Adult courses in York and North Yorkshire are funded through York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which controls a £13.4 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 2,368 funded courses listed at centres in York and North Yorkshire.
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Who qualifies for a free course in York and North Yorkshire?
You are likely to qualify for a fully funded course if you earn under £26,800 a year. That figure is confirmed in York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s published 2026/27 funding rules. 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 York and North Yorkshire?
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 York and North Yorkshire?
The 2,368 funded courses listed at York and North Yorkshire centres are led by functional skills / esol (1,107), adult social care (300), business admin / management (277), early years / childcare (221), teaching assistant (115). 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 York and North Yorkshire?
28 training providers run funded courses at York and North Yorkshire venues. The largest by listed courses:
- North Yorkshire Council (1,873 funded courses)
- City of York Council (117 funded courses)
- York College (108 funded courses)
- TEC Partnership (46 funded courses)
- Triage Centrum (36 funded courses)
See all 28 funded training providers in York and North Yorkshire.
What does York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority say its priorities are?
Six strategic priorities (Strategic Skills Plan 25-28, Jun 2025): widen access; basic/transferable skills; progression pathways; flexible provision; capacity; collaboration.
The area’s employer led skills plan (the LSIP, led by West & North Yorkshire Chamber) names: digital, agri-skills, engineering/adv mfg (incl rail), construction, health & social care, visitor economy.
How much funding does York and North Yorkshire control?
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority receives £13.4 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.