Two Milton Keynes institutions are among the first in the country to offer access to student finance for shorter courses known as modules, as well as longer university degrees.
The Department for Education has announced that Milton Keynes College and the Open University, which is based in the city, are among the first 130 universities and colleges to offer access to this more flexible student finance system.
Students will be able to apply for new, smaller courses through the system from September 2026, with the changes part of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, a component in the Government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published last year.
The funding for the new courses will allow adults balancing responsibilities such as work and childcare to gain qualifications over time, rather than needing to complete a solid three-year full-time degree in one go.
The Department for Education says the modules offered will tackle skills shortages, including in economics and computing, engineering and architecture and health and social care.
The applications will open for anyone wishing to start courses or the new modules in January 2027.
Under the new system, people will be able to access funding equivalent to four years of post-18 study, currently worth up to £39,160.
Eligible students will be able to apply for maintenance support to help with living costs, with funding provided in smaller amounts and linked to the course being studied.
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said: “Financial support should be available whether you want to do a degree, take a short course, or retrain later in life.
“Our changes will make that happen, with the option to access student finance in any stage of life.
“Whether it’s fitting study around a job, retraining for a completely new career, juggling childcare, or getting qualifications later in life, the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement will open up new opportunities for thousands more people to build the careers they want and get on in life.”
The Open University’s vice-chancellor Professor Dave Phoenix added: “The Open University has long focused on reaching learners where and how they need to study.
“The Lifelong Learning Entitlement provides a real opportunity to deliver a post-18 education system for the 21st century, one that better reflects how people, live learn and work today.
“It has the potential to truly stimulate lifelong learning, by enabling institutions to build more flexible, modular pathways both into and through higher education, enabling people to train, retrain and upskill throughout their lives.
“Realising that potential will depend on ensuring the system works in practice for learners, employers, and further and higher education providers alike and require providers to challenge themselves as to what the future could look like.”
