Adult courses in Devon and Torbay are funded through Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority, which controls a £8.1 million adult skills budget for 2026/27. You can usually get a fully funded course if you are 19 or older and earn under £26,800. There are currently 364 funded courses listed at centres in Devon and Torbay.
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Who qualifies for a free course in Devon and Torbay?
The national rules apply here. You are likely to qualify for a fully funded course if you earn under £26,800 a year, the national 2026/27 threshold. People who are unemployed or on certain benefits usually qualify too.
The provider confirms eligibility when you enrol. The quickest way to check is the eligibility checker, which uses your postcode.
What is different in Devon and Torbay?
Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority took on adult skills funding in 2026 and is applying the national rules in its first year. The national offer (free Level 3 for adults without one, free English, maths and digital skills, and the £26,800 earnings test) applies in full.
What can you study free in Devon and Torbay?
The 364 funded courses listed at Devon and Torbay centres are led by functional skills / esol (94), adult social care (43), early years / childcare (34), hospitality / catering (22), digital / data / tech (21). Around 3,400 more funded online courses are available wherever you live.
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Browse free courses or search the full course directory to see what is running near you.
Who delivers funded training in Devon and Torbay?
22 training providers run funded courses at Devon and Torbay venues. The largest by listed courses:
- Exeter and North Devon Colleges Group (223 funded courses)
- Devon County Council (71 funded courses)
- Exmouth Community College (9 funded courses)
- Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road (7 funded courses)
- South Devon UTC (7 funded courses)
See all 22 funded training providers in Devon and Torbay.
What does Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority say its priorities are?
Skills & Future Workforce Plan 2025-30 sectors: health & social care, construction, digital, clean energy, adv mfg, marine & defence, tourism, logistics, agri-tech. 50,000 training opportunities by 2030 target; pilots Torbay/Ilfracombe/Newton Abbot. PLYMOUTH commissions separately (inside Greater Devon LSIP, outside DTCCA ASF).
The area’s employer led skills plan (the LSIP, led by Devon Chamber of Commerce) names: tier1: defence & marine, health & social care, construction, clean energy, tier2: digital tech, adv mfg, creative, life sciences, financial/professional services.
How much funding does Devon and Torbay control?
Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority receives £8.1 million in adult skills funding for 2026/27, as a Section 31 grant. See how that compares to every other area in our adult education funding guide.
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Sources: the authority’s own published funding rules and committee papers, gov.uk grant determination letters and Integrated Settlement tables, and the JobYay course directory. The eligibility estimate is JobYay analysis of ONS ASHE 2025 earnings data. Full figures and sources: adult education funding in England.
Page last updated: 4 August 2026. Course counts refresh with the directory; funding facts refresh when rules are published.