Further education (FE) courses include GCSEs, AS and 'A' levels (and their equivalents), NVQs, GNVQs, BTECs, and Access courses. The info below explains the conditions you need to meet to be entitled to pay tuition fees at the ‘home’ rate on courses of FE in England. Check if your course is in higher education (HE) or FE.
If you reside and wish to pursue a course of study in a devolved authority area, each devolved authority area has produced their own set of funding rules. You can access the relevant rules for each area by following the links below:
If you live outside of, and wish to pursue a course of study outside of a devolved authority area, The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) are responsible for drawing up the funding rules that will apply to you. The ESFA's funding rules also continue to apply to continuing learners.
The information that we detail below is from the ESFA guidance. Further details of the ESFA's funding criteria can be found here
You will be eligible as a 'home' student in the 2024/25 academic year if you come within one, or more, of the categories below and you are:
- studying a FE course (which is not an Apprenticeship course) in England; and
- aged 19 years or over on 31 August in the funding year in which you start your course.
A 'funding year' runs from 1 August in one year to 31 July in the calendar year which immediately follows.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the requirements as below:
- You are an EEA or Swiss national; and
- You have obtained either settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and
- You must also have lived continuously in the EEA, Switzerland, Gibraltar or the UK for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
Late and pending applications
If you have made a late application to the EU Settlement scheme (after 30 June 2021), or an in-time application, or appeal which remains pending, you will be granted 'temporary protection' whilst your application remains pending. You will also be eligible for funding during this period. You must have submitted both a valid application under the EU Settlement Scheme, and also be in receipt of a Certificate of Application.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- You are the family member of an EEA or Swiss national (principal);
- You applied to the EU Settlement Scheme after 30 June 2021, and intend to join the principal in the UK after 1 April 2021;
- You have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA, and/or Switzerland for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
If you meet the criteria in this category, you will be eligible for funding for a period of three months after you arrive in the UK (the deadline for you to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme). You will also be eligible for funding pending the outcome of either your EU Settlement Scheme application or an appeal made during this three-month period.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the requirements as below:
- You are any of the following:
- the husband/wife/civil partner of the EEA (or Swiss) national (principal); or
- the dependent parent/grandparent of the principal or of the principal's spouse/civil partner; or
- the child/grandchild of the principal or the child/grandchild of the principal's spouse/civil partner. As the child/grandchild you must be either of the following:
- under the age of 21; or
- dependant on the principal and/or dependant on the principal's spouse/civil partner.
- Where required to do so, you have obtained either pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and
- The principal has obtained either pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and has been ordinarily resident in the UK, EEA, and/or Switzerland for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
There is no requirement about your own nationality - you can be an EU, EEA, or non-EU/EEA, national.
Although this category previously used to cater for the family members of UK nationals, this is now no longer the case. If you are the family member of a UK national, consider your eligibility under categories UK nationals and family, and people with the Right of Abode in the UK, or UK nationals in the EEA and Switzerland instead.
- You are a UK national; or
- You are the family member of a UK national. You are a family member if you fall into one of the following categories:
-
- Husband/wife/civil partner of a UK national (principal);
- Child/grandchild of a UK national, or the child/grandchild of the principal's spouse/civil partner. You are a child/grandchild if you fall into either of the following categories:
- Below the age of 21; or
- Dependent on the principal and/or the principal's spouse/civil partner; and
- You must have been resident in the EEA, Switzerland, EU overseas territories or Gibraltar by 31st December 2020; or
- You must have been resident in the UK by 31st December 2020. If you are relying on being resident in the UK by 31st December 2020, your residence in the UK must have been preceded by a period of living in the EEA, Switzerland, EU overseas territories or Gibraltar. Your move to the UK must also have taken place after 31st December 2017; and
- You have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Switzerland, EU overseas territories, Gibraltar or the UK, for at least the past three years before the start of your course; and
- You must have remained ordinarily resident in the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA, Switzerland or EU overseas territories between 31st December 2020 and the start of the course; and
- The course must start before January 2028.
In order to qualify as a family member of a UK national in this category, you must also meet all of the eligibility criteria in the list above together with the principal. The only exception to this is if you do not meet the three-year ordinary residence requirement, the principal can meet this instead on your behalf.
Please note that for family members, Gibraltar is not included in the residence area.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the following criteria:
-
- You are the spouse/civil partner of the principal; or
- You are the child/grandchild of the principal, or the child/grandchild of the spouse/civil partner, who is either below the age of 21, or dependant on the principal and/or the spouse/civil partner
- You are a dependant parent/grandparent of the principal, or of the spouse/civil partner
- You are the family member of a Swiss Frontier worker if you fall into one of the following categories:
-
- You are the spouse/civil partner of the principal; or
- You are the child of either the principal or child of the principal's spouse/civil partner; and
- You and your family members must have been ordinarily resident in the UK, EEA, and/or Switzerland for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the requirements as below:
- You are an Irish citizen; and
- You have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning; and/or
- You have been ordinarily resident in the Republic of Ireland for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the requirements as below:
- You are an Irish national; and
- You must have been resident in the EEA or Switzerland by 31st December 2020; or
- You must have been resident in the UK by 31st December 2020. If you are relying on being resident in the UK by 31st December 2020, your residence in the UK must have been preceded by a period of living in the EEA or Switzerland. Your move to the UK must also have taken place after 31st December 2017; and
- You have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Switzerland, Gibraltar or the UK, for at least the past three years on the first day of learning; and
- You must have remained ordinarily resident in the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA or Switzerland between 31st December 2020 and the start of the course; and
- The course must start before January 2028.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the following criteria:
-
- Spouse/civil partner/unmarried partner; or
- Child or grandchild below the age of 21; or
- Dependent child or grandchild above the age of 21; or
- Dependent parent or grandparent.
You are an eligible family member if you also fall into one of the following categories of the spouse/civil partner of the eligible person of Northern Ireland (principal):
-
- Child/grandchild below the age of 21;
- Dependent child/grandchild above the age of 21;
- Dependent parent/grandparent
An eligible family member also includes someone adopted under an adoption order that is recognised by UK law.
Please refer to this gov.uk webpage for further details concerning the evidence you will need to provide to confirm you are an eligible family member, together with the details of the relationship requirements.
- You have been living in the UK by 31st December 2020; and
- You have obtained either pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and
- The principal has been ordinarily resident in the UK by 31st December 2020, for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the requirements as below:
- You are a UK national or other person with the right of abode in the UK (this may be evidenced by possessing a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode in the UK); or
- You are the family member of a UK national; or
- You are the family member of a person with the right of abode in the UK; and
- You have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Republic of Ireland, British Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
The ESFA have confirmed that "all" family members including biological and step relatives can qualify as being a family member in this category.
Please note, that eligible family members must meet the three-year ordinary residence requirement in their own right in this category. There isn't a provision for the UK national or the person with the right of abode in the UK, to meet this requirement on behalf of the family member. If you are the family member of a UK national but cannot qualify in this category for this reason, consider your eligibility under the UK nationals in the EEA and Switzerland category instead.
You are someone who has Indefinite Leave to Enter/Remain in the UK based on being either the victim of domestic abuse, or as a bereaved partner. You must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK since you were granted this status. If you meet these requirements, you do not need to meet the three-year ordinary residence requirements.
If you were granted Indefinite Leave to Enter/Remain in any other circumstance, you will be required to meet the three-year ordinary residence requirements, as well as the requirement to have been ordinarily resident in the UK since being granted this status.
Although in previous guidance there used to be a provision for family members, this no longer appears to be the case in this category.
You will be eligible under this category, if you meet the following criteria:
You must be:
1. a person with Refugee status in the UK and, you must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since you were granted this status.
2. the spouse/civil partner of someone granted Refugee status in the UK and, on the asylum application date, was the spouse/civil partner of a person granted Refugee status, and you must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since you were granted leave to enter or remain in the UK.
3. a person who is the child of someone granted Refugee status, or the child of the spouse/civil partner of a person granted Refugee status, and on the asylum application date was under 18 and:
- on the asylum application date, you were the child of someone granted Refugee status, or the child of the spouse/civil partner of someone granted Refugee status; and
- you have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since you were granted leave to enter or remain.
If eligible in this category, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement.
You have one of the following statuses:
- Humanitarian Protection; or
- Discretionary Leave; or
- Leave Outside the Rules; and
You must have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since you were granted this status.
Provision for family members
If you are the spouse/civil partner of someone granted any of the statuses above, you must have been this person's spouse/civil partner on the asylum or leave application date. You must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since being granted leave to enter or remain in the UK.
If you are the child of someone granted any of the statuses above, or the child of the spouse/civil partner of someone granted any of the statuses above, you must have been the child on the asylum or leave application date, and under the age of 18 on the asylum or leave application date, and been ordinarily resident in the UK since you were granted leave to enter or remain in the UK.
If eligible in any of these categories, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement.
You are someone who has either lived in the UK for half of your life, or a period of twenty years or more on the first day of learning.
In order to evidence that you have been living in the UK for the required period, you may wish to submit evidence from official sources to your education provider, such as a letter from your GP, wage slips, or a P45/P60.
If eligible in this category, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet one of the following requirements:
- You were evacuated from Afghanistan under Operation Pitting; or
- You were evacuated from Afghanistan by the UK Government before 6 January 2022; or
- You have been granted leave in the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) (formerly known as Afghan Locally Engaged Staff under the Intimidation Policy); or
- You have been granted leave in the UK under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
If you have a BRP or other immigration permission endorsed with "Afghan Locally Employed Staff ex-gratia" (ALES) status, when you in fact have immigration permission under the ARAP scheme, you will need to provide alternative documentation/evidence confirming that you have leave under the ARAP scheme.
If eligible in this category, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement. Please note however, if you have leave granted under the Afghan Locally Employed Staff ex-gratia Scheme, you will be required to meet the three-year ordinary residence requirements.
You have immigration permission under one of the following Ukraine schemes:
You are the spouse, civil partner, or child of someone with immigration permission under one of the Ukraine schemes as above.
If eligible under this category, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the requirements as below:
- You are a non-UK national; and
- You have been granted permission by the UK Government to live in the UK which is not only for educational purposes; or
- You have obtained settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and
- You have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
You will be eligible if you are an asylum seeker and you:
- have lived in the UK for six months or longer while your claim is being considered by the Home Office, and you are still waiting for a decision; or
- are in the care of a local authority and receiving support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014.
Additionally, you will be eligible if your asylum application has been refused and you:
- have appealed against the refusal to grant you refugee status and you have been waiting for longer than six months for a decision; or
- have been granted support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 ("Section 4 support"); or
- are in the care of the local authority and are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989.
You will be eligible under this category, if you meet the following criteria:
You must be:
1. a "person granted stateless leave" which remains current, and you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands throughout the period since [having been] granted such leave;
or
2. a person who is the spouse / civil partner of a "person granted stateless leave" and, on the leave application date, was the spouse / civil partner of a "person granted stateless leave", and you must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands throughout the period since [having been] granted such leave;
or
3. a person who is the child of a "person granted stateless leave", or the child of the spouse / civil partner of a "person granted stateless leave", and on the leave application date was under 18, and has been ordinarily resident in the UK since [having been] granted such leave.
If eligible under this category, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must meet all of the requirements as below:
You are the child of a Turkish worker and you:
- have been ordinarily resident in the UK/EEA and/or Turkey for at least the previous three years prior to the first day of learning; and
- you were resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020
The Turkish worker also must meet the following criteria:
- they were ordinarily resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020; and
- they have what is known as ‘Turkish European Community Association Agreement’ (ECAA) rights or extended ECAA leave
You have been granted leave under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. This is also known as leave under the 'Dubs' amendment.
Whilst dependent children may be granted 'leave in line' with the principal, due to the age restrictions of this funding category, such children would not be eligible for funding.
If eligible in this category, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement.
You have been granted Calais leave.
Whilst dependent children may be granted 'leave in line' with the principal, due to the age restrictions of this funding category, such children would not be eligible for funding.
If eligible in this category, you do not need to meet any three-year ordinary residence requirement.
You are one of the following:
- A British citizen born in the British Indian Ocean Territory or;
- A British citizen born in the Islands designated as the British Indian Ocean Territories prior to 8 November 1965 or;
- The direct descendant of a person born in the British Indian Ocean Territory or;
- The direct descendant of a person born in the Islands designated as the British Indian Ocean Territories prior to 8 November 1965.
The ESFA have confirmed that a "direct descendant" in this instance is referring to a blood relative. This would include being the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of the relevant person. Step-children, step-grandchildren, and step-great-grandchildren would therefore not be included.
You will be eligible if you are a member of the British armed forces, Ministry of Defence personnel or a civil and crown servant and you:
- are resident in England; and
- the learning takes place in England.
Members of other nations' armed forces and their family members will be eligible if you:
- are stationed in England;
- the armed forces individual (principal) has been ordinarily resident in England for the previous 3 years on the first day of learning;
- you are aged 19 years' and over.
The ESFA will not fund family members that remain outside of England.
