Update on Level 3 qualification funding in England and topping up BTEC learners
In December, the DfE published the outcome of their review of Level 3 qualifications. This confirms which qualifications will be funded for 16–19 learners in England for the academic years 2025/26 and 2026/27. The defunding of certain qualifications from 1 August 2025 will impact centres who use a top-up model with their learners.
Read the outcomes of the review of qualifications reform at Level 3 in England
The qualifications listed in the table below will be defunded from 1 August 2025. This will impact centres who register their learners on a one-year programme then top them up to a larger qualification for their second year. For details of funding arrangements for all level 3 BTECs, please refer to our BTEC level 3 funding guide.
| Sector | Qualification title | QAN |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Science | ||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Applied Science (360 GLH) | 601/7436/5 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Applied Science (510 GLH) | 601/7438/9 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Applied Human Biology (360 GLH) | 603/3040/5 | |
| Construction | ||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Construction and the Built Environment (360 GLH) | 603/0862/X | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (540 GLH) | 603/0863/1 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (720 GLH) | 603/0864/3 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Building Services Engineering (1080 GLH) | 603/1219/1 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Civil Engineering (1080 GLH) | 603/1216/6 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (1080 GLH) | 603/0861/8 | |
| Engineering | ||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Engineering (360 GLH) | 601/7584/9 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (720 GLH) | 601/7579/5 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (720 GLH) | 601/7583/7 | |
| Health and Social Care | ||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care (360 GLH) | 601/7197/2 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Health and Social Care (510 GLH) | 601/7199/6 | |
| Information Technology | ||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Computing (360 GLH) | 601/7341/5 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Information Technology (360 GLH) | 601/7575/8 | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Information Technology (510 GLH) | 601/7576/X | |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Computing (510 GLH) | 601/7343/9 | |
| Sport | ||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Sport, Fitness and Personal Training (720 GLH) | 603/4928/1 |
If you have registered learners on smaller qualifications with the intention to top them up to one of these qualifications once they had certificated, you will instead need to transfer your learners to the intended second-year programme before 1 August 2025 to maintain funding for these learners.
Find out more about transferring learner registrations
We’ll be in touch with all centres that will be affected by this to make sure this activity is completed and that funding remains in place for these learners to complete their programmes. Although defunding will take place on 1 August 2025, we’ll be working with centres to ensure any required transfers have taken place before our second term-time check point on 2 May. This will ensure we have an accurate view of all your learners who should expect to receive an overall qualification result in August.
Apprentices
If your learners are apprentices and are using these qualifications as part of on-programme learning or as a mandated qualification for an apprenticeship, they are not impacted by the defunding of the qualification and the qualifications will remain available for registrations.
BTEC Nationals from 2025
Many of the defunded qualifications above have been replaced with our new Alternative Academic Qualifications. These qualifications do not “nest” with the current RQF BTEC Nationals and therefore learners cannot be topped up or transferred between the two suites of qualifications.