course.

We will set out details on how level 4 to 6 Ofqual regulated qualifications could enter the market and access LLE funding.

How funding will work

LLE-funded modules

From January 2027, funding will be available for modules of higher technical qualifications, and level 4, 5 and 6 modules from full level 6 qualifications, in subject groups that address priority skills gaps and align with the government’s industrial strategy in:

• computing
• engineering
• architecture, building and planning, excluding the landscape gardening subgroup
• physics and astronomy
• mathematical sciences
• nursing and midwifery
• allied health
• chemistry
• economics
• health and social care

We want new modular provision to be high quality and support wider progression to full qualifications. To be eligible for funding, modules must:

• be part of an existing designated full course, its parent course delivered by the provider
• be worth at least 30 credits, or a bundle of modules from the same parent course equalling at least 30 credits
• have a single qualification level that should be level 4, 5 or 6 to determine if they are eligible for funding
• be assessed and given a standardised transcript when they’re completed, to support credit transfer and facilitate labour market currency
• not be delivered through franchised arrangements

Examples of modules that equal at least 30 credits are:

• two 20-credit modules (40 credits)
• one 10-credit module and a 20-credit module (30 credits)
• two 15-credit modules (30 credits)
• three 10-credit modules (30 credits)

Unless they wish to, there is no need for providers to redesign their course structures if they do not already operate on a 30-credit basis.

This funding will only be available to students living and studying in England at a provider registered with the . Eligible learners will be able to apply for LLE funding for modules from September 2026.

We are taking a carefully phased approach to modular provision from 2027. This prioritises quality and the protection of public money. We will offer a narrower range of modules when the LLE launches, and gradually expand this when it is appropriate.

Approval process

We will ask education providers who are interested in delivering modular provision from January 2027 to submit an expression of interest.

We will open this for applications in July 2025.

All providers who submit an expression of interest will need to pass an assurance check as part of the approvals process. Providers will not need to submit information or evidence for this check.

A provider will be eligible for a simpler and quicker approval process if they have:

• a teaching excellence framework (TEF) rating of gold or silver
• an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding

Providers that have both TEF and Ofsted ratings will need to meet both of these conditions to be eligible for quicker approval.

Providers will need to submit more information if they:

• do not have TEF or Ofsted ratings
• have both TEF and Ofsted ratings, but only meet one of the conditions

This is to show their:

• readiness
• capability
• successful delivery of the parent course

We are taking a carefully phased approach to modular provision from 2027. This prioritises quality and the protection of public money. We will keep the requirements on providers to apply for funding through the expression of interest under review. We will amend them if it is appropriate.

Credits

We are introducing a fair and consistent credit-based method for setting fee limits. This will work across all higher-level courses and modules funded by the LLE, regardless of whether students study them on a full-time, part-time or accelerated basis.

The fee limit will directly relate to the amount of study in the course, rather than the number of academic years that are studied.

Credits are already used in higher and further education to record and measure the amount of learning a student completes.

Loan entitlement

New learners are those who have not yet received government support to undertake higher-level learning.

They will be able to access a full entitlement equal to 4 years of full-time tuition. This is currently equal to £38,140. It is based on the current maximum fee limit of £9,535 per year and academic year 2025 to 2026 fee rates.

This means a learner could use their £38,140 to pay for more than 480 credits of learning, depending on the per-credit cost of the course.

Learners will be able to draw down loans to study up to 180 credits per year. This includes credits taken across multiple courses or modules within the same year.

Returning learners are those who have previously received government support to undertake higher-level learning. They may only have some, or none, of their entitlement left, depending on previous funding received.

Those who have not used it all will have access to a residual entitlement.

Priority additional entitlement

Priority additional entitlement will give learners whose LLE balance is £0 as much tuition fee loan as they need to complete their course.

It will come with the usual maintenance support and repayment terms.

Existing graduates who have already drawn down on all their fee support can also access priority additional entitlement to retrain in an eligible subject.

Qualifications will qualify for priority additional entitlement in:

• medicine
• dentistry
• nursing
• midwifery
• allied health profession subjects
• initial teacher training
• social work

Priority additional entitlement will only support full courses, so individual modules in these subjects will not be eligible for funding.

The courses eligible for priority additional entitlement funding will fit with subjects that:

• address priority skills needs
• align with the government’s industrial strategy

Special additional entitlement

Learners will be able to access limited special additional entitlement for qualifications that could cost more than their standard entitlement in longer courses that are not priority subjects.

This entitlement will come with usual maintenance support and repayment terms.

Learners can only access it when they have £0 LLE balance.

Learners will get up to 2 years of special additional entitlement if they take these courses, with at least 5 years of taught study:

• veterinary surgery
• architecture (including ‘part 2’ courses taken after they complete an undergraduate degree in architecture)
• bachelors degrees and integrated masters degrees provided in Scotland

Learners can get special additional entitlement worth the cost of their study if they:

• take foundation years
• take work placements
• study abroad
• are on placements

Repeat study

Additional entitlement will also be available for repeat study.

We will add the cost of the affected study back on to the learner’s LLE balance for study affected by compelling personal reasons, such as illness and bereavement.

Special additional entitlement will also be available for learners on longer courses who need to repeat study for reasons in their own control.

Tuition fees and fee loans

Tuition fee limits are currently set on an annual basis by the government.

Under the LLE, tuition fee limits will be based on credits. This is instead of being based on the number of academic years in the course, as is the case under the existing system. There will be a maximum financial amount per credit and a maximum number of credits that can be charged for in each course year. This will be set by the government.

Lifelong learning entitlement: tuition fee limits has a list of the:

• standard numbers of credits for every course type
• maximum or default numbers that can be charged for in any one course year

We will treat certain course types under the LLE as ‘non-credit-bearing’. This means that different rules will apply. Non-credit-bearing courses include:

• medicine
• PGCEs
• courses where the provider has not assigned a qualifying credit value

The new system will support people to study at a pace that is right for them.

If we kept the existing system, it would mean:

• programmes of study that are shorter than one year, and many modules would have disproportionate fee limits
• learners could pay fees for a full year of study, even if their course was only a few months long

Maintenance loans and grants

Maintenance loans are designed to help learners with living costs while they study. There is a maximum claim amount based on a student’s course, location and personal circumstances.

From January 2027, the LLE will offer maintenance loans on all designated in-person courses and modules.

Distance learning courses will still be out of scope of maintenance support, as they are in the current system. The government intends to roll over the existing exemptions.

We have published guidance explaining how maintenance loans will work when the LLE launches.

We will set out the position on additional targeted grants in 2025.

°Õ³ó±ðÌýLLE will not affect learners who are already eligible for targeted support grants. This money does not need to be repaid.

LLE loan repayments

Learners must start repaying their loan when they have left their course and earn more than a certain amount. This is known as the repayment threshold.

A borrower’s repayments will depend on what they earn over the threshold, not the total amount they owe.

Repayment of LLE loans will follow the new system of student loan repayments, known as Plan 5. This means repayments will only start once a borrower earns more than £25,000 a year before tax, equal to £2,083 a month or £480 per week.

The amount repaid is 9% of an individual’s gross salary over the repayment threshold. For most people, this is automatically deducted from their salary at the same time as Income Tax and National Insurance.

Repayments continue unless:

• you have repaid your loan
• your salary drops below the threshold
• a 40-year period has passed and the loan is cancelled

Some learners may have an existing undergraduate student loan and then use the residual entitlement they have left under the LLE to fund more undergraduate level study. In this situation, they will continue to make a single repayment of 9% of their gross salary above the repayment threshold.

How the Office for Students will regulate providers under the LLE

From January 2027, providers will need to be registered with the Office for Students (OfS) to register students for LLE funding.

There are 2 OfS registration categories:

• approved
• approved (fee cap)

All providers seeking LLE funding will need to register under 1 of these 2 categories.

The Department for Education will refine the existing regulatory framework to ensure it:

• is proportionate
• is targeted
• supports a high quality, flexible system

We are no longer asking OfS to develop a third registration category. DfE and OfS will focus on reducing overlap in their regulatory requirements, with an aim to reduce the regulatory burden.

The government will extend the current system of advanced learner loan funding for levels 4 to 6 until the end of summer 2030. This will give unregistered providers more time to apply for OfS registration.

Planned consultation

OfS expect to consult in autumn 2025 on proposals to disapply some conditions of registration for providers in the further education statutory sector.

This will apply to:

• providers who do not hold degree awarding powers and are already subject to regulation by the Department for Education
• FE colleges that are seeking new OfS registration

The proposals aim to reduce duplication and streamline the registration process.

Advanced learner loan funding at providers not registered with OfS

Level 4 to 6 courses already offered by providers not registered with OfS will be eligible for extended advanced learner loan funding, from 2025 to 2026 through to 2029 to 2030.

Advanced learner loan funding will only be available for eligible courses with providers that:

• are not registered with OfS
• have an advanced learner loan funding agreement

If learners are funded through advanced learner loans, they will not be entitled to LLE funding for that course. This includes LLE’s maintenance support and access to modular funding options.

The introduction of the LLE will not affect advanced learner loan funding for students starting a course before January 2027.

°Õ³ó±ðÌý shows if a qualification has been approved for funding.

Personal account and record of learning

LLE personal account

The LLE personal account will transform the way individuals engage with student finance.

This accessible, digital service will enable individuals to easily manage their LLE entitlement. Individuals will be able to:

• check their LLE balance
• apply for tuition and maintenance support
• track the progress of applications
• get information, advice and guidance to help them plan their learning and further their career aspirations

Recognition of prior learning, credit transfer, and record of learning

The LLE and modular provision will provide a pathway to strengthen opportunities for credit transfer and learner mobility.

We will work with the sector to make sure:

• learners have clear, accessible pathways to move between providers, including consistent processes for credit transfer and recognition of prior learning
• providers offer transparent guidance for incoming and outgoing students
• providers embed these practices into broader strategies for widening access, particularly for those who enter higher education through non-traditional routes

We plan to update in 2025 on proposed changes that will start to embed this flexibility and greater learner mobility across LLE funded provision.

All universities, colleges and other providers currently record learners’ achievements in some form. The government will introduce a standardised transcript as part of modular funding designation to:

• support the LLE
• make it easier to record learners’ achievements under the new credit-based system

Modular acceleration programme

In September 2023, the government launched the modular acceleration programme.

This is a targeted programme to accelerate the delivery of individual modules of HTQs ahead of the launch of the LLE in the 2026 to 2027 academic year.

This DfE-led grant competition will deliver up to £5 million in new funding to successful providers over 2 years covering the 2023 to 2024, 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 academic years.

How we will support the sector to deliver the LLE

We will work with SLC and OfS to:

• build a new platform and system
• streamline the registration process
• tilt the priority additional entitlement and modules to align with industrial strategy priorities
• extend tuition and maintenance support to full, short, modular provision
• support trailblazer activity
• embed the LLE in the government’s agenda for skills reform

Next steps

We are working to:

• confirm tuition fee limits, including fee loan limits for non-fee capped provision and maintenance rates
• confirm detail on maintenance loans, targeted grants rates and eligibility criteria
• confirm the residual entitlement calculation for learners with prior study
• provide more information on additional entitlement for repeat study
• lay secondary legislation to implement the LLE fee limits and funding system

Provider preparation guide

DfE and SLC have prepared a .