Preet Gill MP welcomes once-in-a-generation reforms to open up learning for adults across Birmingham Edgbaston

Adults who thought university or further education had passed them by will soon have a second chance to gain new skills, retrain and build better careers thanks to landmark Government reforms welcomed by Birmingham Edgbaston MP Preet Kaur Gill.

For the first time in England’s history, people will be able to access student finance for shorter, flexible courses as well as full degrees, making it easier to study around work, caring responsibilities and family life.

From September 2026, applications will open for the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement, giving people the opportunity to build qualifications over time rather than having to commit to a traditional three-year degree.

Aston University, Birmingham City University and University College Birmingham are among the first institutions approved to offer the new flexible courses.

Preet Gill MP said:

“For too long, our education system has effectively told people that if they didn’t follow a traditional route at 18, they had missed their chance.

“But life doesn’t work like that.

“People raise families. They care for loved ones. They work long hours. Sometimes opportunities come later and people deserve the chance to learn, retrain and fulfil their potential whenever they are ready.

“These reforms are genuinely transformational because they recognise that talent is everywhere, but opportunity has not always been.”

The reforms will allow people to study in smaller modules and build qualifications over time, making higher education and advanced skills training more accessible to those balancing work and family commitments.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

“Financial support should be available whether you want to do a degree, take a short course, or retrain later in life. Our changes will make that happen, opening up new opportunities for thousands more people to build the careers they want and get on in life.”

The new system will provide eligible learners with funding equivalent to four years of post-18 study, currently worth up to £39,160, which can be used flexibly throughout their working lives.

Preet added:

“This is about opening doors that have been closed for too long.

“It is about the parent who wants to return to learning after raising children. The worker who wants to gain new skills and secure a better-paid job. The person who never had the opportunity to go to university first time around but wants to take that step now.

“Education should not be a one-off opportunity available only at a certain age. Learning should be available throughout life.

“These reforms will help people across Birmingham Edgbaston gain new skills, access better jobs, increase their earning power and contribute to the growth our country needs.

“At its heart, this is about giving people a second chance and creating opportunities for the future.”

Applications for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement will open in September 2026 for courses beginning from January 2027.