Offer-specific criteria for adult offers
Funding approval criteria that qualifications need to meet for the adult offers alongside the common approval and qualification-type criteria.
This section describes the funding approval criteria that will determine if technical qualifications and alternative academic qualifications will be approved for funding, for adults.
For adult offers, you will need to indicate that the qualification is suitable for adults in:
- the submission form
- Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications
We will apply the adult offer specific funding approval criteria to decide which offer the qualification will be included in.
Please note that offer specific criteria may change between the publication of this manual and first teach in August 2026, and we will update this guidance to reflect this as necessary.
We will consider level 3 technical qualifications and alternative academic qualifications in the spring submission round against 3 offers:
- level 3 legal entitlement
- free courses for jobs
- advanced learner loans
Level 3 legal entitlement
We will include level 3 technical qualifications and alternative academic qualifications as part of the level 3 legal entitlement if the qualification:
- is at level 3
- gives the learner subject-specific or occupational skills which help them progress into employment or further study
We will automatically include as part of the level 3 legal entitlement offer:
- GCE A levels and AS levels
- access to higher education diplomas
- core maths
The level 3 legal entitlement is funded through the skills fund.
Free courses for jobs
We will include qualifications from the level 3 legal entitlement offer in the free courses for jobs offer if they meet all the following criteria:
- the qualification is at level 3
- the qualification’s main purpose is to support a learner to enter a specific job role or go directly into employment – this includes qualifications that support upskilling or specialisation
- it is in one of the following sector subject areas:
- accounting and finance
- agriculture
- building and construction
- business management
- child development and well being
- engineering
- environmental conservation
- health and social care
- horticulture and forestry
- hospitality and catering
- digital technology (practitioners)
- digital technology (users)
- manufacturing technologies
- mathematics and statistics
- medicine and dentistry
- nursing and subjects and vocations allied to medicine
- public services
- science
- teaching and lecturing
- transportation operations and maintenance
- warehousing and distribution
We also include A level qualifications as part of free courses for jobs where they are both:
- relevant to the primary purpose of supporting employment or upskilling
- in the sector subject areas listed above
We will not include as part of free courses for jobs qualifications that:
- mainly serve as an introduction to further training or study, such as access to higher education
- are part of a programme such as technical T Level qualifications
Advanced learner loans
We will include level 3 technical qualifications and alternative academic qualifications in the level 3 advanced learner loans offer if the qualification:
- is at level 3
- is at least 150 guided learning hours in size
- supports a learner’s progression into employment, higher education and training
We will automatically include as part of the advanced learner loans offer:
- GCE A levels and AS levels
- access to higher education diplomas
- core maths
Level 2 qualifications are not being considered in the spring submission round. The following is for information purposes only.
Level 2 qualifications are considered for the:
- level 2 legal entitlement
- local flexibilities offer, which is funded through the skills fund
Both offers are funded through the skills fund.
The local flexibilities offer is funded through the skills fund. It includes qualifications up to and including level 2.
These qualifications will be included in these offers if the qualification:
- is at level 2
- supports the learner to acquire subject specific or occupational skills to help them progress into employment or further study
GCSEs will automatically be included as part of these level 2 offers.
The following qualification types will not be included as part of these offers:
-
performing arts graded examinations
-
international English for speakers of other languages