Maximum loan amounts for advanced learner loans designated qualifications 2021 to 2022
Published 17 March 2021
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2021
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1. Introduction
This guide will be of interest to colleges, other training organisations and employers delivering provision funded by learners through advanced learner loans.
The Secretary of State for the Department for Education, acting through the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), designates the qualifications eligible for funding with Advanced Learner Loans (Loans). A designated qualification is one that has been through the ESFA’s nomination process and meets the criteria detailed in the 2020 to 2021 qualifications funding approval manual.
This document describes the methodology for establishing maximum loan amounts for approved qualifications and confirms what the maximum loan amounts are for all designated qualifications, where learners start these qualifications in the funding year; between 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022 (inclusive). These maximum loan amounts will not change throughout the funding year and will apply for the full duration of a designated qualification, including if it extends into the 2022 to 2023 funding year or beyond.
2. Understanding the terminology
The term ‘we’ refers to the ESFA. When we refer to ‘you’ or ‘providers’, this includes colleges, higher education (HE) institutions, training organisations, local authorities and employers that receive funding from us to deliver education and training.
3. Establishing the maximum loan amount
There is a single set of maximum loan amounts for all designated qualifications, no matter how you deliver these qualifications.
We use a ‘matrix’ (table) to set maximum loan amounts. The matrix contains 2 criteria to decide the appropriate amount for each qualification:
- the type of qualification or the size of the qualification in guided learning hours (GLH)
- the programme weighting for the qualification
Note the following exceptions, where we set the maximum loan amounts as a matter of policy:
- GCE AS levels
- GCE A levels
- Access to HE diplomas
- 5 specialist dance and drama diplomas
4. Size and type of the qualification
We use Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications (RRQ) to define the size of the qualifications by their GLH, or if this is not available the minimum GLH.
We have maintained the same maximum loan amounts for qualifications that we designated for loans in 2020 to 2021.
The minimum loan amount is £300.
5. Programme weightings
Programme weightings recognise the relative costs of providing training in different sectors and subjects and are included within maximum loan amounts.
To set programme weightings, we refer to the sector subject area (SSA) detailed in table 4. We have also set a limited number of exceptions. The awarding organisation decides the SSA for all qualifications as part of the regulation process. For further information, please refer to Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications and the Quality Assurance Agency website.
6. The matrix
The ‘matrix’ in tables 1 and 2 show the maximum loan amounts for designated qualifications in 2021 to 2022. The ‘Qualification size’ column in table 1 is for some qualifications that we set a maximum loan amount for in 2015 to 2016 and are still available in 2021 to 2022. It is for information only; we do not use it for setting maximum loan amounts for new qualifications since 2016 to 2017.
Table 1: Maximum loan amounts based on GLH
| GLH/TQT size | Qualification size (in credits only)* | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: A - Base | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: B - Low | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: C - Medium | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: D - High | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: E - Specialist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 to 68 | 6 to 8 | £300 | £336 | £390 | £480 | £516 |
| 69 to 92 | 9 to 11 | £450 | £504 | £585 | £720 | £774 |
| 93 to 100 | 12 | £600 | £672 | £780 | £960 | £1,032 |
| 101 to 196 | 13 to 24 | £724 | £811 | £941 | £1,159 | £1,246 |
| 197 to 292 | 25 to 36 | £1,265 | £1,417 | £1,645 | £2,025 | £2,176 |
| 293 to 388 | 37 to 48 | £1,987 | £2,225 | £2,583 | £3,179 | £3,417 |
| 389 to 580 | 49 to 72 | £2,573 | £2,882 | £3,345 | £4,117 | £4,425 |
| 581 to 1060 | 73 to 132 | £4,170 | £4,670 | £5,421 | £6,671 | £7,172 |
| 1061 or more | 133 or more | £6,602 | £7,395 | £8,583 | £10,564 | £11,356 |
*Some qualifications have their maximum loan amount based upon their credit value
Table 2: Maximum loan amounts based on the type of qualifications
| Type of qualification | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: A - Base | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: B - Low | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: C - Medium | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: D - High | Maximum loan amount according to programme weighting: E - Specialist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCE AS level | £724 | £811 | £941 | £1,159 | - |
| GCE A level | £1,987 | £2,225 | £2,583 | £3,179 | - |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | £3,022 | £3,384 | £3,928 | £4,835 | £5,197 |
The first 3 bands in table 1, for qualifications under 150 GLH, are only for qualifications designated at level 4 or above. The other GLH bandings are the same as in the funding years 2015 to 2016 to this current year.
The columns represent programme weighting category, associated with the SSAs and described in table 4.
Five dance and drama diplomas (2 at level 5 and 3 at level 6) have bespoke maximum loan amounts, which are set out in table 3.
Table 3: Maximum loan amounts for specialist dance and drama diplomas
| Learning aim reference | Qualification | Maximum loan amount |
|---|---|---|
| 60009457 | Diploma in Professional Acting | £7,395 |
| 60009470 | Diploma in Professional Dance | £14,790 |
| 60009482 | Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre | £22,185 |
| 60009731 | Diploma in Professional Dance | £22,185 |
| 60009743 | Diploma in Professional Acting | £22,185 |
Table 4: Sector subject areas by programme weighting categories
| Sector subject area code and description | Programme weighting |
|---|---|
| 1 Health, public services and care | B – Low |
| 1.1 Medicine and dentistry | B – Low |
| 1.2 Nursing and subjects and vocations allied to medicine | B – Low |
| 1.3 Health and social care | B – Low |
| 1.4 Public services | A – Base |
| 1.5 Child development and well being | B – Low |
| 2 Science and mathematics | A – Base |
| 2.1 Science | B – Low |
| 2.2 Mathematics and statistics | A – Base |
| 3 Agriculture, horticulture and animal care | B – Low |
| 3.1 Agriculture | E – Specialist |
| 3.2 Horticulture and forestry | E – Specialist |
| 3.3 Animal care and veterinary science | E – Specialist |
| 3.4 Environmental conservation | B – Low |
| 4 Engineering and manufacturing technologies | C – Medium |
| 4.1 Engineering | C – Medium |
| 4.2 Manufacturing technologies | C – Medium |
| 4.3 Transportation operations and maintenance | C – Medium |
| 5 Construction, planning and the built environment | C – Medium |
| 5.1 Architecture | C – Medium |
| 5.2 Building and construction | C – Medium |
| 5.3 Urban, rural and regional planning | C – Medium |
| 6 Information and communication technology | A – Base |
| 6.1 ICT practitioners | C – Medium |
| 6.2 ICT for users | B – Low |
| 7 Retail and commercial enterprise | A – Base |
| 7.1 Retailing and wholesaling | A – Base |
| 7.2 Warehousing and distribution | A – Base |
| 7.3 Service enterprises | B – Low |
| 7.4 Hospitality and catering | C – Medium |
| 8 Leisure, travel and tourism | A – Base |
| 8.1 Sport, leisure and recreation | B – Low |
| 8.2 Travel and tourism | A – Base |
| 9 Arts, media and publishing | A – Base |
| 9.1 Performing arts | B – Low |
| 9.2 Crafts, creative arts and design | C – Medium |
| 9.3 Media and communication | B – Low |
| 9.4 Publishing and information services | A – Base |
| Sector subject area | Programme weighting |
|---|---|
| 10 History, philosophy and theology | A – Base |
| 10.1 History | A – Base |
| 10.2 Archaeology and archaeological sciences | B – Low |
| 10.3 Philosophy | A – Base |
| 10.4 Theology and religious studies | A – Base |
| 11 Social sciences | A – Base |
| 11.1 Geography | B – Low |
| 11.2 Sociology and social policy | A – Base |
| 11.3 Politics | A – Base |
| 11.4 Economics | A – Base |
| 11.5 Anthropology | A – Base |
| 12 Languages, literature and culture | A – Base |
| 12.1 Languages, literature and culture of the British Isles | A – Base |
| 12.2 Other languages, literature and culture | A – Base |
| 12.3 Linguistics | A – Base |
| 13 Education and training | B – Low |
| 13.1 Teaching and lecturing | B – Low |
| 13.2 Direct learning support | B – Low |
| 14 Preparation for life and work | A – Base |
| 14.1 Foundations for learning and life | A – Base |
| 14.2 Preparation for work | A – Base |
| 15 Business, administration and law | A – Base |
| 15.1 Accounting and finance | A – Base |
| 15.2 Administration | A – Base |
| 15.3 Business management | A – Base |
| 15.4 Marketing and sales | A – Base |
| 15.5 Law and legal services | A – Base |
The following is a list of exceptions to the sector subject areas and programme weightings shown above:
- Waste management and recycling in SSA 1.4 weighted at B – Low.
- Hair and beauty in SSA 7.3 weighted at C – Medium.
- Music technology in SSA 9.1 weighted at D – High.
- Music practitioners in SSA 9.1 weighted at E – Specialist.
7. Glossary of terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Designated Qualification | A qualification that our nomination process has designated as in-scope for loans. |
| Guided Learning Hours (GLH) | The activity of a learner in being taught or instructed by – or otherwise participating in education or training under the Immediate Guidance or Supervision of – a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training. For these purposes, the activity of ‘participating in education or training’ shall be treated as including the activity of being assessed if the assessment takes place under the immediate guidance or supervision of a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training. This is detailed in Ofqual’s Handbook (October 2017). |
| Ofqual | The Office of Qualifications and Examination Regulation. |
| Learning Aim Reference | The unique number allocated for all learning aims by us set out in the first column in table 3, corresponding to the qualification in the second column. |
| Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) | The independent body entrusted with monitoring, and advising on, standards and quality in UK higher education. The QAA is responsible for the recognition scheme, which is the regulatory framework through which Access to HE courses are regulated and recognised. |
| Programme Weighting | The letter from A to E and descriptor set out in the second column of table 4, which corresponds to the sector subject area in the first column of that table, subject to the exceptions set out after the table. |
| Regulated qualifications | Qualifications that an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation offer are part of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). |
| Specialist Dance and Drama Diploma | The qualifications set out in the second column of table 3. |
| Total Qualification Time (TQT) | An estimate of the number of hours a learner will reasonably be likely to spend in preparation, study or any other form of participation in education or training, including assessment, which takes place as directed by a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training. |