New measures have been enshrined in law that will transform the student finance system, allowing colleges and universities to charge different fees for different courses for the first time and opening up opportunities for adults to study in a way that works for them.
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) (formerly the Lifelong Loan Entitlement) will give all adults from 2025 access to loans, worth up to £37,000 in today’s fees, that they can use flexibly over their working lives to upskill or retrain.
The LLE will mean people will be able to take out a student loan to pay for full-time courses such as university degrees or Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), as well as for some individual modules of courses.
See: Transformative student finance bill becomes law - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Without it, even profitable businesses can run into trouble. Yet many business owners, and even some finance teams, treat cash flow as a monthly or quarterly review item. That’s a mistake.
For many small and medium-sized business owners, bookkeeping, payroll and VAT returns are seen as a necessary part of their routine. These tasks are essential, but in terms of shaping your business, they can only tell you what has already happened.