Barely one-tenth of the population are aware that England will introduce a new system of “lifelong” student funding in a year’s time, according to new polling.

The much-delayed Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) is due to be introduced in January 2027, offering tuition fee loans equivalent to four years of study which can be spread out over a longer period and be used to fund modular study rather than just a traditional undergraduate degree.

Despite being many years in the planning, dating back to the previous Conservative government, few members of the public know about the change, the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) found.

Results of a poll commissioned by Hepi and carried out by Savanta show 12 per cent of respondents answered yes to the question: “Are you aware of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement?” while 77 per cent said no and 11 per cent said they weren’t sure.��

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Awareness was just 13 per cent among 18- to 24-year-olds, the age group most likely to be involved in higher education now, rising to 26 per cent among 25- to 34-year-olds.

Almost a quarter of parents (23 per cent) were aware of the LLE compared��with only 7 per cent who were not parents.

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“It is unclear from the data whether parents are more aware of this information because it will affect their children, or whether the ‘parents-of-children’ cohort is at a stage where they themselves are considering upskilling or retraining, or a combination of both,” says Rose Stephenson, Hepi’s director of policy and strategy, in a announcing the results.��

Lack of awareness has dogged the LLE before. A short course trial run in 2021 attracted just 125 students out of an expected 2,000.

Evaluation of the trial found a lack of clarity about who the target audience was for the short courses, a lack of public awareness about their availability and that institutions faced financial challenges in recruiting and onboarding students in such small numbers.��

Applications for LLE-funded courses will open in September yet there are also questions remaining over how they will be regulated, Stephenson highlights.

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She says that it “feels like a classic case of a high-potential, well-intentioned policy, without the thought and investment being provided for on-the-ground implementation”.

“For the LLE to meet its promise, there must be more awareness, more transparency and increased incentives…for both students and institutions.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com