Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that reforms to student finance, including the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and maintenance support, support skills development for the creative industries.

The government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university.

The department has committed to increasing maintenance loans every year and made care leavers automatically eligible for maximum levels of maintenance loans. These changes support students studying any subject, including those relevant to the creative industries.

The government is taking a carefully phased approach to modular provision under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). The subjects in scope for modular funding from January 2027 align to priority sectors, informed by the work of Skills England.

Creative arts are not a degree subject area eligible for modular funding at the launch of the LLE. However, the Creative and Design Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) technical route is eligible. If an institution previously offered or planned to offer provision from an approved HTQ in this route, they may apply for modular funding under that designation.