According to a recent press release from the Department of Education (DfE), people balancing responsibilities such as work and childcare will have a new route into university and college thanks to radical reforms to create a new, more flexible student finance system. From September 2026, for the first time, people will be able to access student financing for shorter, flexible courses known as “modules”, as well as traditional university degrees.
Under the government’s new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) scheme, the region’s five universities – Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside, plus Middlesbrough College – are all among the first 130 institutions of higher and further education taking part.
Radical reforms from the Department of Education
With this new system, people will also be able to access funding equivalent to four years of post-18 study, currently worth up to £39,160. This money could be used flexibly across the new modules, shorter courses or in pursuit of full degrees over the course of students’ working lives. Eligible students will also be able to apply for maintenance support to help with living costs, and funding will be provided in smaller amounts linked to the size of the course being studied, rather than only through full academic years.
People who already have a degree might still be able to access the new funding, either if they have remaining student finance available in their pot or want to retrain in certain priority subject areas. Applications will open in September, and the first courses will start in January 2027.
Driving economic growth and national renewal through education and training
The government has now named the first 130 universities and colleges approved to offer the new smaller courses, which will focus on subjects that will tackle skills shortages, including economics and computing, engineering and architecture, as well as health and social care. The full list of universities, colleges and courses is available here.
Traditionally, said the DfE, higher and further education has been built around full-time degrees and qualifications taken straight after school or college. But that didn’t work for the many people who needed to fit study around life commitments or wanted to return to learning later down the line to upskill. The funding of these new, smaller courses means that people can gain qualifications over time, rather than needing to complete a rigid, three-year, full-time degree in one go, which previously locked thousands of people out of learning.
The DfE states that these plans are central to the Prime Minister’s ambition to ensure two‑thirds of young people were in a gold‑standard apprenticeship, higher training or university by the age of 25, helping to close skills gaps, cut the number of young people not in education, employment or training, and drive economic growth as part of national renewal.
High praise and hope from government ministers, university leaders, and student representatives
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said, “Financial support should be available whether you want to do a degree, take a short course, or retrain later in life. Our changes will make that happen, with the option to access student finance in any stage of life. Whether it’s fitting study around a job, retraining for a completely new career, juggling childcare, or getting qualifications later in life, the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement will open up new opportunities for thousands more people to build the careers they want and get on in life.”
Similarly, Alex Stanley, National Union of Students vice president, said, “Everyone should be able to study in the way that works best for them. For some that is going to university at 18, for others a changing job market might mean getting new qualifications at 40. We welcome the flexibility that the Lifelong Learning Entitlement allows, especially through the modular study. Higher education plays a vital role in our society, and we hope that this funding shift will allow more people to study, gain new qualifications and invest in their future.”
Professor Dave Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, which is one of the 130 institutions approved to offer the new provision, has said that “as pioneers of flexible learning, The Open University has long focused on reaching learners where and how they need to study. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement provides a real opportunity to deliver a post-18 education system for the 21st Century, one that better reflects how people, live learn and work today. It has the potential to truly stimulate lifelong learning, by enabling institutions to build more flexible, modular pathways both into and through higher education, enabling people to train, retrain and upskill throughout their lives. Realising that potential will depend on ensuring the system works in practice for learners, employers, and further and higher education providers alike and require providers to challenge themselves as to what the future could look like.”
You can find more information about eligibility and how to apply for the LLE, as well as a link to an online guide, at Student Finance England.
