Offer-specific funding approval criteria: 16 to 19 offer
Funding approval criteria that qualifications will need to meet for the 16 to 19 offer alongside the common approval and qualification-type criteria.
This section describes the funding approval criteria that will determine if alternative academic and technical qualifications will be approved for funding for the 16 to 19 offer.
16 to 19 offer
Qualifications do not need to meet any additional funding approval criteria to be included in the 16 to 19 offer for:
- level 3 alternative academic qualifications
- level 2 and level 3 technical qualifications
- level 2 technical progression qualifications and academic progression qualifications
- level 2 T Level foundation qualifications
Where the qualification meets the common funding approval criteria and qualification-type specific funding approval criteria, it will be included as part of the 16 to 19 offer.
There are certain qualifications that will automatically be included in the 16 to 19 offer if they meet the common funding approval criteria, including:
- AS and A levels
- access to higher education diplomas
- advanced extension awards
- core maths qualifications
- extended project qualifications
- International Baccalaureate diploma
- performing arts graded examination at level 3
- technical qualifications in T Levels
- GCSEs
- higher project qualifications
- performing arts graded examinations
- English and maths functional skills qualifications
Access to higher education diplomas prepare adults without traditional qualifications for study at higher education level. We only approve these qualifications for funding for young people aged 16 to 19 by exception.
We will automatically approve technical qualifications for T Levels in the 16 to 19 offer if they are approved for a T Level programme by IfATE. We will not approve technical qualifications for standalone delivery. Providers of education and training cannot deliver these technical qualifications to students outside a T Level programme.