Tolerance examples 2024 to 2025
Updated 28 March 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/t-level-funding/tolerance-examples-2024-to-2025
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.
Under- and over-delivery
This guide shows examples of what your delivery may look like. You may find it useful to look at the relevant section in the T Level funding guidance for academic year 2024 to 2025.
The under-delivery tolerance levels apply as follows:
- if you delivered any T Level programme before 2023 to 2024, your tolerance is 5%. This still applies if you are running a T Level programme that is new to your institution
- if you started delivering T Levels for the first time in 2023 to 2024, your tolerance is 10%. This still applies if you are running a T Level programme that is new to your institution
- if you are delivering T Levels for the first time in 2024 to 2025, then your tolerance is 20%
1. Under-delivery recorded is within the agreed tolerance
Table 1 shows that the institution had 40 agreed students in band 6 and under-delivered by 2 (by 5%). Therefore, we have not reduced T Level student numbers for that band.
Table 1
| Band 7 | Band 6 | Band 5 | Total students in allocation in all bands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated T Level student numbers for 2023 to 2024 | 40 | 40 | 460 | 1,000 |
| T Level students in data return in autumn 2023 | 40 | 38 | - | - |
| No revision to the allocated student numbers | 40 | 40 | 460 | 1,000 |
Please note: if the institution is eligible for an under-delivery tolerance of 10%, there is no reduction to the allocation if the institution delivers at least 36 T Levels per band. If the institution is eligible for an under-delivery tolerance of 20%, there is no reduction to the allocation if the institution delivers at least 32 T Levels per band.
2. Under-delivery recorded is over the agreed tolerance
As mentioned in the T Levels funding guide, if we reduce your T Level numbers, these numbers will be returned to band 5 because we assume that these students have undertaken an alternative 16 to 19 programme. We will therefore reduce your funding by the difference between the T Level band and the band 5 for each student not recruited onto a T Level.
Where we reduce your T Level student numbers, we will also recover funding for:
- industry placements
- the difference in funding between the T Level band and band 5
- additional funding paid for T Level students such as the higher rate for disadvantage funding
Table 2 shows that the institution has under-delivered by 20 students in one funding band (band 6).
Table 2
| Band 7 | Band 6 | Band 5 | Total students in allocation in all bands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated T Level student numbers for 2023 to 2024 | 40 | 40 | 460 | 1,000 |
| T Level students in data return in autumn 2023 | 40 | 20 | - | - |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 5% | 40 | 22 | 478 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 10% | 40 | 24 | 476 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 20% | 40 | 28 | 472 | 1,000 |
For the 5% tolerance
Under-delivery by 5% out of 40 students is 2 students, so we reduce T Level numbers by the difference, which is 18; we convert those 18 students to band 5. The overall lagged student numbers remain constant.
For the 10% tolerance
Under-delivery by 10% out of 40 students is 4 students, so we reduce T Level numbers by the difference, which is 16; we convert those 16 students to band 5. The overall lagged student numbers remain constant.
For the 20% tolerance
Under-delivery by 20% out of 40 students is 8 students, so we reduce T Level numbers by the difference, which is 12; we convert those 12 students to band 5. The overall lagged student numbers remain constant.
Table 3 shows that the institution has under-delivered in more than one funding band (both bands 6 and 7), by 20 students in each band.
Table 3
| Band 7 | Band 6 | Band 5 | Total students in allocation in all bands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated T Level student numbers for 2023 to 2024 | 40 | 40 | 460 | 1,000 |
| T Level students in data return in autumn 2023 | 20 | 20 | - | - |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 5% | 22 | 22 | 496 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 10% | 24 | 24 | 492 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 20% | 28 | 28 | 484 | 1,000 |
For the 5% tolerance
The under-delivery at bands 6 and 7 is 20 students per band. The tolerance is 2 students per band, so we reduce the T Level student numbers by the difference, which is 18 students, in each T Level funding band. These 36 are added to the band 5 student numbers.
For the 10% tolerance
The under-delivery at bands 6 and 7 is 20 students per band. The tolerance is 4 students per band, so we reduce the T Level student numbers by the difference, which is 16 students, in each T Level funding band. These 32 are added to the band 5 student numbers.
For the 20% tolerance
The under-delivery at bands 6 and 7 is 20 students per band. The tolerance is 8 students per band, so we reduce the student numbers by the difference, which is 12 T Level students in each T Level funding band. These 24 are added to the band 5 student numbers.
3. Over-delivery only
As mentioned in the T Levels funding guide, T Level numbers would have otherwise been funded as band 5. Therefore, if we increase your T Level numbers, the extra funding that T Level numbers attract is the difference between the T Level band and the band 5.
Where we increase your student numbers, we will also increase your funding for:
- industry placements
- the difference in funding between band 6 and band 5
- additional funding paid for T Level students such as the higher rate for disadvantage funding
Table 4 shows that the institution has over-delivered by 10 students in band 6. Therefore, we have increased the numbers in band 6 and reduced the numbers in band 5 by the same amount. We will not increase your total student number allocation. Please note that the exceptional in-year growth process will apply if recruitment to T Levels results in an overall increase in lagged student numbers.
Table 4
| Band 7 | Band 6 | Band 5 | Total students in allocation for all bands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated T Level student numbers for 2023 to 2024 | 30 | 40 | 450 | 1,000 |
| T Level students in data return in autumn 2023 | 30 | 50 | - | - |
| Revised allocated numbers | 30 | 50 | 440 | 1,000 |
4. Under-delivery in one band and over-delivery in another band
Table 5 shows that the institution has under-delivered by 15 students in T Level band 7 but over-delivered by 10 in band 6. We treat each band separately. We fund all additional T Level students and reduce the corresponding number from band 5. For under-delivery we apply the appropriate tolerance. We will not change your total student number allocation.
Table 5
| Band 7 | Band 6 | Band 5 | Total students in allocation in all bands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated T Level student numbers for 2023 to 2024 | 40 | 40 | 460 | 1,000 |
| T Level students in data return in autumn 2023 | 25 | 50 | - | - |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 5% | 27 | 50 | 463 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 10% | 29 | 50 | 461 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 20% | 33 | 50 | 457 | 1,000 |
For the 5% tolerance
The over-delivery at band 6 is 10. These 10 are added to band 6 student numbers and removed from band 5 student numbers.
The under-delivery at band 7 is 15. The tolerance is 2 students, so we reduce the band 7 student numbers by the difference, which is 13 students. These 13 are added to the band 5 student numbers.
For the 10% tolerance
The over-delivery at band 6 is 10. These 10 are added to band 6 student numbers and removed from band 5 student numbers.
The under-delivery at band 7 is 15. The tolerance is 4 students, so we reduce the band 7 student numbers by the difference, which is 11 students. These 11 are added to the band 5 student numbers.
For the 20% tolerance
The over-delivery at band 6 is 10. These 10 are added to band 6 student numbers and removed from band 5 student numbers.
The under-delivery at band 7 is 15. The tolerance is 8 students, so we reduce the band 7 student numbers by the difference, which is 7 students. These 7 are added to the band 5 student numbers.
5. Zero delivery overall
Table 6 shows that the institution had zero T Level delivery across all bands. In this case all T Level students would be moved into band 5 and no delivery is recorded for any T Level funding band. No under-delivery tolerance will be applied.
Table 6
| Band 7 | Band 6 | Band 5 | Total students in allocation in all bands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated T Level student numbers for 2023 to 2024 | 40 | 40 | 540 | 1,000 |
| T Level students in data return in autumn 2023 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Revised allocated numbers | 0 | 0 | 620 | 1,000 |
6. Zero delivery in one band and delivery in another band
Table 7 shows that the institution has zero T Level delivery at band 7 but delivered T Levels at band 6. We treat the 2 bands separately.
To note, where there is zero recorded delivery in bands 6 to 9, but there is T Level delivery recorded in band 5 or below, then the institution will receive the tolerance
Table 7
| Band 7 | Band 6 | Band 5 | Total students in allocation in all bands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated T Level student numbers for 2023 to 2024 | 40 | 40 | 460 | 1,000 |
| T Level students in data return in autumn 2023 | 0 | 50 | - | - |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 5% | 2 | 50 | 488 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 10% | 4 | 50 | 486 | 1,000 |
| Revised allocated numbers where tolerance is 20% | 8 | 50 | 482 | 1,000 |
For the 5% tolerance
As there was no delivery at band 7 but delivery has taken place in other bands, we would apply the 5% tolerance to band 7 (2 students) and increase the student numbers in band 5 by 38.
For band 6 we have increased the student numbers by 10 and reduced the student numbers in band 5 by the same amount. We will not increase your total student number allocation.
For the 10% tolerance
As there was no delivery at band 7 but delivery has taken place in other bands, we would apply the 10% tolerance to band 7 (4 students) and increase the student numbers in band 5 by 36.
For band 6 we have increased the student numbers by 10 and reduced the student numbers in band 5 by the same amount. We will not increase your total student number allocation.
For the 20% tolerance
As there was no delivery at band 7 but delivery has taken place in other bands, we would apply the 20% tolerance to band 7 (8 students) and increase the student numbers in band 5 by 32.
For band 6 we have increased the student numbers by 10 and reduced the student numbers in band 5 by the same amount. We will not increase your total student number allocation.