Qualifications which we will approve
Which qualifications are in scope for funding approval, in the relevant approval cycles.
This section explains:
- which qualifications are in scope for post 16 funding approval from 1 August 2025
- when a qualification will be considered for funding approval from 1 August 2026
It builds on changes set out in the guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below.
We will only fund students to study qualifications through one of the offers identified in this manual if we have approved those qualifications for funding.
This section, and the next section on how to get funding approval, explain information which was previously in sections on the funding approval process.
We will consider:
- alternative academic qualifications (AAQs) at level 3
- technical qualifications at level 2 and level 3
- technical and academic progression qualifications, and T Level foundation qualifications, at level 2
for the relevant funded offers:
- 16 to 19 offer funded through study programmes
- adult offers funded through the future Skills Fund, which will include:
- statutory entitlement for students aged 19 to 23 to be fully funded if they study for a first full qualification at level 2 or level 3
- level 3 free courses for jobs – qualifications at level 3 for adults aged 19 and over, to improve job prospects and progress in work as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee
- ESFA funded local flexibility offer – qualifications at level 2 for students aged 19 and over to respond to local skills needs
- adult offer at level 3 funded through an Advanced Learner Loan
The Department for Education (DfE) will only consider a technical qualification for funding approval if:
- Ofqual regulates it
- IfATE has approved it as a technical qualification
We will also only approve AAQs and progression qualifications, including T Level foundation qualifications, if:
- Ofqual recognises the awarding organisation
- the qualifications comply with Ofqual regulations
DfE’s funding approval decision is separate and independent from:
- Ofqual’s recognition of awarding organisations and regulation of qualifications
- IfATE’s decision to approve technical qualifications
Criteria which we apply
We will only approve a qualification for funding if it meets all the relevant funding approval criteria:
- common funding approval criteria – all qualifications need to meet these criteria
- qualification type funding approval criteria – qualifications will need to meet the criteria relevant to the type of qualification, either:
- offer-specific funding approval criteria – if the qualification meets the above 2 criteria, we will consider the qualification against the 16 to 19 or adult offers
We reserve the right not to approve a qualification for funding if:
- we have concerns about it meeting any of the funding approval criteria in this manual
- there is not sufficient evidence to demonstrate how the qualification meets the funding approval criteria
- the evidence that you have provided is submitted after the specified deadline
Criteria for adult offers
For adult offers you will only need to indicate that the qualification is suitable for adults in the submission form and Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications. We will apply the offer-specific funding approval criteria for adults to filter the qualification into the relevant adult offers.
We are considering newly reformed qualifications for funding approval in 4 cycles.
In each cycle, we will only consider qualifications in certain levels, occupational routes and sector subject areas (SSAs). This is to ensure:
- there are no gaps in provision for students during the transition from the existing qualifications to reformed qualifications at level 3 and below
- providers have time to adjust to the new qualifications
During this transition, any qualifications that are approved for funding will be managed and monitored.
Qualifications considered for funding approval in:
- cycle 1 will be for first teach from 1 August 2025
- cycle 2 will be for first teach from 1 August 2026
- cycle 3 will be for first teach from 1 August 2027
- cycle 4 will be for first teach from 1 August 2028
The how to get funding approval section of the manual has further details about the timelines for each cycle, including the submission deadlines.
We are currently considering qualifications for funding approval for cycles 1 and 2.
We will consider qualifications that are not in scope for cycle 1 or cycle 2 in subsequent cycles. This includes qualifications in other routes and qualification categories, and other qualifications at level 2 and below.
At level 3, we are considering technical and non-technical qualifications which are aligned to the same occupational routes in the same cycle.
At level 2, we are considering technical and non-technical qualifications which are aligned to the same occupational routes in a staggered way. We are considering:
- qualifications leading to employment (technical qualifications) first
- qualifications supporting progression to higher levels of study in the same SSAs in the following cycle
We are only considering T Level foundation qualifications in cycle 2.
Qualifications in scope for funding approval in cycle 1
We are considering small AAQs and technical qualifications in cycle 1.
Small alternative academic qualifications in cycle 1
We are considering small AAQs at level 3 for approval in 2 cycles, aligned to the occupational routes where technical qualifications can be put forward.
We have mapped these occupational routes to SSAs.
Small AAQs:
- should typically be taken alongside A levels
- must be between 150 and 420 guided learning hours
In cycle 1, the range of subjects where we will approve small AAQs for funding to be studied alongside A levels is focused on those:
- that are strategically important, such as STEM and those supporting the NHS
- where an A level is not available
We expected these to be in the following SSAs:
- engineering
- health and social care
- ICT practitioner
- medicine and dentistry
- nursing and allied subjects and vocations
- science
We are also considering approving small AAQs in other SSAs aligned to the occupational routes in cycle 1, if there is both:
- no A level in that sector subject area
- a strong case that the qualification is on the academic pathway and progresses students to high-quality higher education courses
The full list of subjects and SSAs aligned to these occupational routes is included in Qualification type funding approval criteria – alternative academic qualification.
Technical qualifications
We are considering level 3 occupational entry and additional specialist technical qualifications in the following routes:
- construction and the built environment
- digital
- education and early years
- engineering and manufacturing
- health and science
We are considering level 2 occupational entry and additional specialist technical qualifications in the following routes:
- construction and the built environment
- education and early years
- engineering and manufacturing
- health and science
More information is available on categories of technical qualifications.
Qualifications in scope for funding approval in cycle 2
Qualifications in scope of cycle 2 must be submitted by 21 June 2024 for level 3 qualifications and 4 October 2024 for level 2 qualifications.
If you miss these submission deadlines or withdraw your qualification, we will not consider your qualification for funding approval until business as usual starts. For qualifications in scope of cycle 1 and cycle 2, business as usual will start in 2028.
Existing qualifications at level 2 and level 3 that align with the routes and qualification categories being considered in cycle 2 will have funding approval removed from 1 August 2026.
We will only consider qualifications in scope of cycle 2 in cycle 3 in exceptional cases, subject to agreement with DfE, if there is:
- an urgent new or emerging skill priority, including the introduction of new occupational standards
- not sufficient coverage of provision in that sector
Considering qualifications which were in scope of cycle 1 in cycle 2
To recognise that this has been the first time using a new process, in cycle 2 we will consider small AAQs or technical qualifications which were in scope of cycle 1, where:
- you did not submit or chose to withdraw the qualification from cycle 1
- the qualification was submitted in cycle 1, but was either not approved by IfATE or not approved by DfE for funding
If you resubmit a qualification, address any feedback you may have received from IfATE, Ofqual and DfE.
If you submit qualifications in cycle 2 in subjects and routes which were in scope of cycle 1, they will not gain funding approval until the 2026 to 2027 academic year. This is in line with the rest of cycle 2 qualifications.
Existing qualifications at level 2 and level 3 that align with the routes and qualification categories being considered in cycle 1 will have funding approval removed from 1 August 2025.
This will be the last opportunity to get these qualifications approved for funding until the business as usual process starts in 2028.
We will not accept submissions in subject, SSAs or sizes where we will not approve qualifications for funding.
We will now consider small AAQs in human biology or early years and childcare to help meet skills priorities. This is a change we can confirm from reviewing the small AAQs we received in cycle 1.
Small alternative academic qualifications in cycle 2
In cycle 2, we expect to approve small AAQs at level 3 for funding in different subjects to cycle 1, to be studied alongside A levels.
We expect these to be in the following SSAs:
- crafts, creative arts and design
- languages, literature and culture of the British Isles
- media and communication
- performing arts
- public services
- sport, leisure and recreation
We are also considering approving small AAQs in other SSAs aligned to the occupational routes in cycle 2, if there is both:
- no A level in that sector subject area
- a strong case that the qualification is on the academic pathway and progresses students to high-quality higher education courses
The full list of subjects and SSAs aligned to these occupational routes is included in the qualification type funding approval criteria for alternative academic qualifications.
Large alternative academic qualifications
We are considering large AAQs at level 3 for approval, in cycle 2 only, aligned to the occupational routes where technical qualifications can be put forward.
Large AAQs:
- can be taken as an alternative to A levels
- must be between 720 and 1,080 guided learning hours
We will approve large AAQs in a range of subjects where there:
- are no T Levels, to ensure as many young people as possible benefit from them
- is a need for a large qualification enabling entry to more specialist areas of higher education, such as performing arts
- is a clear and direct progression link into higher education
We will not approve a large AAQ for funding if we assess that it is not necessary - for example, because there is a T Level. If large AAQs are proposed that may be unnecessary because there is a T Level, we will confirm the consistent process we will use to assess them.
We expect to approve large AAQs for funding in the following SSAs:
- performing arts
- sports, leisure and recreation
- crafts, creative arts and design
We do not expect to approve large AAQs in other SSAs. The only exceptions are confirmed in the qualification type funding approval criteria for alternative academic qualifications.
The full list of subjects and SSAs aligned to these occupational routes is included in the qualification type funding approval criteria for alternative academic qualifications.
Technical qualifications
We are considering level 2 occupational entry and additional specialist technical qualifications in the following routes:
- agriculture, environmental and animal care
- business administration
- care services
- catering and hospitality
- creative and design
- hair and beauty
- legal, finance and accounting
- protective services
- sales, marketing and procurement
- transport and logistics
We are considering level 3 occupational entry and additional specialist technical qualifications in the following routes:
- agriculture, environmental and animal care
- business administration
- care services
- creative and design
- legal, finance and accounting
- protective services
- sales, marketing and procurement
- transport and logistics
We are also considering:
- level 3 occupational progression technical qualifications in areas not covered by a T Level
- for adults only, level 2 and level 3 employer-proposed technical qualifications in all occupational routes
More information is available on categories of technical qualifications.
Cross cutting technical qualifications
Cross cutting technical qualifications are out of scope of cycle 2. We will consider these qualifications as part of cycle 3. They will need to be less than 359 guided learning hours.
Before this, we will assess and remove funding from August 2026 for qualifications:
- assessed to be cross cutting
- that are larger than 359 hours of total qualification time (TQT)
Qualifications that are 359 hours or less TQT will have funding rolled over until 2027.
Level 2 progression qualifications (technical and academic)
Cycle 2 is the first cycle where we will consider level 2 qualifications that support progression to level 3 study. These are split into academic progression and technical progression qualifications.
These are small qualifications. Their main purpose is to support progression to higher levels of study. They do not lead to occupational competence, so they are not aligned to employer-led occupational standards, unlike technical qualifications.
They can be used alongside GCSE resits and project qualifications to provide context and focus to a study programme, engaging students in a subject area they are particularly interested in while developing the skills needed to succeed at level 3.
Progression qualifications will not be prerequisites for entry to reformed level 3 qualifications. They will be broad and support progression to a wide range of technical occupational entry or academic qualifications at level 3.
We expect both academic and technical progression qualifications to be around 120 to 240 guided learning hours. We will only consider qualifications that are smaller or larger where there is justification for why the qualification has been designed this way.
In cycle 2, we will approve progression qualifications in the following sector subject areas.
Academic:
- science
- engineering
- health and social care
- ICT practitioners or users
- medicine and dentistry
- nursing and subjects and vocations allied to medicine
Technical:
- construction and the built environment
- digital
- education and early years
- engineering and manufacturing
- health and science
T Level foundation qualifications
We will consider T Level foundation qualifications in the following occupational routes:
- agriculture, environmental and animal care
- business and administration
- creative and design
- construction and the built environment
- digital
- education and early years
- engineering and manufacturing
- health and science
- legal, finance and accounting
- sales, marketing and procurement
We have removed 2 routes from the cycle 2 qualification approvals process to reflect previously announced changes:
- hairdressing, barbering and beauty therapy
- catering and hospitality
The guideline size for T Level foundation qualifications is 120 to 150 guided learning hours.
The following qualification types will automatically be approved for funding for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027:
- AS and A levels
- access to higher education diplomas regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency
- advanced extension awards
- core maths qualifications
- extended project qualifications
- performing arts graded examinations
- International Baccalaureate diploma
- technical qualifications in T Levels
At level 2, the following qualification types will automatically be approved for funding for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027:
- GCSEs
- higher project qualifications
- performing arts graded examinations
- English and maths functional skills qualifications
These qualifications will be identified on a termly basis from the Ofqual register of regulated qualifications and approved for funding.
Qualifications that are approved for funding as part of the 16 to 19 offer will be eligible for inclusion as part of 16 to 18 performance tables.
However, technical progression qualifications, academic progression qualifications and T Level foundation qualifications will not be eligible for inclusion as part of 16 to 18 performance tables.
We will publish full details of the process for adding qualifications to the list of those that count in 16 to 18 performance measures, performance points and approach to discounting.
We will not approve technical or non-technical qualifications for funding for 14- to 16-year-olds, as we do not expect these qualifications to be suitable for them.
Non-technical qualifications are alternative academic qualifications, technical progression qualifications, academic progression qualifications and T Level foundation qualifications.
The design of some qualifications may contain occupational pathways in the qualification.
These are routes a student takes through the qualification. This usually relates to qualifications where they can pursue more than one route through a compilation of optional modules or units in the qualifications structure.
These occupational pathways should be broadly comparable in size.
Where a qualification contains occupational pathways, we assign funding based on the qualification, not the individual pathways. This means the qualification is only funded once.
This does not apply to technical qualifications in T Levels.
The personal learning record is a permanent online record of a student’s qualifications and achievement.
We continue to encourage you to engage with the record by uploading achievement data for qualifications that you authorise and award in the UK.
You can also use the record to validate unique learner numbers received from colleges and other training.