Level 7 apprenticeships and the funding change
Level 7 apprenticeships are master’s level programmes, and for most people they are no longer funded. This page sets out what changed on 1 January 2026, who is still eligible, and what remains funded for everyone else.
Since 1 January 2026, government funding for most Level 7 apprenticeships in England has been withdrawn for learners aged 22 and over. Funding continues for those aged 16 to 21, and for anyone already on a programme before the change.
Aged 22 or over and no longer eligible? The Level 4 AI and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship is still fully funded, at any age, for people already in work. See the funded route
What a Level 7 apprenticeship is
Level 7 is the highest level in the apprenticeship framework, equivalent to a master’s degree. Programmes typically run for two years or more and combine formal study with work, and in many cases they carry a professional qualification alongside the apprenticeship itself.
The best known include the Senior Leader apprenticeship, often delivered with an MBA, accountancy and taxation routes, the solicitor apprenticeship, architecture, senior people professional programmes with CIPD, and specialist healthcare roles such as district nursing. There is also a Level 7 AI and Data Science apprenticeship, which is affected by the change in the same way as the rest.
What changed on 1 January 2026
The Department for Education withdrew public funding for the large majority of Level 7 apprenticeships, restricting it by age. The stated aim was to redirect apprenticeship spending towards younger learners and lower levels.
Still funded
- Learners aged 16 to 21 at the start of the programme
- Care leavers, funded up to age 25
- Learners with an Education, Health and Care Plan, up to age 25
- Anyone who began a Level 7 apprenticeship before the change, through to completion
No longer funded
- New starters aged 22 and over
- Employers wanting to use levy funds for Level 7 training for existing senior staff
- Mid-career professionals progressing from Level 5 or Level 6
of Level 7 apprentices were aged over 22 before the change, which is why a restriction framed as targeted has removed the funding route for almost everyone who used it.
Level 7 apprenticeships carried a funding band of around £21,000 per learner. For an employer who had planned to develop senior staff through this route, that cost has moved from the levy account onto the training budget.
If you are already on a Level 7 apprenticeship
Learners who started before the change continue to be funded through to completion under the arrangements that applied when they began. If you are partway through a programme, your funding was not withdrawn. Your provider can confirm your specific position, and it is worth asking them directly rather than relying on general guidance.
Can employers still run Level 7 programmes?
Yes, but commercially rather than through the levy. An employer can pay for a Level 7 apprenticeship directly, and there is an employer National Insurance exemption available for commercially funded apprentices under 25. In practice, moving a £21,000 programme from levy funds to the training budget changes the decision for most organisations, particularly where several people were expected to go through it.
What is still funded
Everything below Level 7 remains fundable through the Growth and Skills Levy, for learners of any age, including staff you already employ. That covers Levels 2 to 6, alongside the shorter apprenticeship units introduced in 2026.
For employers whose Level 7 plans were built around leadership development, professional progression or technology capability, the practical question is which funded programme now does a similar job.
If you were looking at Level 7 AI
The Level 7 AI and Data Science apprenticeship is a technical, master’s level programme, and for learners aged 22 and over it now needs to be paid for commercially.
The Level 4 Artificial Intelligence and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship, standard ST1512, remains fully funded at a band of up to £18,000 per learner. It is a different proposition rather than a downgrade: it is built for people already in work who are not technical specialists, requires no degree and no coding, and focuses on applying AI and automation to the work an organisation already does. For most employers trying to build AI capability across a team rather than train a data scientist, it was always the closer fit.
A funded route that is still open
The Level 4 AI and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship runs for fourteen months plus end point assessment, is delivered in England, and is fully funded for eligible learners through the Growth and Skills Levy. Your apprentice keeps their job and their salary throughout.
Contact us to learn more about training your team in AICommon questions
Are Level 7 apprenticeships still available?
Yes. The programmes still exist and providers still deliver them. What changed is who the government will pay for. Learners aged 22 and over need employer sponsorship or self-funding.
Why was Level 7 funding withdrawn?
The government’s stated reason was to rebalance apprenticeship spending towards younger learners and lower levels, where it argues the returns are higher. The decision was announced in May 2025 and took effect on 1 January 2026.
Does the change affect apprentices who had already started?
No. Learners who began before the change continue to be funded through to completion under the previous arrangements.
Is the Senior Leader apprenticeship still funded?
Only for learners aged 16 to 21 at the start of the programme, and for the narrow exceptions covering care leavers and those with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Since the programme was overwhelmingly used by mid-career managers, most people who would previously have taken it are no longer eligible.
What is the highest apprenticeship level still funded for adults?
Level 6, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, remains funded for learners of any age. So do all levels below it, and the new shorter apprenticeship units.
Does this apply outside England?
No. Apprenticeship funding is devolved, and this change applies to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own arrangements.
The funding restriction was announced by the Department for Education in May 2025 and took effect on 1 January 2026. Age eligibility, the care leaver and Education, Health and Care Plan exceptions, and the treatment of existing learners are set by the Department for Education and are subject to change. Confirm your position with your training provider or on gov.uk before making decisions.