The Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill will establish a new method for calculating the maximum level of tuition fees providers could charge students for higher education courses and modules.
The Bill (PDF), which is Bill 240 of the 2022-23 parliamentary session, was introduced in the House of Commons on Wednesday 1 February 2023. It will extend to England and Wales but apply to England only.
What would the Bill do?
The Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill will introduce a new ‘credit-based method’ to set tuition fee levels for higher education courses and modules. This method will use ‘credits’, which the Government defines as a “measurement of learning time”, to set tuition fee limits.
Currently, fee limits are set by reference to an ‘academic year’. As part of the new credit-based method, the Bill will introduce the concept of a ‘course year’, which would be the period of twelve months from the first day of the month in which the course begins, to replace that of an academic year.
The Bill will form part of the legislative underpinning of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). From 2025, the LLE will provide all new learners with a tuition fee loan entitlement to the equivalent of four years of post-18 education (£37,000 in current fees) to use flexibly for full-time or part-time study of modules and full qualifications.
Commons second reading
The Bill had its second reading in the Commons on 27 February 2023. It passed to committee stage without amendments or a vote.
Much of the debate focused on the broader policy of lifelong learning and the Government’s plans for the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE), rather than the specifics of the Bill.
While the Bill was broadly welcomed, and there was support on all sides of the house for making lifelong learning a success, a number of concerns were raised. Opposition parties were particularly critical of the Government for not publishing the response to its consultation on the policy and design of the LLE ahead of the Bill’s second reading.
Commons committee stage
The Bill’s committee stage comprised two sessions of oral evidence on 21 March 2023 and two sessions of line-by-line scrutiny on 23 March 2023 (PDF). The Government published its response to the lifelong loan entitlement consultation ahead of the Bill’s committee stage.
The Bill passed committee stage unamended. 12 amendments were tabled, all by the Labour party, and eight of them were put to a vote. These included amendments about continued consultation with the higher education sector, the definition of a “credit”, and the financial sustainability of the further and higher education sectors.
Commons report stage and third reading
The Bill had its report stage in the Commons on 3 May 2023. It passed without amendment.
Two new clauses and five amendments were tabled by opposition parties. Only new clause 1, which would have required the Government to publish an annual review of the legislation’s effect, was put to a vote. It was defeated by 253 votes to 89.
Labour reiterated its support for the Bill and the underlying Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) policy, It said its amendments were designed to ensure the Bill’s success by increasing parliamentary oversight, providing greater clarity to the higher education sector, and ensuring continued opportunities for stakeholders to shape the policy.
The Bill had its third reading in the Commons on 3 May 2023 and passed without a vote.
Lords second reading
The Bill had its second reading in the Lords on 19 June 2023. It passed without a vote and was committed to a Grand Committee for committee stage.
The Lords welcomed the Government’s commitment to flexible, lifelong learning, as demonstrated by the Bill and forthcoming introduction of the LLE, but they asked several questions about the policy, including the scope of the LLE, the potential demand in light of the low take-up numbers of the short courses trial, and why so many policy details had been left to secondary legislation.
Lords committee stage
The Bill had its committee stage in the House of Lords on 10 July 2023. The Bill was debated in Grand Committee, which meant all decisions had to be made unanimously. 12 amendments were tabled. Of the six that were moved for debate, all were subsequently withdrawn. No changes were made to the Bill.
Proposed amendments covered the definition of a credit, and the need for more consultation with the sector as well as post-legislative reviews to assess the Bill’s impact once its provisions were in force.
Lords report stage
The Bill had its report stage in the House of Lords on 5 September 2023.
Four amendments were tabled on report, covering the definition of a credit and post-legislative reviews of the Bill's impact. None were put to a vote and no changes were made to the Bill. Labour again reiterated its support for the Bill but said it could be strengthened.
Lords third reading
The Bill had its third reading in the Lords on 12 September 2023. No amendments were tabled and the Bill passed unchanged. It received royal assent on 18 September 2023 and became the Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Act 2023.
Further reading
- Commons Library briefing CBP-9756, The Lifelong Loan Entitlement.
- Commons Library briefing CBP-9717, Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill 2022-23, 24 February 2023.
- The Department for Education has published a number of related documents, including explanatory notes (PDF), a policy summary note (PDF), an impact assessment (PDF), and a delegated powers memorandum (PDF) on the Bill’s webpage on Parliament.UK.
- Department for Education, Lifelong loan entitlement consultation outcome, 7 March 2023.
- Commons Library briefing CBP-9348, The Post-18 Education and Funding Review: Government conclusion.