Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE)

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) is a new government student finance system being introduced in England to provide learners with more flexible access to higher education funding throughout their lifetime.

From January 2027, eligible students will be able to access a tuition fee loan entitlement to support study across different stages of their lives and careers. The introduction of the LLE will bring changes across the higher education sector, particularly in relation to student finance, systems, processes and communications.

This page provides colleagues with updates, guidance and resources to support the University’s preparation and operational readiness for the introduction of the new system from September 2026.

Lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will allow people to develop new skills and gain qualifications at a time right for them. Learn more about how LLE works and what it means for you as a member of staff.

If you have any questions relating to the LLE or readiness activity, please direct them to Dawn Warner, LLE Project Lead D.Warner@greenwich.ac.uk

What is Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE)?

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

• higher education (HE) student finance loans

• advanced learner loans for level 4, 5 and 6 qualifications

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 (HTQs) 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

How does LLE work?

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 £39,160 – equal to 4 years of study based on academic year 2026 to 2027 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.

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.

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.

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 bachelor’s degrees

• postgraduate certificates in education (PGCE)

• integrated master’s degrees – a 4-year programme that awards a master’s degree on top of a bachelor’s degree

• foundation years available before some degree courses start, as long as these form part of an overall bachelor’s 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 to 6 qualifications currently funded by advanced learner loans, if there is clear learner demand and employer endorsement.

Higher education tuition fees for foundation years provides guidance for HE providers on tuition fees for foundation years in the 2026 to 2027 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.