Criteria for funding
Full funding is available from the Adult Skills Fund in the following cases:
- Funding Guidance from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025.
- Learners must be 19 years or older on 31 August 2024.
For funding purposes, we define a learner as unemployed if one or more of the following apply.
They:
- receive Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), including those receiving National Insurance credits only
- receive Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- receive UC, and their take-home pay as recorded on their UC statement (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £892 a month (learner is sole adult in their benefit claim) or £1,437 a month (learner has a joint benefit claim with their partner)
- are released on temporary licence, studying outside a prison environment, and not funded by the Ministry of Justice.
You will need to provide evidence of any benefits dated one month before the course start date.
Earnings threshold
The new eligibility criteria enables learners to be fully funded if they earn below £25,000. The policy entitlement includes learners who are employed or self-employed.
You may fully fund learners who are employed, or self-employed, up to and including level 2 and the level 3 offers, if they earn below £25,000 annual gross salary.
You would need to email us evidence of your gross annual wages in these circumstances. This could be a wage slip and if applicable a Universal Credit statement within 1 month of the learner’s learning start date, we can also accept a current employment contract which states gross monthly/annual wages, if you have recently started a position.
Residency
Learners must be resident in the UK or any EU country for three years.
If you have pre-settled or settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme (you will need to share this evidence where applicable)
There are a few exceptions to the 3-year residency rule and we would need to see evidence as appropriate.
Co-Funding is where you can get half of your level 2 course funded and the remaining half needs to be paid privately to us.
Co-funding is available in the following cases:
- Unemployed and not actively seeking work.
- Unemployed and not claiming any benefits.
- Employed and earning more than £25,000.
Course costs
Please contact us for details and we can confirm if we believe you would be eligible for funding. If not we can advise of course costings for you.
The Adult Skills Fund will also fund a first full Level 3 for 19 - 23 year olds - Learners must be 19 years or older on 31 August 2024.
Learner loans are not available.
Please enquire with BTAC to ask about potential funding for Level 3 and 4 Early Years courses.
We do have some courses where a Level 3 can be funded if you earn under £25,000.
If you are not eligible for funding or full funding you can pay privately for your course the fees can be paid by direct debit in monthly instalments, depending on the length of your course.
All applications are subject to availability of funding and eligibility.
If you have any queries please email: nvqhelp@bedford.gov.uk or phone 01234 276339.
