The lifelong learning entitlement has been delayed again.
Windows for student applications and course start dates for the flagship higher education scheme have been pushed back by a year in today’s Budget.
Applications were initially due to open in February 2025 for courses starting in September 2025.
In April, the previous government delayed opening the application window to September 2025 and course start dates to January 2026.
However students can now not apply for LLE funding until September 2026 for courses starting in January 2027.
Treasury documents published today do not explain the reasons for the delay.
“The government will deliver the lifelong learning entitlement, but will postpone its launch by one year. The LLE will launch in September 2026 for learners studying courses starting on or after January 1, 2027,” the Treasury said.
The scheme will, when launched, give students access to student loans to cover tuition and maintenance for higher education courses and higher technical qualifications between levels 4 and 6.
Its main selling point is the ability to access loan funding for shorter courses and modules worth up to £37,000.
The scheme was delayed in April to give the Student Loans Company more time to develop and test its systems.
This further delay will give the Department for Education more time to work out what courses can be delivered by higher education providers and how much they can charge.
It will also give independent training providers more time to register and gain approval from the higher education regulator, the Office for Students.
Today’s budget provides £10 million for the LLE in financial years 2027-28, 2028-29 and 2029-30.
Maintenance loans are another stand-out feature of the LLE, but no detail has emerged on what students will have access to, despite being announced in 2023.
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