Advanced Learner Loan bulletin - September 2026

Last updated: 10 Sep 2026

Academic year (AY) 2026/27 checklist

Many of your learners will have either started or will soon be starting their loan funded courses. We've included a checklist in preparation for the release of timely loan payments: 

  • are all learning aim details, including start and end date, correct?
  • has the learner entered the correct fee amount and applied for the correct loan amount?
  • if not, have you submitted the appropriate Change of Circumstance (CoC) notification?
  • make sure you enter Unique Learner Numbers (ULN) within 6 weeks of the course start date
  • make sure you confirm the initial attendance within 6 weeks of the course start date

It's important that the information held for each learner is correct. Please check this before you submit the initial attendance confirmation. This must be entered within 6 weeks of the learning aim start date. When we approve an application more than 4 weeks after the learning aim start date, you must provide the attendance confirmation within 2 weeks of the approval date.

We cannot make a payment to you until we've validated the learner's National Insurance number (NINO) with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This can take up to 2 weeks.

AY 2025/26 housekeeping

Please make sure there are no outstanding actions to carry out on the portal for AY 2025/26 and any years prior. Essential tasks include:

  • check the Payment Instalment Report (PIR) on the Financials Home tab for each academic year, and complete any overdue administration tasks
  • review outstanding National Insurance numbers (NINO) that you still need to verify
  • confirm any outstanding attendance confirmations for learners who are actively attending and being taught
  • check your CoC worklist as you may need to submit a suspension or withdrawal
  • review any learners currently on a suspension as they have up to 12 months to resume

You can track your facility usage with the Loan Facility Details report. This is available in the Financials Home section of the Learning Provider Portal.

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs)

HTQ courses may be eligible to attract different forms of student funding at different providers. For example both Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) and ALL. This table summarises the funding options available for HTQs either before, or from, 1st January 2027. Funding is dependant on the status of the provider offering the course.

HTQ courses may be eligible to attract different forms of student funding at different providers. For example both Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) and ALL. This table summarises the funding options available for HTQs either before, or from, 1st January 2027. Funding is dependant on the status of the provider offering the course.

You can find more information on funding options available for HTQs on courses starting before 1 January 2027 in section 4.12 of the SFE Assessing Eligibility Guidance and courses starting from 1 January 2027 in section 7.3 of the LLE Courses Guidance.

ALL and LLE transfer courses

In May, the Department for Education (DfE) published the list of levels 4-6 courses currently in scope for ALL that are transferring to LLE.  You can find learning aims offered under the LLE on GOV.UK.

If you're registered with the OfS from 1 January 2027 onwards, you can only offer these transfer courses through the LLE. If you’re not registered with the OfS, you can only offer the courses on the transfer list through ALL. This will last until AY 2029/30. As of 1 January 2027, funding for levels 4 to 6 will only be available in respect of the learning aims on the LLE transfer list. This applies regardless of whether you're registered with OfS.

If you have any queries about learning aim eligibility, there's information on GOV.UK. If you cannot find the answer to your query you can email the DfE LLE team at LLE.TEAM@education.gov.uk.

Level 3 entitlement

For learners undertaking level 3 qualifications, you must check their eligibility for full funding before they make their loan application.

For learners who mistakenly make a loan application where full funding is available, if you've already confirmed attendance, you should submit a Fee Charged Change of Circumstance notification on the Learning Provider Portal. This will reduce the learner's fee liability to zero and leave their application in an approved status. Please do not withdraw the application.

Account Manager services

Please get in touch with me to discuss your requirements if you'd like to:

  • arrange an account review
  • get an update on how your organisation is performing against the service standards
  • organise a training session

Partners Support Desk

Our Partners Support Desk is here to help you with any day to day operational questions about individual learners, application processing, payments and system issues.

You can contact the support desk on 0300 100 0643 or by emailing lpservices@slc.co.uk.