Preparing for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE)

Institutional Considerations for Flexible and Modular Provision

Policy Matters: Issue 2

This resource is the second in a new series to support QAA members in meeting the regulatory requirements in England. In this issue we focus on preparation for the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) which will support eligible courses and modules from January 2027.

Introduction

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement represents a significant shift in higher education towards flexible, modular provision. It enables learners to enter, exit, and re-enter study over time, supporting lifelong participation and diverse learner journeys.

To enable lifelong learning, provision needs to support flexibility, recognise prior learning where applicable, and enable progression, while maintaining academic standards and positive student outcomes. While modules must be part of a ‘parent programme/qualification’ to be eligible for student loan funding, it is important for providers to consider how processes, systems and delivery can be adapted to support students studying in a modular or more flexible pattern.

Co-authored with Dr Brendan Coulson, Head of Technical Education, Nottingham Trent University and Helen Collinson, Director of Academic Quality and Enhancement, University of Lancashire, this resource outlines key considerations for providers across the student lifecycle.

Recruitment and Access

To accommodate more varied pathways and learner backgrounds, recruitment and admissions processes should enable flexible access and informed decision-making. Options include, but are not limited to:

Clear, accessible entry requirements at all levels, including course credit value, so students can easily see how much of their LLE entitlement is required.
Clear and accessible information on credit transfer and RPL on webpages detailing entry requirements or UCAS pages;
Clearly communicated, defined pathways.
Develop targeted approaches for learners applying outside the UCAS cycle, including a direct entry application route.
Ensure students receive the advice and guidance they need to choose pathways aligned with their intentions and make informed choices.

For students applying outside the UCAS cycle, application-to-enrolment timelines are expected to be shorter, requiring more proactive and fast-paced guidance. This includes fast-track application reviews, pre-application advice sessions, rapid RPL decisions, early conditional offers, and clearly defined decision deadlines aligned to intake dates to support timely, informed choices. The extent to which flexible admissions are embedded will depend on provider context, evidence of demand and resource capabilities. Increasing transparency of existing information (e.g. pathway options, RPL arrangements) to flexible learners is an important, low-resource first step.

Admissions Processes

To embed flexibility and better support learners accessing higher education in a flexible way, admissions processes can:

Proactively inform applicants about flexible entry routes, including credit transfer and RPL and their limitations, at enquiry and application stage
Prompt, capture and verify all prior learning, including credit transfer eligibility
Identify and assess learning suitable for recognition of prior learning
Allocate students to an appropriate entry pathway based on their prior learning
Ensure fair, consistent decisions with clear feedback, appeals and ongoing guidance post-offer.

RPL enables prior learning to be formally recognised and counted towards a programme, reducing duplication of study. Through credit transfer, a provider recognises the credit a student has accrued at another institution, exempting them from modules or even whole years of learning that they have already undertaken elsewhere.

Forms of RPL

Credit Transfer (CT): Recognised credit previously awarded by a UK higher education provider.
Recognition of Prior Certificated Learning (RPCL): Previously assessed and certificated learning.
Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL): Learning gained through experience (e.g. work).

Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) context

Credit transfer is the primary mechanism for recognising prior study funded through Student Finance England.
RPCL and RPEL should still be considered to ensure applicants are placed on the most appropriate pathway and do not repeat learning unnecessarily or incur avoidable debt.

Regulatory requirement and Provider expectations

Providers must publish clear student transfer arrangements (Office for Students, Condition F2).
Clear evidence requirements (e.g. transcripts, certificates, module specifications).
Defined recency limits (typically 5 years, with justified flexibility). RPCL and RPEL may support decisions on currency where credit is longer than the typical 5 years.
Decisions based on alignment of learning outcomes and student capability, not strict module matching, supported by external frameworks.
PSRB requirements around use of RPL may also apply when considering applications for RPL.

Credit limits (FHEQ context)

The maximum amount of credit that may be recognised through credit transfer or Recognition of Prior Learning, and the minimum credit required to be completed with the awarding institution, are determined by institutional regulations and qualification requirements in alignment with the QAA Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications

Parent award

A “parent course” in LLE funding terms is a full Level 6 qualification or a full Higher Technical Qualification HTQ. If the intention is to fund module bundles from a full Level 6 programme, providers should refer to the LLE webpage “Subject groups eligible for modular funding” to confirm which subjects are eligible for modular funding.

Alignment with the FHEQ

Undergraduate provision should align with the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ):

Level 4: Certificate of Higher Education (120 credits)
Level 5: Diploma of Higher Education / Foundation Degree (120 credits)
Level 6: Bachelor’s Degree / Honours Degree (120 credits)

Figure 1: Integrated HTQs/Break Point

Figure One demonstrates how these levels can be structured into a coherent, stackable pathway with defined awards at each stage, using a Computer Science pathway as an example. These defined awards could also be aligned to support providers in seeking approval for Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), providing additional credibility and strengthening alignment with employer and industry need. The example also illustrates how occupational standards linked directly to high-skilled job roles can be integrated into a degree programme. A useful resource for identifying relevant occupational standards is the occupational maps provided by Skills England.

Modular Design and Breakpoints

To enable coherent, structured modular learning and appropriate breakpoints, programmes can:

Be designed as the whole of stackable modules, with modules ideally valued at 30 credits, or at a value to credit bundle to a minimum of 30 credits.
Enable entry at multiple qualification levels.
Provide awards at each qualification level as clear breakpoints.
Support credit accumulation and transfer, through designated pathways.

Building on Figure One, Figure Two illustrates how each level, developed using the knowledge, skills, and behaviours defined within occupational standards, functions as a positive breakpoint. This enables learners to achieve a recognised award at each stage before either progressing further within the pathway or exiting with a valuable qualification with line of sight for a high-skilled occupation.

Image explaining computer science degree pathway

Figure Two: Stackable Yearly Awards

Programmes which are inherently stackable, enabling learners to accumulate credit progressively make flexible learning much more coherent, accessible and deliverable (as outlined in Figure two). To enable this, courses should be designed using a modular structure. To best align with LLE funding requirements, modules benefit from being set at 30 credits; however, alternative combinations may be used, provided they meet the minimum 30-credit threshold. At each level, individual modules (for example, a Level 4 Web Development module) may be undertaken and funded on a standalone basis, where they meet the required credit value under LLE funding rules. Students studying a modular route could be infilled into an existing programme if the correct support and integration is in place.

Figure Two demonstrates how stackability is achieved through:

Clearly defined yearly structures
Alignment to occupational standards
Recognised awards at each stage, developed using relevant occupational standards to inform the design of each level of the course; for example

Level 4: Software Developer pathway (breakpoint award)

Level 5: Data Engineer pathway (breakpoint award/progression milestone)

Level 6: Degree completion with specialisation e.g. Data Science

This approach supports both vertical progression and flexible exit and re-entry.

Monitoring and evaluation should operate across all levels of provision, including:

Module level e.g. module completion rates, student pulse surveys
Breakpoint (award) level e.g. completion rates, student satisfaction measures
Parent course level e.g. B3 metrics, National Student Survey measures, awarding gap performance

Limitations

This publication is intended to provide guidance and key resources to support LLE readiness, bringing together key information in one place with examples developed by academics working within higher education. Providers should refer to official guidance from the Department for Education, the Office for Students, and the Student Loans Company, and seek their own clarification where necessary.

Lifelong learning entitlement: what it is and how it will work

Quick Links

Webpage: QAA Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications
Webpage: Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) an introduction
Webpage: DfE Lifelong Learning Entitlement
Webpage: Skills England - Occupational Maps
Guidance: LLE modules: standardised transcripts
Guidance: HEP Services LLE Resources
Guidance: LLE Provider Preparation Guide
Guidance: additional attendance confirmations and changes of circumstance reporting through SIS
Guidance: CMS and SIS technical specifications
Guidance from Student Loans company: SLC’s LLE FAQs

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