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<p>It is important that the department has a sustainable higher education (HE) funding
system that responds to the needs of the economy and that is fair to students and
to taxpayers. The government keeps the HE funding system under continuous review to
ensure that this remains the case, and to provide many different opportunities for
learners to acquire vital skills.</p><p> </p><p>The government is committed to creating
a world-leading skills system, backed with an additional investment of £3.8 billion
over the course of this Parliament to strengthen HE and further education (FE). This
includes increasing opportunities for people to develop higher technical skills through
T Levels, Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, or Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs).
From 2025, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement will transform access to FE and HE, offering
all adults the equivalent of four years’ worth of student loans to use flexibly on
quality education training over their lifetime.</p><p> </p><p>Through the Strategic
Priorities Grant (SPG), the department is investing hundreds of millions of pounds
in additional funding over the three-year period to the 2024/25 financial year to
support high-quality teaching and facilities, the majority of which goes to supporting
the provision of courses in high-cost subjects including in science and engineering,
subjects that support the NHS, and degree apprenticeships. This includes the largest
increase in government funding for the HE sector to support students and teaching
in over a decade. The recurrent SPG budget is £1,456 million for the 2024/25 financial
year. This includes an £18 million increase in support for strategically important
high-cost subjects.</p><p> </p><p>The department is also providing £40 million over
two years through the SPG to support degree apprenticeship providers to expand and
help more people access this provision. The department has seen year-on-year growth
in degree level apprenticeships (Level 6 and 7) with almost 230,000 starts since their
introduction in the 2014/15 academic year. The government has increased investment
in the apprenticeships system in England to over £2.7 billion this financial year,
to support employers of all sizes access high-quality apprenticeships at all levels.</p><p>
</p><p>The department’s Higher Technical Education reforms are growing skills at Level
4 and 5. The department has introduced new HTQs, which will increase the prestige
and uptake of level 4 and 5 qualifications. To date, 172 qualifications have been
approved as HTQs across seven occupational routes and are being taught at FE Colleges,
Institutes of Technology, Universities, and Independent Training Providers. The department
has provided up to £115 million in funding to providers to help grow provision across
the country, on top of up to £300 million to create a network of 21 Institutes of
Technology.</p>
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