2023/24 HE Student Finance for Higher Technical Qualifications

In academic year 2022/23, DfE introduced the HTQ (higher technical qualification) as a new qualification.

From academic year 2023/24, we will extend designation for higher education undergraduate support to include qualifying Level 4 and 5 FE courses and qualification types (for example Level 4 and 5 Certificates and Diplomas). Providers must apply for and receive HTQ approval from the Institute for Apprentices and Technical Education (IFATE) and satisfy the necessary designation criteria.​

​Before, these courses and qualification types would have qualified for ALL support, they will now qualify for higher education undergraduate support.​

​Example

Provider A offers an existing Level 4 Diploma in Digital Programming which traditionally qualifies for ALL support. Provider A receives HTQ approval from IFATE for this course for academic year 2023/24 and the course is considered to satisfy the necessary designation criteria to attract higher education undergraduate support. As a result, this course will attract higher education undergraduate support rather than ALL support for new students who start in academic year 2023/24 or later.

However, if a further education course receives HTQ approval but fails to satisfy the necessary designation requirements to attract higher education undergraduate support (for example, the provider is not OfS registered or the course is less than one academic year in duration), it will still be classified as an HTQ but will remain on the support package available before HTQ approval (in most instances, ALL).

Example

Provider B offers an existing Level 4 Diploma in Computer Programming which qualifies for ALL support. Provider B receives HTQ approval from IFATE for this course for academic year 2023/24. However, despite being approved as an HTQ, the course fails to meet the standard designation requirements to qualify for higher education undergraduate support. as the reason is provider B is not an OfS registered provider. Despite receiving HTQ approval, the course will not qualify for higher education undergraduate support and will instead continue to attract ALL support. The course is still recognised as an approved HTQ course, which also leads to the award of a Level 4 Diploma.

FE qualifications that traditionally qualify for ALL support that subsequently receive HTQ approval and satisfy the necessary designation criteria to qualify for HE UG support will cease to be designated for ALL support for any new learners starting the course from the point they are considered as designated HTQs.​

However, any continuing learners who started their FE course before HTQ approval will remain on the original ALL support package available at the time their course started.

Example

Sarah is studying towards a Healthcare Science Associate Level 4 Diploma in academic year 2022/23 and receives ALL support. Sarah’s learning provider receives HTQ approval from IFATE for their Healthcare Science Associate Level 4 Diploma course for academic year 2023/24. As a result, new learners starting year one of this course from academic year 2023/24 will qualify for higher education undergraduate support.

However, as Sarah is a continuing learner and her course started before academic year 2023/24, before the point at which the course became a designated HTQ, Sarah will not be eligible for the higher education undergraduate support and will instead continue to qualify for ALL.​

In comparison, Kevin is studying the Healthcare Science Associate Level 4 Diploma at the same learning provider as Sarah and begins year one in academic year 2023/24. The course is recognised as a designated HTQ course from academic year 2023/24 onwards, so Kevin qualifies for higher education undergraduate support rather than ALL.

Direct entrants will need to join a cohort that started in an academic year after the course was approved as a designated HTQ to qualify for HE UG support.​

If a direct entrant joins a cohort that started in an academic year before HTQ approval they will qualify for the support package available at the time the course started.​

​Example

Course Y is an FE course attracting ALL support that receives HTQ approval for academic year 2023/24. Course Y meets the designation criteria and will qualify for higher education undergraduate support due to its status as an designated HTQ from academic year 2023/24. Learner X enters Course Y as a direct entrant to year 2 of the course in academic year 2023/24. 

Learner X has joined a cohort of learners who started their course in academic year 2022/23 , before HTQ approval.  Learner X joined a cohort who started the course before HTQ approval, so they are not eligible for higher education undergraduate support and would instead qualify for ALL, where eligible.​

HTQs will not be designated for higher education undergraduate support by the devolved administrations, unless the underlying qualification is already designated for higher education undergraduate support such as, HNDs or HNCs that receive HTQ approval.​

In academic year 2023/24, learners studying a designated HTQ, that would not previously have been designated for higher education undergraduate support for example, Level 4 Diploma, will only qualify for higher education undergraduate support if they are ordinarily resident in England.​

If an HTQ course is designated for higher education undergraduate support for England domiciled students, it cannot also be designated for ALL support by the same learning provider.

ALL support will not be available as an alternative support option for devolved administration domiciled learners studying designated HTQs that before HTQ approval would have attracted ALL.​

​Example

A learner domiciled in England, studying in England on a designated HTQ, that would not previously have been designated for HE UG support, will qualify for higher education undergraduate support under the SSR from academic year 2023/24. Learners domiciled within the respective devolved administration, studying in England on a designated HTQ, that would not previously have been designated for higher education undergraduate support, will not qualify for higher education undergraduate support. The HTQ course will remain non-designated under the respective devolved administration’s student support regulations. 

ALL will not be available as an alternative support option for these learners.