Level 2 and 3 qualifications to have 16 to 19 funding approval removed in 2027
Public funding approval will be removed for new 16 to 19 student starts from 1 August 2027.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The government has already confirmed that public funding approval for certain qualifications will be removed from 2027, following its response to the Post-16 level 3 and below pathways consultation.
As a change from the original funding approval arrangements, qualifications equivalent in size to 2 A levels (720 guided learning hours (GLH)) will continue to be funded for the 2027 to 2028 academic year. This will support providers and students during the transition to the reformed qualifications landscape while additional V Levels are introduced.
Update on T Level scoping and associated level 3 qualifications in habitat and land management
We have taken a policy decision to scope potential new T Levels, including in habitat management, in line with the implementation plan published in May 2026. This is part of our plans for exploring new T Levels in agriculture and land management, following further consideration and engagement with the land-based sector.
As a result, we will maintain 16 to 19 funding approval for two qualifications above 1080GLH (City and Guilds Extended Diploma in land and wildlife management, and Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in countryside management), which have therefore been removed from the final list of qualifications that will have funding removed in 2027.
Update on funding approval for Access to HE Diplomas
Access to HE Diplomas are an important pathway designed to support adults to enter higher education, particularly those individuals who did not follow a traditional academic route. That is why we are maintaining funding for Access to HE Diplomas for students aged 18 and above.
Students aged 19 and above will continue to be able to access funding through Advanced Learner Loans (ALLs). Students who take out an ALL for an Access to HE Diploma will have the outstanding balance written off if they complete an eligible higher education course such as an undergraduate degree.
From the 2027 to 2028 academic year, for Access to HE diplomas relating to the subjects in the first tranche of V Levels, students who are aged 18 to 24 years old and eligible for 16 to 19 study programme funding will retain funding by exception.
We will publish guidance on the exceptions in the implementation plan update in early 2027.
For students aged 16 and 17, the post-16 education and skills white paper set out our plans to introduce reformed qualifications pathways at levels 2 and 3, responding to the recommendations made in the Curriculum and Assessment Review final report.
The reformed qualifications will ensure every young person has a clear choice of education pathways that support them to succeed in work and in life. For Level 3 qualifications, a student aged 16 or 17 who wishes to progress into higher-level study, including higher education or an apprenticeship, will have a choice between A levels, V Levels, a mix of both, or a T Level.
Updates to this page
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Removed Cambridge OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Diploma in IT, Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Information Technology, and Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Computing from the 'Level 2 and 3 qualifications to have 16 to 19 funding approval removed from 1 August 2027' list, as they will now be retained until 2028. The details are set out in the current version of the Post-16 pathways implementation plan. The equality impact assessment has also been updated. Removed 'Guidance on removal of additional qualifications approved for public funding: post-16 Level 2 and 3', as this no longer applies.
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Added 'Level 2 and 3 qualifications to have 16 to 19 funding approval removed from 1 August 2027' and removed 'Additional qualifications removed from public funding 2027', 'Qualifications removed from public funding 2027: 1080 GLH and above', 'Guidance on removal of qualifications approved for public funding: post-16 level 3' and 'Updates to outcomes of the review of qualifications reform at level 3: equality impact assessment'.
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Updated the definition of a qualification to include 'the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)' in 'Guidance on removal of additional qualifications approved for public funding: post-16 level 2 and 3'.
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Added 'Additional qualifications removed from public funding 2027' 'Guidance on removal of additional qualifications approved for public funding: post-16 level 2 and 3' and 'Additional 16 to 19 qualifications funding approvals update: equality impact assessment'.
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First published.