Key Facts

• Amendment 5 proposes that the Secretary of State consult relevant providers, higher education sector stakeholders, and other relevant stakeholders when determining 'credit-differentiated activity'.
• The Bill gives sweeping powers to the Secretary of State in deciding fee methods without consultation.
• The Russell Group supports amendments for stakeholder consultations.
• The provision of adult education has significantly declined over the last 30 years.
• There is a concern that the proposal may individualize responsibility for training and skills development.
• 'Credit-differentiated activity' refers to non-traditional learning activities, such as placements with employers.
• Providers may define future courses with placement elements or engagement with employers.
• The Bill allows the Secretary of State to set down in regulations the description of credit-differentiated activity and attach credits to it.
• The amendment aims to bring all relevant stakeholders together to limit unintended consequences.
• There is concern about clarity on funding further education and skills.
• Ellen Thinnesen from Sunderland College stressed the importance of defining what a credit means for students.
• Amendment 4 proposes ensuring there is a sector-recognised, standard definition of credit.
• Amendment 9 aims to include "as specified in a standardised transcript" after "course" in clause 1.
• The amendments seek to enhance consistency and clarity within the Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill.
• Amendment 4 seeks to align 'credit' definitions with sector standards.
• One credit equates to 10 notional hours of learning.
• A minimum proposed course is 30 credits, equivalent to 300 hours of notional learning.
• Amendment 9 aims to ensure providers give standardised transcripts upon completion.
• The standardised transcript provides a clear record of a learner’s study in a recognised format.
• Amendment 4 would align credit definitions with sector-recognised standards, which are already defined on the Bill's face and do not require further definition in regulations.
• Regulations will set each credit equal to 10 learning hours, mirroring existing sector practice.
• The Government has set a minimum number of credits available at 30.
• Professor Edward Peck felt this balance between not overwhelming the Student Loans Company and meeting learning needs.
• ResPublica submitted written evidence expressing concern about the 30-credit minimum, advocating for a 10 credit threshold.
• Canadian Government offers modular lifelong learning on a micro-credential level with 10-credit unit courses.
• Amendments 2 and 6 aim to limit the default credit value to 10 and 20 credits respectively.
• The default credit values are intended for full courses, not individual modules.
• Modules must have a minimum of 30 credits for funding purposes under the LLE.
• Smaller modules can be bundled together to meet the 30-credit requirement.
• A 30-hour credit represents a significant amount of teaching and learning.
• Amendment 11 aims to ensure the Secretary of State considers impacts before setting credit limits.
• Accelerated degrees often equate to 180 credits and could become financially unsustainable if capped at 120 credits.
• The number of people taking up accelerated degrees is in the tens of thousands.
• Currently just over 3,000 people aged 60 take up student loans.
• Regulations on maximum credits will follow the affirmative resolution procedure.
• A certificate of higher education is capped at 120 credits; a diploma of higher education is capped at 240 credits.
• Accelerated courses under LLE will have a limit of 180 credits per year.