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Updates: Qualification funding approval: 2024 to 2025

2024

20 September 2024 published amendments

Scope of this manual

Updated the sections 'What this manual includes' and 'What this manual does not include'.

Funding approval and funding validity

Updated the section 'How we define funding approval'.

The impact of qualification reviews on funding approval

Updated for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Changes to funding approval principles and processes for 2024 to 2025

Updated for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Qualifications with removed funding approval

Updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025, and to include information on the focussed review.

Common approval principles

Updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025. Added section on qualifications for the initial training of further education teachers.

Other approval principles: 14 to 16

Updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025.

Other approval principles: 16 to 19

Updated for the 2024 to 2025 academic year. Added information on the focused review.

Adult education budget local flexibility offer at level 2 and below offer funded by ESFA: approval criteria

Updated section summary and the 'Level 2 qualifications' section.

Advanced learner loans: other approval criteria

Updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025, and to include details of the moratorium for non-HTQ level 4 to level 6 qualifications.

Statutory entitlements: other approval criteria

Updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025.

Components of qualifications: approval criteria

Updated for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Level 3 free courses for jobs offer: approval criteria

Updated for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Post-16 funding approval moratorium and moratorium exemption approval criteria

Updated for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

How we will review qualifications

Updated for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Managing changes to approved qualifications

Updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025.

Forms

Replaced all 7 forms for the 2024 to 2025 academic year. Added one new form – ‘Advanced learner loans moratorium qualification update form (loans exemption)’.

14 March 2024 published amendments

Qualifications with removed funding approval

Updated the section 'Digital skills qualifications' with information on qualifications with removed funding approval.

22 January 2024 published amendments

The impact of qualification reviews on funding approval

Added link to 'How to transfer qualifications funded in Advanced Learner Loans'.

Changes to funding approval principles and processes for 2023 to 2024

Added links to 'How to transfer qualifications funded in Advanced Learner Loans'.

Advanced learner loans: other approval criteria

Added links to 'How to transfer qualifications funded in Advanced Learner Loans'.

2023

28 September 2023 published amendments

Changes to funding approval principles and processes for 2023 to 2024

'Changes affecting the moratorium' section updated to reflect changes to the funding approval of level 4 and above qualifications within the 16 to 19 offer.

How we will review qualifications

Corrected dates in the funding approval cycle table.

Forms

Updated the 'Level 4 to 6 including advanced learner loans notification form 2023 to 2024'.

17 July 2023 published amendments

Scope of this manual

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Funding approval and funding validity

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

The impact of qualification reviews on funding approval

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Changes to funding approval principles and processes for 2023 to 2024

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Qualifications with removed funding approval

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Common approval principles

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Other approval principles: 14 to 16

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Other approval principles: 16 to 19

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Adult education budget local flexibility offer at level 2 and below offer funded by ESFA: approval criteria

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Advanced learner loans: other approval criteria

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Statutory entitlements: approval criteria

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Components of qualifications: approval criteria

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Level 3 free courses for jobs offer: approval criteria

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Post-16 funding approval moratorium and exemption approval criteria

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

How we will review qualifications

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Managing changes to approved qualifications

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Contact us

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Forms

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Annex A: overview of qualification funding approval process

Updated for the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

Annex B: Review and download schedule

The information in this annex has been included in the main part of the manual.

Annex C: Qualification approval journey

The information in this annex has been included in the main part of the manual.

Annex D: Qualifications and courses in academies and maintained schools

The information in this annex has been included in the main part of the manual.

Annex E: Information in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications

The information in this annex has been included in the main part of the manual.

Definitions

The information in this section has been included in the main part of the manual.

2022

4 November 2022 published amendments

Other approval principles: reviewing qualifications during the moratorium

Changed the deadline for requests to approve level 4 qualifications in the European Social Fund offer to 21 November 2022.

Annex A: ESF higher level skills offer

Changed the deadline for requests to approve level 4 qualifications in the European Social Fund offer to 21 November 2022.

7 April 2022 published amendments

Using this manual

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

What is qualification funding approval?

We have updated this for 2022 to 2023.

Changes from qualification reviews

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Changes to principles and processes

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Qualifications with removed funding approval

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Common approval principles

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Other approval principles: 14 to 16

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Other approval principles: 16 to 19

We've updated this section with information on qualifications at level 4 and above, and qualifications that overlap with T Levels.

Other approval principles: ESFA funded AEB local flexibility offer and ESF offer at level 2 and below

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Other approval principles: Advanced learner loans

We have updated the information under 'How a loans offer will be approved'.

Other approval principles: Statutory entitlements

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Other approval principles: Components of qualifications

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Other approval principles: Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs

New section added.

Other approval principles: reviewing qualifications during the moratorium

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

How we will review qualifications

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Managing the offers

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Forms

We have updated the forms for 2022 to 2023.

Annex A: ESF higher level skills offer

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Annex B: Review and download schedule

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

Annex C: Qualification approval journey

We have updated the journey for 2022 to 2023.

Annex E: Information in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications

We have updated this section for 2022 to 2023.

2021

29 July 2021 published amendments

Using this manual

We have updated this section for 2021 to 2022.

What is qualification funding approval?

We have updated this section for 2021 to 2022.

Changes from the qualification reviews

We have updated this section for 2021 to 2022.

Changes to principles and processes

We have updated this section with the changes for 2021 to 2022.

Qualifications with removed funding approval

New section added.

Common approval principles

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

Other approval principles: 14 to 16

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

Other approval principles: 16 to 19

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

Other approval principles: ESFA funded AEB local flexibility offer and ESF offer at level 2 and below

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

Other approval principles: Advanced learner loans

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

Other approval principles: Statutory entitlements

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

Other approval principles: Components of qualifications

We have updated this section for 2021 to 2022.

Other approval principles: reviewing qualifications during the moratorium

New section added.

New funded offers

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

How we will review qualifications

New section added.

Managing the offers

We have updated this section for 2021 to 2022.

Forms

We have updated the forms for 2021 to 2022.

Definitions

We have updated the definitions for 2021 to 2022.

Annex A: ESF higher level skills offer

We have updated Annex A for 2021 to 2022. The changes are highlighted under "Changes to this offer for 2021 to 2022".

Annex B: Review and download schedule

We have updated the schedule for 2021 to 2022.

Annex C: Qualification approval journey

We have updated these documents for 2021 to 2022.

Annex E: Information in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications

We have updated this for 2021 to 2022.

Reviewing qualifications and components before September 2020

This section has been withdrawn as it is out of date.

Reviewing qualifications and components in the September 2020 review month

This section has been withdrawn as it is out of date.

Reviewing qualifications before the moratorium in the November 2020 review month

This section has been withdrawn as it is out of date.

Reviewing qualifications and components during the moratorium

This section has been withdrawn as it is out of date.

2020

9 December 2020 published amendments

New funded offers

New section added.

Forms

We have published new funded offers notification forms for awarding organisations and MCAs/GLA.

Responding to COVID-19

This section has been replaced by the new section on 'New funded offers'.

3 December 2020 published amendments

Changes to principles and processes

We have updated the New digital skills qualifications section.

16 September 2020 published amendments

Forms

We have updated the Advanced learner loan qualifications notification form for 2020 to 2021.

14 September 2020 published amendments

Reviewing qualifications before the moratorium in the November 2020 review month

New section added.

Forms

We have published the November 2020 qualification review form.

16 July 2020 published amendments

Responding to COVID-19

New section added.

Forms

We've added the high value courses for school and college leavers notification form.