Overview

• Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the policy at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
• Grants will be targeted at Levels 4–6 priority courses under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, covering technical qualifications and undergraduate degrees.
• Further details on eligibility, grant amounts, and the levy’s design will be set out at the Autumn Budget/Autumn Statement.
• The move reverses the 2016 abolition of maintenance grants and responds to a roughly 20% real-terms fall in maintenance loan value in recent years.
• Universities and unions raised concerns about a reported 6% levy, with research suggesting it could cost English providers more than £600m annually.