Overview
The Department for Education (DfE) approves qualifications for public funding if they meet the criteria for funding approval. This website contains funding approval information for all of the qualifications funded through the qualification offers in England excluding apprenticeships and traineeships.
The DfE will only fund students to undertake qualifications through a funded offer if those qualifications are approved for public funding.
Finding qualifications approved for funding
To check if a qualification has been approved for funding, use the search function or download the full list.
This website has funding approval information for all qualifications that are approved for funding through the following offers:
- 14 to 16 offer (previously known as Section 96)
- 16 to 19 offer (previously known as Section 96)
- statutory entitlement for students aged 19 to 23, to study for a first qualification at level 2 and/or level 3 (funded through the adult education budget (AEB), both by DfE and devolved areas in England)
- statutory entitlement for students aged 19 and over, to study for an English and/or maths qualification up to and including level 2 (funded through the AEB, both by DfE and devolved areas in England)
- local flexibility offer (funded through the DfE funded AEB only)
- Lifelong Learning Entitlement (from 1 January 2027 specifically for qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual)
- advanced learner loans
- Free Courses for Jobs
This website is regularly updated with new qualifications that have been approved for funding and changes to qualifications that are already approved (such as changes to funding approval dates).
You can read more about this process on the Further information page.