Department For Education
This section sets out how we will monitor and manage alternative academic qualification (AAQ) and technical qualifications once they are approved for funding.
Once an AAQ or technical qualification has been approved for funding, certain changes may mean that we will need to review the funding approval status of a qualification and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) may need to review the funding rate or maximum loan amount.
We may review a funding approval status of a qualification if:
- you update an existing qualification
- there is a change to your regulatory status
- new T Levels or T Level occupational specialisms are introduced
- there is new evidence which means the qualification no longer meets the funding approval criteria
- there is a change in policy
Where this occurs, we will review these changes with Ofqual and IfATE where appropriate.
More detail on how we will manage changes will be published in spring 2023.
Once an AAQ or technical qualification has been approved for funding, we will monitor the balance and mix of provision including:
- the qualification offers as they transition to AAQ and technical qualifications, to ensure there are no gaps in provision
- the publicly funded demand on AAQ and technical qualifications to assess whether the qualification should remain in the funded offer
- progression for students after achieving an AAQ or technical qualification to check whether this leads to good outcomes for students and to assess whether the qualification should remain in the funded offer
We will use evidence of demand and progression over multiple funding years to decide whether a qualification should remain in the funded offer.
In certain circumstances we may ask you to submit data that shows the number of students achieving their progression outcomes.
More detail on how we will work with IfATE and Ofqual to monitor the balance and mix of provision will be published in spring 2023.