At the Silver Academy, we await the launch of the Department of Education’s Lifetime Learning Loan with great optimism. The Lifetime Learning Entitlement (LLE) or Lifetime Learning Loan as it has come to be known could revolutionise the way learning works in the UK.
However it’s still not clear what the new Labour Government’s plans are for the Lifetime Learning Loan.
The Lifelong Learning Loan is potentially a game changer. Particularly for older adults who want to return to education but may not be able to clear their diaries in a way that younger students can.
The way the loan will be structured offers flexibility, and allows students to easily take short courses, part time courses, upskill, reskill and so on.
But frustratingly, in an announcement by the Department of Education shortly before the election this year, the Lifelong Learning Loan’s implementation was postponed from 2025 to 2026.
In a letter sent to providers in April 2024, the Conservative skills minister, Luke Hall, said the Student Loans Company (SLC) needed more time to develop its systems. FE week outlined the issue in in April this year.
“Having worked closely with the SLC on the delivery of its new LLE application and payments system, the government understands the great challenge of changing finance systems whilst at all costs ensuring a seamless transition for learners and providers,”
Meanwhile another major concern regarding the Lifetime Learning Loan remains unresolved.
Eligibility for the proposed Lifetime Learning Entitlement currently ends at the age of 60. Obviously this needs to be extended.
The clue is in the name. ‘Lifelong Learning Loan.’ Pensionable age is now 66. UK average life expectancy currently around 82. Both are predicted to rise.
We’re concerned that the Department of Education might be accused of ‘unconscious ageism’ should the cut off for the loan be fixed at 60. And that would never do.
The Lifetime Learning Loan is intended to offer loans for any career stage, (currently under 60) promoting continuous education and adaptability.
The loan will fund full degrees, shorter courses, and individual modules, ensuring broad access for learners.
Tuition fees will be based on credits rather than academic years, offering fair and flexible pricing (GOV.UK) (House of Commons Library).
The Lifetime Learning Loan will provide students with up to £37,000 in loan funding, equivalent to four years of undergraduate study.
This amount can be used for tuition and maintenance for courses at levels 4 to 6, covering full degrees, higher technical qualifications (HTQs), and modular courses.
But, importantly, funding will also be available for some smaller courses starting in January 2026, with full modular funding expected by the 2027/28 academic year.
Maintenance loans will support living costs, with additional grants for those with disabilities, children, or dependents.
Funding starts with HTQs and some Level 4 and 5 qualifications, expanding later to other levels. the proposed detials can be found at Student Finance England).
On 29 September 2020, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the Lifetime Skills Guarantee at Exeter College, Oxford, promising opportunities for continuous training and retraining.
This initiative was detailed in the January 2021 white paper, Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth.
The government concluded a review of post-18 education and funding on 24 February 2022 and as a consequence launched a consultation on the Lifelong Loan Entitlement.
In March 2023, the government published its response, outlining the LLE’s practical implementation and next steps
The future of the LLE under a Labour government remains uncertain.
While Labour supports lifelong learning, specific commitments regarding the Lifetime Learning Loan continuation are unclear.
Labour’s manifesto emphasizes integrating further and higher education through Skills England, suggesting potential modifications to align the Lifetime Learning Loan with broader educational and economic goals (FE Week) (Times Higher Education (THE)).
The Centre for Ageing Better has voiced similar concerns regarding the Lifelong Learning Loan’s limitations and the delays to date.
They emphasize the necessity of lifelong learning for older adults, pointing out that opportunities for training and skills development often decline sharply after 45.
This trend hampers individual growth and, in turn, economic productivity.
The Centre for Ageing Better points out that older workers are frequently denied training opportunities available to their younger counterparts and argues that the proposed Lifetime Learning Loan age cap of 60 exacerbates this issue (Ageing Better).
In an article written in in April 2024, Tim Blackman, vice chancellor of the open university proposes the Lifetime Learning Loan can unlock the UK’s skills blockage.
“Despite its rather humdrum title, the LLE should be recognised as the engine room that can drive England’s skills revolution across our universities and colleges, building an inclusive, innovative and high-technology economy.
It is long overdue. We could start by renaming the LLE to give it the status it should have as the country’s knowledge engine. More importantly, it needs the galvanising effect of a high-profile target.”
As we have long argued, upskilling, reskilling and rebooting the UK’s 50+ workforce will play a large part in reinvigorating the UK’s enconomy and creating a fairer, wiser, healthier society for all.
No more delays for the Lifetime Learning Loan. And let’s see the age(ist) upper limit raised. 2026 is long enough to wait for the revolution to come.
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