Adult Skills Fund Eligibility Checks Explained for Providers
The Adult Skills Fund supports thousands of adult learners every year. For training providers, it also represents a significant source of public funding. However, that funding is only available when learners fully meet the Department for Education eligibility rules.
With the 2025 to 2026 Adult Skills Fund rules now in force, eligibility checks have become a critical compliance requirement to meet for the training providers. These requirements directly affect whether you get paid and whether funding is later clawed back.
In this article, we explain what learner eligibility checks are, why they are so important, and what providers need to think about before enrolling learners on ASF funded programmes.
What Are Learner Eligibility Checks
Learner eligibility checks are the checks you carry out before a learner starts their course to confirm that they qualify for ASF funding. These checks confirm whether a learner meets the DfE rules around:
- funding entitlement
- age
- residency and immigration status
- prior attainment
- programme suitability
If any of these areas are missed or incorrectly assessed, the learner may be ineligible, even if they complete the course successfully.
Why Eligibility Checks Protect Your Funding
The DfE places full responsibility on the provider, not the learner. If a learner is found to be ineligible during an audit, the DfE can: refuse to pay for the learning, recover funding already paid and flag the provider for further scrutiny.
Importantly, evidence collected after learning has started or finished is usually not accepted. Eligibility must be confirmed and evidenced before the learner’s start date. That is why it’s important for any training provider that they do thorough eligibility checks as it will protect your organisation, your cash flow, and your reputation.
Who qualifies for full Adult Skills Fund funding
There are four main legal entitlements that allow learners to receive full funding. If a learner meets one of these, they must not be charged course fees. In all cases, the qualification must be approved by the DfE.
These entitlements include:
- English and maths up to and including level 2 for adults aged 19 and over who have not achieved a GCSE grade 4 or above, or who are assessed below level 2
- A first full level 2 qualification for learners aged 19 to 23
- A first full level 3 qualification for learners aged 19 to 23, delivered through Free Courses for Jobs funding
- Essential Digital Skills and Digital Functional Skills up to level 1 for adults aged 19 and over
Residency Rules and Why They Matter More Than Before
Residency is one of the most common areas where providers make mistakes.
To be eligible for ASF funding, a learner must meet at least one residency condition, such as being resident in England. While devolved authority arrangements still exist, a key change from previous Adult Education Budget rules is that learners must remain in England for the duration of their learning.
Providers no longer have discretion to continue funding if a learner temporarily leaves the country, even for emergencies. This makes it essential to explain residency expectations clearly to learners at enrolment.
Immigration status is also critical. Learners on Tier 4 visas, visitors, or those without lawful status are not eligible for ASF funding.
Age Rules and Funding Streams Explained Simply
A learner’s age on 31 August in the funding year determines how they are funded.
In general:
Learners aged 19 and over are funded through the Adult Skills Fund
Learners aged 16 to 19, or 19 to 24 with an education health and care plan, fall under 16 to 19 funding rules
For continuing learners who started a programme earlier, their original funding stream usually applies, but this must be checked carefully.
Eligibility at the Start Versus Eligibility Later
Eligibility at the start of a programme does not automatically apply forever, and this is an area that is often misunderstood. When a learner is confirmed as eligible at the point they begin their programme, that eligibility applies for the full duration of that programme, as long as they complete it within the permitted time limits.
However, eligibility does not automatically carry over to future learning. If a learner finishes one course or learning aim and then moves on to another, their eligibility must be checked again from the beginning. Providers should never assume a learner remains eligible simply because they were funded previously.
Breaks in learning are permitted, but they must be managed carefully. Funding is paused while the learner is on a break, and both the break and the return must be recorded accurately in the ILR.
When the learner resumes their programme, they must still meet the same eligibility criteria they met at the start. If these rules are not followed correctly, it can result in funding errors and potential recovery of funds.
Learning That ASF Will Not Fund
Understanding what is excluded is just as important as knowing what is funded. Not all adult learning is covered by the Adult Skills Fund. The DfE will not fund:
- qualifications or learning aims not on the approved list
- duplicate learning already funded elsewhere
- apprenticeships or apprenticeship related training
- resits where no additional learning takes place
- learners in custody, except in limited release circumstances
- endpoint assessments outside approved standards
- previously achieved qualifications, with limited GCSE exceptions
The Real Reason Eligibility Checks Matter
In the end, eligibility checks are about accountability. Adult Skills Fund money is public funding, and with that comes clear rules and expectations. The Department for Education expects providers to apply those rules consistently and fairly for every learner, without exception.
By completing thorough eligibility checks before learning begins, providers protect themselves as well as their learners. Strong checks help avoid funding being clawed back, reduce the risk of audit issues, ensure learners are enrolled on the right programmes, and maintain trust with both funders and learners.
Eligibility checks should not be seen as an administrative burden. They are a fundamental part of delivering compliant, high quality, and financially sustainable adult education provision.
How Sunesis Platform Can Help Training Providers
Sunesis is a leading apprenticeship management software designed to support training providers with funding compliance and learner management across their provision.
Our training management software helps providers handle ILR submissions, funding management, and automated compliance, all fully aligned with ESFA and Department for Education standards, giving you confidence that your data, funding claims, and compliance processes meet current requirements.
Unsure about ASF learner eligibility checks? Speak to a Sunesis expert today.