UK Lifelong Learning Entitlement (2026/27)
Lifelong Learning Entitlement: a £39,160 tuition loan for courses and modules from January 2027 (England) - who qualifies, what it funds, Plan 5 repayment.
Key features of the LLE
- £39,160 tuition entitlement for a new learner = 4 years of full-time tuition at the £9,790 maximum fee for 2026 to 2027. The amount is adjusted if the fee limit changes.
- Start dates - applications open from late October 2026 for courses and modules starting from January 2027.
- Full courses and some modules - full level 4 to 6 courses, HTQ modules, and level 6 modules in priority subjects.
- Minimum 30 credits per course year; up to 180 credits a year can be funded.
- Age - tuition loans up to age 60 at the start of the course.
- Plan 5 repayment - 9% above £25,000, cancelled after 40 years.
- Returning learners - previous funding reduces the remaining entitlement.
- England only - Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own student finance systems.
All features per DfE, Lifelong learning entitlement: what it is and how it will work (updated 24 September 2026).
When to use LLE vs alternatives
LLE may suit
- Self-arranged retraining at levels 4 to 6
- Module-by-module study in a priority subject
- Part-time study alongside a job
- Returning to finish or add to an earlier qualification
An apprenticeship may suit
- Training as part of a job, with no tuition loan
- Employer-supported qualifications
- Degree apprenticeships
Related guides
- UK Apprenticeship Levy Employee 2026/27 - the employer-funded route.
- UK Degree Apprenticeship 2026/27 - employer-funded degree.
- UK Plan 5 Student Loan 2026/27 - repayment mechanics.
- UK Student Loan Repayment Strategy 2026/27 - overpayment decision.
- UK Returning to Work After Absence 2026/27 - reskilling routes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Lifelong Learning Entitlement?
A new student finance system in England that replaces higher education student finance loans and advanced learner loans for level 4, 5 and 6 qualifications. From late October 2026 learners can apply for LLE funding for courses and modules starting from January 2027. A new learner gets a tuition fee loan entitlement equal to 4 years of full-time tuition, currently £39,160 (based on the £9,790 maximum fee for 2026 to 2027), which can be used for full courses or, in some subjects, for individual modules. Maintenance loans are available for courses with in-person attendance.
Who is eligible?
Tuition loans are for people up to the age of 60 at the start of their course; learners aged 60 or over may still get maintenance support but not a tuition loan. Nationality and residency rules follow the existing higher education student finance rules, and modular funding is only for students living in England studying at a provider registered with the Office for Students. Returning learners who have had government funding for higher-level study get a reduced "residual" entitlement: DfE's example is a graduate of a 3-year degree with £9,790 left. Anyone who started a course before 1 January 2027 stays on the current system for that course.
What can I study?
Full courses at levels 4 to 6 (such as degrees and technical qualifications, including designated distance-learning courses), certain postgraduate courses already funded by the student finance system (such as postgraduate initial teacher training, PGCEs and integrated master's degrees), foundation years forming part of a degree, and modules of approved Higher Technical Qualifications at levels 4 to 5. Modules from level 6 qualifications are funded only in priority subject groups at launch: computing, engineering, architecture, building and planning, physics and astronomy, mathematical sciences, nursing and midwifery, allied health professions, chemistry, economics, and health and social care. Funded study must be at least 30 credits.
How does repayment work?
LLE loans are repaid under the Plan 5 system: 9% of income above £25,000 a year, usually collected through PAYE with Income Tax and National Insurance. Repayments depend on what you earn, not what you owe, and anything left is cancelled 40 years after the April you were first due to repay. Plan 5 interest is normally set at the Retail Price Index. If you already have an undergraduate loan and use residual entitlement for more undergraduate study, you still make a single 9% repayment above the threshold. See our student loan repayment strategy guide.
Can I use LLE alongside an apprenticeship?
They are different routes. An apprenticeship is a job with training, funded through the apprenticeship funding system, with no tuition loan for the apprentice to repay. The LLE is a loan you repay through your salary once you earn above the threshold. The LLE suits study you are arranging yourself, for example part-time study alongside an existing job or a subject your employer does not offer as an apprenticeship.
What about maintenance support?
From January 2027 the LLE offers maintenance loans on all designated in-person courses and modules; distance learning stays outside maintenance support, as now. To qualify for tuition or maintenance loans you must be studying at least 30 credits in a course year. Targeted grants for dependants and travel grants are available to new learners studying full-time (at least 120 credits a year), and Disabled Students' Allowance is available for courses or modules of 30 credits or more.
Why is this useful for career changers?
It lets you fund shorter blocks of study rather than a full degree, return to study later, and draw on a single entitlement across courses and providers, with up to 180 credits a year. Extra "priority additional entitlement" is available for some subjects even when your balance is used up, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, allied health professions, initial teacher training and social work.
Can I use LLE for a master's?
Only for the postgraduate courses the student finance system already funds, such as postgraduate initial teacher training, PGCEs, postgraduate diplomas in healthcare and integrated master's degrees. A standalone taught master's is normally funded by a Postgraduate Loan, which is repaid separately: 6% of income above £21,000, written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay.