Adult Skills Fund 2026/27: what changed for learners
The Adult Skills Fund pays for most free courses for adults in England. Its rules are updated for each academic year. These are the main changes for learners in 2026/27, which runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027.
The earnings limit went up to £26,800
You can usually get a course at Level 2 or below free if you earn less than a set amount a year before tax. In June 2026, that limit went up from £25,750 to £26,800.
The rules cover learners who are unemployed, employed or self-employed and earn below the limit.
Read who can get a free course for the full rules.
More Free Courses for Jobs
Free Courses for Jobs mainly pays for Level 3 courses. From August 2026, it also includes Level 2 courses in engineering and manufacturing. The government approved 72 qualifications to be added to the list from August 2026.
Help with CSCS cards
Many construction sites ask workers to have a CSCS card. From August 2026, if you’re eligible for Adult Skills Fund funding and doing a Level 2 or 3 construction course, your provider may be able to claim the CSCS card application fee and the health and safety test for you. This isn’t guaranteed, so ask your provider.
Seven more areas run their own funding
Some parts of England run their own adult skills funding and set their own rules. From 1 August 2026, seven more areas joined them:
- Buckinghamshire
- Devon and Torbay
- Greater Lincolnshire
- Hull and East Yorkshire
- Lancashire
- Surrey
- Warwickshire
If you live in one of these areas, your combined authority or local council now decides who gets a free course. Some national online providers may no longer be able to fund you. Read about devolved areas.
English and maths for apprentices
If you’re an apprentice aged 19 or over and your employer won’t agree to you studying English or maths as part of your apprenticeship, you can now use your legal entitlement to study it, up to Level 2. Read about legal entitlements.
Visas
If you’re in the UK on a time-limited visa, providers now need documented evidence that you’re likely to renew it before they can fund a course that ends after your visa does.
Who’s in charge
Since 16 September 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been responsible for adult skills policy in England. The Department for Education still runs the Adult Skills Fund day to day. For learners, nothing changes in how you apply: you still apply to a college or training provider.
What hasn’t changed
- You still need to be 19 or over on 31 August at the start of the academic year.
- English and maths up to Level 2, digital skills up to Level 1, and a first full Level 2 or Level 3 for 19 to 23-year-olds are legal entitlements, which are funded in full for eligible adults. The Level 3 one doesn’t depend on what you earn. Read about legal entitlements.
- The provider still checks your eligibility and makes the final decision.