Adult courses in Lancashire are funded through Lancashire Combined County Authority, which controls a £27.3 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 628 funded courses listed at centres in Lancashire.
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Who qualifies for a free course in Lancashire?
You are likely to qualify for a fully funded course if you earn under £26,800 a year. That figure is confirmed in Lancashire Combined County Authority’s published 2026/27 funding rules. People who are unemployed or on certain benefits usually qualify too.
For Level 3 courses the cut off here is higher: £29,431.
The provider confirms eligibility when you enrol. The quickest way to check is the eligibility checker, which uses your postcode.
What is different in Lancashire?
The core offer follows the national pattern: a free first full Level 3 for adults without one, free English, maths and digital skills, and full funding under the earnings cut off above.
What can you study free in Lancashire?
The 628 funded courses listed at Lancashire centres are led by functional skills / esol (138), adult social care (93), early years / childcare (59), construction (49), digital / data / tech (39). 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 Lancashire?
40 training providers run funded courses at Lancashire venues. The largest by listed courses:
- PHX Training (78 funded courses)
- Blackburn College (53 funded courses)
- Burnley College (53 funded courses)
- Blackburn with Darwen Learning (49 funded courses)
- East Lancashire Learning Group (45 funded courses)
See all 40 funded training providers in Lancashire.
What does Lancashire Combined County Authority say its priorities are?
Its stated priority areas (ASF Strategy & Commissioning Plan (verified from downloaded copy 2026-08-04)):
- Digital.
- Manufacturing & Engineering.
- Health and Social Care.
- Construction.
- Hospitality, Leisure & Tourism.
- Transport & Distribution.
- Farming & Agriculture.
- International trade.
The area’s employer led skills plan (the LSIP) is led by N&W Lancashire Chamber + East Lancashire Chamber.
How much funding does Lancashire control?
Lancashire Combined County Authority receives £27.3 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.