The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is to offer fully funded study to learners on low wages, it has announced.

This will benefit in particular those learners who take low-paid jobs to make ends meet while they study. Under the current rules, only adults on benefits receive full funding to study.

The ESFA has today revealed it will change the adult education budget (AEB) funding rules for 2018-19 to include a “one-year trial to fully fund learners on a low wage who would normally be co-funded”.

The aim is to increase AEB participation and lift social mobility barriers. The current AEB fee remission rules mean that while eligible unemployed adults, young people aged 19 to 23 with skills below level 2, and adults aged 19 and over without English and maths up to level 2 can be fully funded for their studies, currently individuals who do not fall into one of these categories may have to contribute 50 per cent towards the cost of their learning. 

Accessible learning

However, as part of the trial, those eligible for that co-funding, and anyone earning less than £15,736.50 annual gross salary, based on the Social Mobility Commission’s low pay threshold, will also be eligible for full funding. This is likely to benefit courses such as English for speakers of other languages (Esol).

An ESFA statement said: “We have engaged with representative bodies, mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority, who have been supportive of the trial and its aims to make learning more accessible for the low paid.”

The move was welcomed by adult and community learning body Holex. Director of policy and external relations Sue Pember said: “Holex is pleased that ministers have listened and have reinstated free provision for the those on a low wage. Although this is a trial, we believe it will help support those who have the ability to progress in their job and start to secure a more productive workforce.”