Further Information
Contents
- Qualification funding approval principles
- Funding rules
- Funding rates and formula
- How we define funding approval
- Funding approval moratorium
- Withdrawal of funding approval from qualifications
- Performance tables
- School census and QAN codes
- Qualifications and courses in academies and maintained schools
- Contact us
Qualification funding approval principles
The Department for Education publishes the funding approval principles that apply when we consider qualifications for funding. The guidance also explains how and when we review qualifications for funding approval.
Funding rules
We publish the rules that apply to all provision that we fund. You can these rules on the GOV.UK website.
- ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB)
- Young people's funding
- Advanced learner loans
- European Social Fund (ESF)
Funding rates and formula
We also explain our funding system and rates for our funded qualification offers.
- ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB)
- Young people's funding
- Advanced learner loans
- European Social Fund (ESF)
How we define funding approval
We look at the content that awarding organisations specify for each qualification, and we decide whether each qualification meets our approval principles for public funding. This can include looking at a qualification’s title, level, size, sector subject area, operational start and end dates, as well as the qualification specification published by the awarding organisation.
We use the term ‘funding approval’ to show where we add a qualification to at least one of our funded offers.
We also review qualifications to see if they meet our principles for funding through advanced learner loans. We do not fund the delivery of qualifications through loans, but we do decide which qualifications a student can study with a loan.
Funding approval moratorium
In the first stage consultation document on the review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below, we said that we would stop approving any new qualifications at level 3 and below for funding, for students aged 16 and over.
From 1 September 2020, we stopped considering new regulated qualifications for funding, unless they meet certain exemption criteria, including being an updated version of an existing quals or a new qual responding to economic need. We are doing this for qualifications at level 3 and below, for students aged 16 and over (including 19 plus). We call this a ‘moratorium’ on funding approval, and it will be in place initially for a period of three years. We will review how the moratorium is working (including the exemptions criteria) once a year.
We will continue to approve qualifications for funding in the 14 to 16 offer and the moratorium does not apply to T Levels.
You can find more information about this in the technical guidance for the moratorium.
Withdrawal of funding approval from qualifications
In the review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England, we stated our intention to withdraw funding approval from some qualifications.
You can find more information about this and the lists of qualifications with either confirmed or provisional removed funding approval on the GOV.UK website.
Performance tables
The Department for Education (DfE) publishes lists of technical and vocational qualifications that are approved for reporting in school performance tables.
If we have approved a qualification for funding in the 14 to 16 and/or the 16 to 19 offer, this does not mean that it will be included in the performance tables for Key Stage 4 or 16 to 18.
You can find more information about performance tables on the GOV.UK website. If you have any queries about performance tables, please send them to the DfE through its online form.
School census and QAN codes
You can find information about qualifications and the school census on the DfE school census webpages, or you can contact ESFA’s data collection helpdesk service using the service request form.
If you want to find the correct qualification accreditation number (QAN) for a qualification, you can search for this on the DfE QAN website.
Qualifications and courses in academies and maintained schools
Qualifications must be approved for funding for 14 to 19 before some providers (such as academies and maintained schools) can offer them to young people. In exceptional circumstances, individual academies may offer a course leading to a qualification without approval, under the terms of the model funding agreement. In these circumstances, the academy must email qualifications.approval@education.gov.uk.
Contact us
If you are a provider of education and training and you have about funding approval for qualifications, please use the ESFA enquiry form.
If you are an awarding organisation and have any queries on the qualification funding approval process, please email qualifications.approval@education.gov.uk.