Degree-holders allowed access to extra student finance under LLE

People who already have undergraduate degrees will be able to access additional student finance to undertake further study under England’s new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), the government has confirmed, but funding will adjusted to reflect current day prices.

The Department for Education shared details on 15 April of how the funding entitlements available to learners under the incoming scheme will work.

Under the LLE, which will be launched in the 2026-27 academic year, everyone below the age of 60 will be eligible for loans equivalent in value to four years of full-time tuition (currently £39,160) to use throughout their working lives, with some shorter courses and modules eligible for funding alongside traditional full-length degrees. Master’s level study is excluded.

Loans will be available to people wishing to study a new qualification at the same or a lower level to one they already hold in a reversal of England’s equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) rule.

Currently if a graduate has already completed an undergraduate course, they are not be able to take out a loan for another degree-level course or module at the same level, with the exception of a small number of government priority subjects.

Under the new rules, a graduate holding a Level 6 qualification – equivalent to a bachelor’s degree – could receive funding to participate in a Level 4 programme, which is equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree. 

The total amount of funding an individual is eligible for will be adjusted to take into account any studies already completed, with fees previously paid uprated to current-day levels.

This means those who paid less than today’s maximum annual tuition fee of £9,790 when they attended university will have the current fee equivalent deducted from their entitlement.

For example, a student who studied a three-year degree before 2012 would have their entitlement reduced by £29,370, despite their programme costing much less at the time. 

With LLE-eligible courses and modules set to open for applications in September, education providers have been awaiting further details as they attempt to market their new programmes to prospective students.

The LLE aims to encourage people to learn over their lifetimes and opens the door for learners to study individual modules that can be stacked over time, rather than being required to commit to a full degree programme, but critics say demand will be limited with adults reluctant to take on further debt.

Modular study will initially only be available for courses in subject areas aligned with the government’s priority skills needs, and providers who wish to offer modular provision have to go through an approval process.

The government confirmed that an initial round of applications by providers concluded in October 2025, with the next round set to run in 2026. 

“We are taking a carefully phased approach to modular provision from 2027,” the guidance reads.

“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.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com