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We will consider alternative academic qualifications at level 3 and technical qualifications at level 2 and level 3 for the relevant funded offers:

• 16 to 19 offer funded through study programmes
• adult offers funded through the future Skills Fund, which will include:
  • statutory entitlement for students aged 19 to 23 to be fully funded if they study for a first full qualification at level 2 or level 3
  • level 3 free courses for jobs qualifications at level 3 for adults aged 19 and over, to improve job prospects and progress in work as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee
  • ESFA funded local flexibility offer - qualifications at level 2 for students aged 19 and over to respond to local skills needs
• adult offer at level 3 funded through Advanced Learner Loans (referred to as loans for the rest of the manual)

We will say more about the funding approval criteria that will be used to approve qualifications for the adult offers in autumn 2023, taking into account the outcomes of the funding and accountability reforms. For adult offers you will only need to indicate that the qualification is suitable for adults in the submission form and Ofquals Register of Regulated Qualifications. We will apply the funding approval criteria for adults to filter the qualification into the relevant adult offers.

We will only approve a qualification for funding if it meets all the relevant funding approval criteria:

• common funding approval criteria all qualifications need to meet these criteria
• qualification-type funding approval criteria qualifications will need to meet the criteria relevant to the type of qualification, either technical or alternative academic
• offer-specific funding approval criteria if the qualification meets the above 2 criteria, it will be assessed against the relevant offer-specific funding approval criteria to determine which qualification offer(s) it will be approved for

We reserve the right to not approve a qualification for funding if:

• we have concerns about it meeting any of the funding approval criteria in this manual
• there is not sufficient evidence to demonstrate how the qualification meets the funding approval criteria

See more about:

• Ofqual qualification level conditions for level 2 technical qualifications and level 3 alternative academic qualifications and technical qualifications
• the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) approval of technical qualifications

We are considering alternative academic qualifications (AAQs) at level 3 for approval in 2 cycles, aligned to the occupational routes where technical qualifications can be put forward.

We have mapped these occupational routes to sector subject areas (SSAs). You will be able to submit qualifications for approval in different SSAs in different years.

The submission window for qualifications considered for funding approval will open on 3 July 2023 and close on 31 July 2023.

The window to register your intention to submit closed on 10 February 2023.

There are 2 types of AAQs that will be considered for funding approval:

• large AAQs that can be taken as an alternative to A levels large AAQs must be between 720 and 1080 guided learning hours
• small AAQs that should typically be taken alongside A levels small AAQs must be between 150 and 420 guided learning hours

We will only consider small AAQs for funding approval in 2025 to 2026. This is because large AAQs in the SSAs associated with these occupational routes would overlap with T Levels. For the 16 to 19 offer, large AAQs will only be considered for funding approval if they do not overlap with a T Level.

The range of subjects where we will approve small AAQs for funding to be studied alongside A levels will be focused on those that are strategically important (such as STEM and those supporting the NHS), and where an A level is not available.

We expect these to be in the following SSAs:

• engineering
• health and social care
• IC
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