I am today laying before Parliament the Lifelong Learning (Fee Limits) Regulations 2026, the first in a package of secondary legislation needed to implement the lifelong learning entitlement, ahead of its launch in September 2026 for courses and modules starting from January 2027.
The LLE will transform the post-18 student finance system in England by creating a single funding system for levels 4 to 6 that supports people to learn, upskill and retrain across their working lives. It will broaden access to high-quality, flexible education and training, support learner mobility, and help ensure that our colleges, universities and other providers can meet the skills needs of learners, employers and the wider economy. This supports the Prime Minister’s target for two thirds of young people to access higher-level learning by age 25, alongside increasing participation in high-quality technical education. The Government are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and driving economic growth, and the LLE is a central part of that mission.
The package comprises three sets of regulations:
The Lifelong Learning (Fee Limits) Regulations 2026,
The Lifelong Learning (Student Support) (Amendment of Fees and Awards etc.) Regulations 2026, and
The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendments for Lifelong Learning) Regulations 2026.
Pending Parliament’s approval of the fee limit regulations, I will then make and lay the second two sets of regulations. In the meantime, to allow Parliament sight of the full LLE policy while scrutinising the fee limit regulations, draft copies will be made available at:
Together, these regulations establish the fee limits, student support and repayment framework required for the LLE. They will create a credit-based fee limit system, allow funding to be used more flexibly for modules as well as full courses, and put in place the student support and repayment arrangements needed to operate the new system from launch.
Under the LLE, new learners will be able to access a lifetime entitlement equal to four years of full-time tuition, which can be used more flexibly than the current system allows. Eligible learners undertaking designated in-person study will also be able to access maintenance support for living costs, representing an important expansion of support for part-time and technical learners. The LLE also removes the equivalent or lower qualification restriction, helping adults with prior study to retrain and reskill.
The LLE marks a significant step forward in modernising the student finance system so that it works better for young people and adults in a changing economy. It will give learners greater flexibility in how and when they study, support providers to offer more responsive provision, and help ensure that people across the country can access the education and training they need to unlock opportunity and succeed.
[HCWS25]