Managing changes to approved qualifications
How we manage changes you make to approved qualifications that impact funding approval status.
Why and how we make changes, and how you can ask us to consider approving a qualification for funding again.
We manage offers termly. This enables us to reflect any changes to currently funded qualifications as quickly as possible.
We will assume that you no longer want funding approval for a qualification, if you make any of the following changes to data fields for that qualification in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications:
- offered in England – from Yes (ticked) to No (unticked)
- age group – from Yes (ticked) to No (unticked), where No makes the qualification out of scope for the relevant qualification offer
- qualification level – from its current value to a value that is out of scope for the relevant qualification offer
We will change the qualification’s funding approval end date and last date for new starts (LDNS) to be the next date of publication of:
We will continue monitoring for changes in these data fields during the funding approval moratorium.
If you change any of these fields from No (unticked) to Yes (ticked) for a particular qualification, we will not automatically approve it for funding. You can only ask us to review a qualification again if it is not affected by the funding approval moratorium from 1 September 2020.
If we find evidence that a qualification no longer meets our approval principles, we will change its funding approval end date and LDNS to be the next date of publication of:
- the list of qualifications approved for funding
- Find a Learning Aim
We will tell you why we are withdrawing our approval. You can ask us to review our decision again. This process does not apply to qualifications that we will remove funding approval from as part of the qualifications reviews.
You can find a list of planned updates to Find a learning aim in the data collection maintenance schedule.
We monitor Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications for any changes you may make to the operational end dates for qualifications we have approved for funding.
We do this so we can tell ESFA funded providers about changes to the approval and LDNS.
To make sure students are not disadvantaged, you should:
- change operational and certification end dates in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications far enough in advance to give students and providers plenty of notice
- avoid setting and then changing operational end dates
Where we find you are setting or changing operational end dates frequently for a qualification or suite of qualifications, we may contact you to understand why you are doing this before we make any changes to our systems.
If you change the operational end date to happen before 31 July 2025, we will amend the qualification’s funding approval end date and LDNS to be the same as its new operational end date. This will happen:
- termly for the list of qualifications approved for funding
- every 2 weeks, as appropriate, for Find a learning aim
It is a regulatory requirement that you inform Ofqual about any proposed withdrawal and replacement of qualification before you inform centres. You must ensure you tell your centres when you are withdrawing a qualification and give them details of any qualification that may replace it.
If you set the operational end date for a qualification to be in the past, we will change its funding approval end date and LDNS to be the publication date of:
- the list of qualifications approved for funding
- Find a learning aim
If a qualification was not rolled over into the 2024 to 2025 offer because it had an operational end date before 1 August 2024, and you subsequently change that operational date, we will not then include the qualification in the 2024 to 2025 offer.
When a qualification reaches its approval end date in all our funded offers, we will move that qualification to the archive list on the list of qualifications approved for funding.
If a student is registered on a qualification on or before its funding approval end date, they can complete their qualification up to the certification end date, or funding validity end date.
If you make any changes to a qualification’s operational start date, we will not automatically reflect this for funding approval or funding validity.
You can only ask us to change the operational start dates for qualifications that are not affected by the funding approval moratorium. We will not change funding approval dates for qualifications in the free courses for jobs level 3 qualifications offer.
If you change a qualification’s operational start date, you are responsible for telling your centres about this change.
You must ask us if you want to change a qualification’s start dates for funding approval, funding validity, or both. You can only ask us to change the operational start dates for qualifications that are not affected by the funding approval moratorium, from 1 September 2020.
We will not change funding approval start dates and funding validity dates for level 3 free courses for jobs.
To review your qualification, we need the following information:
- the qualification’s full title and reference number
- confirmation of the changes you want us to make to the funding approval start date, funding validity start date or both
- which qualification offers the change applies to
- why you want us to consider making these changes
- any more evidence to support why the change is necessary
We will these review requests termly. We will not review requests outside of these processes. The deadline for us to receive requests is the second to last Monday of the month before the funding approval cycle month. We will review them in the following funding approval cycle month.
For example, if you want us to review in the Autumn: November 2024 cycle, we must receive your request by 5pm on Monday 21 October 2024.
We may consult with other organisations, such as regulatory and professional bodies. We may ask you for more information if we need to.
Resetting of operational end dates
For 2024 to 2025 we will continue to monitor if an awarding organisation sets a qualification’s operational end date in the 2024 to 2025 funding year for rollover, and then sets it back to be 31 July 2024 or earlier.
We will consider ending funding approval for that qualification in all offers on this newest operational end date. If we do this awarding organisations will have no further opportunity to extend funding approval for that qualification. Funding approval in the year 2024 to 2025 will be lost.
We will apply this principle to later funding years too.
Changes to data fields we use to identify qualifications for review
If you make changes to a qualification’s record in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications that bring the qualification into scope for funding approval, you can ask us to review the qualification.
This only applies to changes you make to the following data fields:
- offered in England – must be Yes (ticked)
- funded in England – must be Yes (ticked)
- qualification level – from its previous value to a value that is in scope for the relevant qualification offer
- age group – from No (unticked) to Yes (ticked), where Yes brings the qualification into scope for the relevant qualification offer
To review your qualification, we need the following information:
- the qualification’s full title and reference number
- which data fields you have changed
- the previous and current values in those data fields
- any additional evidence to support your request or challenge
You can only ask us to review a qualification again if it is not affected by the funding approval moratorium.
We will these review requests termly. We will not review requests outside of these processes. The deadline for us to receive requests is the second to last Monday of the month before the funding approval cycle month. We will review them in the following funding approval cycle month.
For example, if you want us to review in the Autumn: November 2024 cycle, we must receive your request by 5pm on Monday 21 October 2024.
We may consult with other organisations, such as regulatory and professional bodies. We may ask you for more information if we need to.
If we decide not to approve a qualification for funding, you can ask us once to reconsider the decision, if you submit new evidence.
You must appeal by the deadline for funding approval cycle after you received your ‘not approved’ outcome.
This process:
- also applies to decisions about approving qualifications as exemptions to the funding approval moratorium
- does not apply to qualifications that we have already removed funding approval from, or are in scope to have funding approval removed
To reconsider your qualification, we need the following information:
- the qualification’s full title and reference number
- the new evidence that you are basing your request on
- which qualification offers you believe the qualification should be approved for
- why you believe the qualification meets all the approval principles for the offers
- any additional evidence to support your challenge
We will consider appeals termly, but we must receive your appeal and new evidence by the deadline date for the next funding approval cycle.
For example, if your qualification is not approved in the Autumn: November 2024 cycle, we must receive your appeal by 5pm on Monday 17 February 2025.
We may consult with other organisations, such as regulatory and professional bodies, and we may ask you for more information if we need to.
You can use this process if:
- you make changes to data fields for a qualification in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications, which bring that qualification into scope for funding approval
- we withdraw our funding approval for your qualification, unless we remove funding approval from the qualification as part of the review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England
- you want us to change the funding approval start date, funding validity start date, or both
- you wish to review the funding approval end date we have applied to an existing qualification when we have approved an updated version
We will review these requests termly. We will not review requests outside these processes. The deadline for us to receive requests is the second to last Monday of the month before the funding approval cycle month. We will review them in the following funding approval cycle month.
For example, if you want us to review in the Autumn: November 2024 cycle, we must receive your request by 5pm on Monday 21 October 2024.
We may consult with other organisations, such as regulatory and professional bodies, and we may ask you for more information if we need to.
It is your responsibility to enter and maintain information about your qualifications correctly in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications. This includes any information or other detail that might increase or decrease the funding rate.
We will make this change automatically once a year where either:
- the number of guided learning hours has fallen
- a sector subject area change leads to a reduction in the funding rate or maximum loan amount
The downward corrections to funding rates and maximum loan amounts section has more information.
We do not automatically increase the funding rate or maximum loan amount for a qualification if you change its:
- content
- outcomes
- sector subject area classification
- number of guided learning hours
If you make significant changes to a qualification that may affect its ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB) funding rate or maximum loan amount, you can ask us to review them. Complete and send us a rate review request form.
Funding rate increases
We will not increase the funding rate or maximum loan amount, unless you specifically ask us to review it.
We will review increases to funding rates and loan amounts during our Autumn and Spring funding approval cycles only. This is to ensure providers have sufficient notice of the funding available for a qualification ahead of delivery.
| Funding approval cycle | Deadline for all applications for rate reviews | Date of download of Ofqual register |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn: November 2024 | 21 October 2024 | 22 October 2024 |
| Spring: February 2025 | 17 February 2025 | 18 February 2025 |
To review your qualification, we need the following information in the rate review request form:
- the qualification’s full title and reference number
- confirmation of what the change is and when you made the change
- why you want us to review the qualification
- your reasons for making the change
- supporting evidence (from colleges, training organisations, professional bodies, employers, students) for why the change is necessary
- a Microsoft Word version of the qualification specification, with tracked changes on and notes identifying the change
You must correctly complete one form per qualification you are asking us to review, unless you are making the exactly the same change in several qualifications in the same suite. In these you cases, you must which submit a list with full details of the other affected qualifications.
We will only consider requests for a rate review if you submit new additional evidence or information.
We will review your request to see if we need to change the funding rate, loan amount or both. We will assess the potential impact of the change on students, providers of education and training, other similar qualifications, and our funded qualification offers.
We may consult with other organisations, such as Ofqual, QAA, IfATE and the Student Loans Company. We may ask you for more information if we need to.
We will only review qualifications where the change will impact the ESFA funded Adult Skills Fund or maximum loan amount for advanced learner loans.
If approved, we will only apply a change to increase the funding rate from 1 August of the next funding year, unless there are exceptional circumstances to do so earlier.
We will only apply increases to funding rates or maximum loan amounts approved during 2024 to 2025 from 1 August 2025.
These increases will be reflected on Find a Learning Aim for 2025 to 2026.
The ‘GuidedLearningHours’ data field on Find a learning aim will reflect the guided learning hours you entered on the Ofqual register. But the ‘funded GuidedLearningHours’ data field will only change once the increased funding rate comes into effect.
Reviewing funding rates and loan amounts
This is the step-by-step process that we use to review requests to change a qualification’s funding rate or maximum loan amount:
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Awarding organisation asks Department for Education (DfE) to review the funding rate or loan amount by the deadline, or Ofqual makes a change to a qualification.
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DfE and ESFA assess the impact of changing the funding rate or loan amount.
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DfE consults with other organisations if necessary.
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DfE and ESFA decide whether to approve the change.
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DfE informs the awarding organisation of the outcome.
We will not review requests outside these processes.
Our review process does not apply to areas of England where the AEB is devolved. AEB providers with devolved AEB funding will use the funding rates, formula, and eligibility criteria set by that devolved authority area, except for statutory entitlements.
This process does not affect your ability to raise an official complaint to us.
Downward corrections to funding rates and maximum loan amounts
We will check guided learning hours and sector subject area changes annually in our Spring: March funding approval cycle.
Where these have changed and this means the funding rate or loan amount will be reduced, we will apply the reduced funding rate or maximum loan amount from 1 August of the next funding year.
Any decreases to funding rates or maximum loan amounts approved during 2024 to 2025 will only be applied from 1 August 2025.
These decreases will be reflected on Find a learning aim for 2025 to 2026.
The ‘GuidedLearningHours’ data field on FaLA will reflect the GLH you entered on the Ofqual register. But the ‘FundedGuidedLearningHours’ data field will only change once the decreased funding rate comes into effect.
If there are any significant structural changes likely to affect you as an awarding organisation and your operations, you must tell us about these and when these changes will happen. These changes could relate to acquisitions, mergers, or any other incidents that may affect how you or your qualifications are approved and recorded in our systems.
We want to know about changes as early as possible, so that we can work with you to make sure there is no disruption to your qualifications, to your education and training providers and to students during any change.
You should tell us about any change by emailing Qualifications.APPROVAL@education.gov.uk.
If we need to send you a message, we will send it to all our known named contacts for an awarding organisation. This will include messages about our reasons for not approving a qualification for funding and the outcomes from review requests.
If we have no named contact in your organisation, we will use the contact email address that you have entered in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications.
To check who your named contact is, or to change your named contact, email qualifications.approval@education.gov.uk.