Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to assist in expanding Life Long Learning, particularly among those post school leavers who are from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

The department is committed to support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements to attend university, regardless of their background or where they live.

We are introducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year from the 2028/29 academic year, providing vital extra support for students from low-income households and are future proofing maintenance loans by committing to increase them in line with forecast inflation every year.

We are transforming the student finance system by introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement for courses that start from January 2027. The LLE will broaden access to high-quality, flexible education and training by providing funding for individual modules as well as full courses at levels 4 to 6. All LLE-funded courses and modules with in-person attendance will be eligible for maintenance loan support.