As autonomous institutions, higher education (HE) providers are responsible for setting their own timetabling and student support arrangements and in doing so, must take the needs of all students including mature learners, into account.

In January 2027 the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will launch and transform the HE student finance system. The LLE will give adults, up to the age of 60, access to a flexible, four year loan entitlement to use over their working lives to study full courses and individual modules. The LLE will broaden access at levels 4 to 6 for a range of learners, including those returning to education later in life or studying whilst working.

We are also reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, providing disadvantaged students with up to £1,000 extra per year on top of existing loans for living costs from academic year 2028/29.

Together, these reforms modernise the student finance system and ensure that mature students can access the support they need to participate and succeed in HE.

The government is committed to ensuring the country develops the skills needed to break down barriers to opportunity and so is introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). This will launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners up to aged 60 studying courses that start on or after 1 January 2027.

The LLE will remove the Equivalent Level Qualification rules meaning more people can train, retrain and upskill flexibly. Also under the LLE, a priority additional entitlement will be available to support graduates who study a second degree in certain courses, including medicine. Courses eligible for priority additional entitlement funding have been chosen based on their alignment to the government’s Industrial Strategy and the UK’s priority skills needs.

Medical students taking a second degree using the LLE will also be able to access standard maintenance support for those years not covered by the NHS bursary.

The lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will deliver transformational change to the current student finance system by broadening access to high quality, flexible education and training.

From January 2027, all undergraduate higher education courses, including integrated master’s courses, will be funded through the LLE. Tuition fee loans will be available for people up to the age of 60.

The government will continue to provide a dedicated loan package for postgraduate study. The postgraduate master’s loan, administered by Student Finance England, currently provides up to £12,858 for tuition fees and living costs for eligible students.

The department conducted an equalities impact assessment (EIA) in 2023 that considered the availability of Lifelong Learning Entitlement tuition loans up to the age of 60. The EIA can be found in the public domain and is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64061b31e90e0740d2e5a80b/Lifelong_loan_entitlement_-_equality_analysis.pdf.

The department has published guidance about the availability of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lifelong-learning-entitlement-lle-overview/lifelong-learning-entitlement-overview . The Student Loans Company has also published information on its website: https://www.heinfo.slc.co.uk/lle/lle-faq/lifelong-learning-entitlement-faq/.

We recognise the value of parents continuing in education, which is why there are often available mechanisms such as the childcare grant and the parents’ learning allowance. As I do not know the full circumstances of her constituent’s case, I would be grateful if my hon. Friend would write to me, so I can make sure that we give her constituent full advice on the childcare support that might be available to her.

A constituent and mum has got in touch because she has lost her entitlement to the 30 hours of childcare this Government so brilliantly rolled out, as well as the student finance version, because she is doing law as a mature student. Can the Minister look into closing that loophole so that women who retrain mid-career are not penalised?

Data published by Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) on full-time undergraduate higher education (HE) applications for the 2025 admissions cycle shows the overall number of applicants to UK HE is slightly higher than last year, with demand remaining strong.

UCAS data from the equal consideration deadline, which was in January, shows applications from mature UK applicants, those aged over 21, are down 6.4% on 2024, and down 21.3% on 2020. However, acceptances at end of cycle are not always reflective of these earlier trends.

In 2024, UK domiciled mature applicants were down 15.8% on 2019 at the January deadline but were up 1.3% at end of cycle. Acceptances at end of cycle were up 2.2%. There has been long-term growth in the number of UK domiciled mature acceptances reported at end of cycle between 2006 and 2024. This is shown in the green line in the attachment.

Eligible full-time and part-time undergraduate students, including mature students, qualify for up-front fee loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. Full-time students also qualify for partially means-tested loans as a contribution towards their living costs, which are paid at four different rates depending on where a student is living and studying. In addition, vulnerable groups of students who are eligible for benefits, such as lone parents, qualify for higher rates of loans for living costs. Full-time students aged 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of their course qualify for a single rate fully means-tested loan for living costs.

Full-time undergraduate students with adult or child dependants can apply for fully means-tested dependants’ grants.

Part-time undergraduate students attending eligible courses also qualify for partially means-tested loans for living costs.

Students undertaking postgraduate master’s or doctoral degree courses can apply for loans to help them with fee and course costs.

Maximum loans and grants for living and other costs for undergraduates and postgraduates will increase by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year with the largest cash increases to means-tested support for students from low-income families.

In terms of additional support available, all HE providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APP) approved by the OfS. APPs articulate how HE providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups, including mature students.

There are many excellent examples of interventions that show a real commitment to widening access into HE for mature students, but we want the sector to go further. By summer, the department will set out our plan for HE reform and the part we expect providers to play in improving access and outcomes for all under-represented students.

Finally, from January 2027, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will transform the student finance system in England. Under the LLE, new learners will be able to access a full entitlement equal to 4 years of full-time tuition. Returning learners who have previously received government support will have a reduced entitlement. This will depend on previous funding received. Learners will be able to use this new entitlement more flexibly than ever before to fund individual modules as well as full courses at levels 4 to 6, regardless of whether they are provided in colleges, universities or independent providers. The government expects to see the LLE being taken advantage of by mature students, those wishing to change career and retrain, or those wanting to move up in their existing career and upskill. Mature students may particularly benefit from the additional flexibility that LLE will bring as they frequently study part-time while combining paid work and other familial and financial commitments.

Data published by Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) on full-time undergraduate higher education (HE) applications for the 2025 admissions cycle shows the overall number of applicants to UK HE is slightly higher than last year, with demand remaining strong.

UCAS data from the equal consideration deadline, which was in January, shows applications from mature UK applicants, those aged over 21, are down 6.4% on 2024, and down 21.3% on 2020. However, acceptances at end of cycle are not always reflective of these earlier trends.

In 2024, UK domiciled mature applicants were down 15.8% on 2019 at the January deadline but were up 1.3% at end of cycle. Acceptances at end of cycle were up 2.2%. There has been long-term growth in the number of UK domiciled mature acceptances reported at end of cycle between 2006 and 2024. This is shown in the green line in the attachment.

Eligible full-time and part-time undergraduate students, including mature students, qualify for up-front fee loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. Full-time students also qualify for partially means-tested loans as a contribution towards their living costs, which are paid at four different rates depending on where a student is living and studying. In addition, vulnerable groups of students who are eligible for benefits, such as lone parents, qualify for higher rates of loans for living costs. Full-time students aged 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of their course qualify for a single rate fully means-tested loan for living costs.

Full-time undergraduate students with adult or child dependants can apply for fully means-tested dependants’ grants.

Part-time undergraduate students attending eligible courses also qualify for partially means-tested loans for living costs.

Students undertaking postgraduate master’s or doctoral degree courses can apply for loans to help them with fee and course costs.

Maximum loans and grants for living and other costs for undergraduates and postgraduates will increase by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year with the largest cash increases to means-tested support for students from low-income families.

In terms of additional support available, all HE providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APP) approved by the OfS. APPs articulate how HE providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups, including mature students.

There are many excellent examples of interventions that show a real commitment to widening access into HE for mature students, but we want the sector to go further. By summer, the department will set out our plan for HE reform and the part we expect providers to play in improving access and outcomes for all under-represented students.

Finally, from January 2027, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will transform the student finance system in England. Under the LLE, new learners will be able to access a full entitlement equal to 4 years of full-time tuition. Returning learners who have previously received government support will have a reduced entitlement. This will depend on previous funding received. Learners will be able to use this new entitlement more flexibly than ever before to fund individual modules as well as full courses at levels 4 to 6, regardless of whether they are provided in colleges, universities or independent providers. The government expects to see the LLE being taken advantage of by mature students, those wishing to change career and retrain, or those wanting to move up in their existing career and upskill. Mature students may particularly benefit from the additional flexibility that LLE will bring as they frequently study part-time while combining paid work and other familial and financial commitments.

Adult (those aged 19 and above) apprenticeship starts in the Broxtowe parliamentary constituency and Nottinghamshire local authority from the 2018/19 academic year onwards are shown in the table below.

Note:

(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and cover the finalised full academic year.

(2) Total starts are the count of apprenticeships started at any point during the stated academic period. Learners starting more than one apprenticeship will appear more than once.

(3) Geography is based on the learner home postcode.

(4) Broxtowe is based upon the 2024 parliamentary constituency boundary.

(5) Age is based on that at the start of the programme.

The department also publishes apprenticeship starts by age group as a proportion of the population, with breakdowns available by local authority. The latest figures for Nottinghamshire covering the 2018/19 to 2023/24 academic years are shown here:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/09bc3f03-2391-4b73-6d25-08dd48e2728c.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service have published data on 18-year-old entry rates to full-time higher education (HE) by Parliamentary constituency.

The data covers students accepted to HE and entry rates covering the period from 2006 to 2023 and can be accessed at: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources-2023.

Successive Governments have held the principle that the benefit system does not normally support full-time students. Rather, they are supported by the educational maintenance system. Part-time students can receive Carer’s Allowance if they meet the entitlement conditions. Certain students when they have additional daily living costs that are not met by the student finance system may be eligible for Universal Credit (UC) and carer element of UC.

If a student with the consent of the educational establishment ceases the course temporarily to care for someone and they are not eligible for a student grant or loan, they may be eligible for UC for that period.

The Department works very closely with other departments and stakeholders, to help ensure young carers get the help and support they need and deserve. How we can best identify and support young carers to combine study with their caring responsibilities where they can, including taking account of changes in the education system, will form an important strand of our future work.

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will launch in the 2026/27 academic year for courses starting on or after 1 January 2027. The LLE will transform the higher education student finance system in England by broadening access to high quality, flexible education and training.

From its launch, the LLE will be available for full courses at level 4 to 6, such as degrees and technical qualifications, and modules of high-value technical courses at level 4 and 5.

Under the LLE, eligible new learners will have access to a tuition fee loan equal to four years of study. For returning learners, the amount they can borrow will be reduced depending on the funding they have previously received to support study. For example, a typical graduate who completed a three year degree would have one year of residual entitlement remaining.

An additional entitlement above the core four-year entitlement will be available for some priority subjects and longer courses, such as medicine. Further details on the LLE can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lifelong-learning-entitlement-lle-overview.

The number of received and approved applications for Advanced Learner loans for academic years 2014/15 to 2021/22 are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f26d541b-5dfd-40f9-5102-08dbb397f37b.

Corresponding figures for the 2022/23 academic year will be published in November 2023 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/further-education-and-skills-november-2023.

These figures are for applications, a learner may apply for more than one advanced learner loan in an academic year.

Widening access to NHS careers remains a key priority for Government. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023 sets out an ongoing ambition to work to widen participation in education and training, so the NHS workforce is representative of the communities we serve, and students gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to deliver high quality care to a hugely diverse population.

The NHS Learning Support Fund provides eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health professions students with a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year. Further funding is available depending on personal circumstances, including a non-repayable grant of £2,000 per academic year for students with one or more child dependents.

The NHS Bursary provides payment for tuition fees for students on medical and dental courses from year five of an undergraduate course, and from year two of a graduate-entry course. The NHS Bursary also provide students, where eligible, with a dependants’ allowance, parent learning allowance and childcare allowance.

Higher education (HE) providers are independent, autonomous institutions responsible for their own decisions on staffing issues, including how they structure themselves to deliver research and teaching priorities. Where it is necessary to reshape their activities, it is important that universities carefully consider the impact of job losses on staff and students, and the overall sustainability of teaching and research in this country.

The department will continue to work closely with the Office for Students (OfS) and various parties, including a variety of HE providers across the sector, mission groups and other Government departments, to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the HE sector.

We want to provide a ladder of opportunity for everyone to get the education and skills they need for job security and prosperity and to support levelling up across the country. Access to HE should be based on a student’s attainment and their ability to succeed, rather than background.

The government has issued guidance to the OfS, asking it to refocus the entire access and participation regime to create a system that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by ensuring students are able to make the right choices and to access and succeed on high quality courses that are valued by employers and lead to good graduate employment.

John Blake, as the Director for Fair Access and Participation, is driving forward this important change. Using his experience and expertise from the schools’ sector, he is supporting and challenging providers to identify what will ultimately help students progress on their course and obtain good outcomes from their degree, such as programmes of intervention in schools, summer schools, and targeted bursaries to assist with living costs.

The government is committed to cementing the UK’s status as a science and technology superpower, levelling up across the country.

To achieve this, the UK needs talented people with the right knowledge, skills, and experience. We are investing in programmes that do this at all levels of education, including through:

• My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister‘s recently announced mission to ensure all pupils study some form of maths to 18.
• Investing an additional £750 million over the next three years to support high quality teaching and facilities including in science and engineering, subjects that support the NHS, and degree apprenticeships. This includes the largest increase in government funding for the HE sector to support students and teaching in over a decade.
• Several government strategies are in place to support our science and technology superpower ambition, in specific areas including the UK Innovation Strategy (2021), the National AI Strategy (2021), and the UK Digital Strategy (2022). They set out how we will strengthen our reserves of talent and skills in order to drive success.

All eligible undergraduate students qualify for non-means tested tuition fee loans regardless of their age. In addition, eligible undergraduate students under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of their course qualify for partially means-tested loans for living costs. This applies to all subjects.

The government has a duty to consider the value for money for the public purse of offering a loan product where there is a low expectation of repayment. The department recognises that some older students on lower incomes may need help with their living costs. That is why full-time undergraduate students aged 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of their course can apply for a fully means-tested loan for living costs, known as a ‘special support loan’, of up to £4,106 in the 2022/23 academic year, increasing to £4,221 in 2023/24.

The upper age limit of 60 years old for postgraduate master’s loans was put in place to ensure that the overall scheme remains affordable to the taxpayer and offers value for money. The age limit is applicable to all subjects and is designed to restrict eligibility to those statistically most likely to continue in long-term employment and be able to repay the loan.

In settling on the current postgraduate master’s loan eligibility criteria, the department consulted widely on the proposed terms of the new loan and considered its duty under the Equality Act 2010. A copy of that analysis can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/526274/bis-16-289-postgraduate-masters-loans-equality-analysis.pdf.

The student finance system has to be both fair and sustainable, and ensure that costs are split fairly between graduates and the taxpayer.

In determining the current postgraduate master’s loan eligibility criteria, the department consulted widely on the proposed terms of the new loan and considered its duty under the Equality Act 2010. A copy of that analysis can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/526274/bis-16-289-postgraduate-masters-loans-equality-analysis.pdf.

The upper age limit of 60 years old was put in place to ensure that the overall scheme remains affordable to the taxpayer and offers value for money. The age limit is designed to restrict eligibility to those statistically most likely to continue in long-term employment and be able to repay the loan. The department believes that the current age restriction strikes the right balance between addressing the repayment challenge of older students and encouraging a broad range of individuals to undertake postgraduate study.

The department is closely monitoring take up of the loan and the response by students, the sector and employers. However, at present there are no plans to amend the loan eligibility criteria or undertake any impact assessments.