{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-lifelong-learning-fee-limits-regulations-2026/regulation-10",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-lifelong-learning-fee-limits-regulations-2026/regulation-10.json",
  "legislation": "ukdsi/2026/9780348283327",
  "legislation_title": "The Lifelong Learning (Fee Limits) Regulations 2026",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-lifelong-learning-fee-limits-regulations-2026",
  "path": "regulation/10",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "10",
  "heading": "Foundation years",
  "text": "(1) A “foundation year” is a period of study of 120 credits (or 1,200 notional learning hours), whether in a single course year or otherwise—\n(a) that is integrated with an undergraduate course at the start of that course, and may be enrolled for at the same time as enrolling for that undergraduate course,\n(b) that is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge that are needed for progressing to an undergraduate course,\n(c) that a student must complete successfully in order to progress to the first year of an undergraduate course,\n(d) that may result in the student being awarded a qualification that is separate from the qualification awarded as a result of completing the undergraduate course to which the student progresses, and\n(e) that may, where contractual arrangements are in place, be undertaken at an institution (which may or may not be a registered higher education provider) that is different from the provider to which the student applied and with which the student has enrolled for the undergraduate course.\n(2) Schedule 2 lists certain subjects together with their respective Common Aggregated Hierarchy 3 code (“CAH3 code”), as referred to in version 1.3.4 of the Higher Education Classification of Subjects coding system.\n(3) In a foundation year—\n(a) “lower fee foundation year study” is study for a foundation year where more than 50% of the CAH3 codes associated with the foundation year (for student loan purposes) are listed in Schedule 2;\n(b) “higher fee foundation year study” is study for a foundation year where 50% or less of the CAH3 codes associated with the foundation year (for student loan purposes) are listed in Schedule 2.\n(4) Where—\n(a) a foundation year is spread over less than one course year (due to being studied in a condensed format) or more than one course year (due to being studied part-time), and\n(b) this leads to the student progressing to the first year of the undergraduate course with which the foundation year is integrated part-way through a course year,\nthe course year that contains an overlap between the foundation year and the first year of the undergraduate course is to be treated as a course year including credit-differentiated activities.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Version 1.3.4 of the Higher Education Classification of Subjects coding system was published digitally on 28th October 2021. A full list of Common Aggregated Hierarchy 3 codes, and the subjects they are associated with, is available at https://.hesa.ac.uk/collection/coding-manual-tools/hecoscahdata/cah. A printed copy can be obtained on request from the Department for Education, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2026/9780348283327/regulation/10",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-30T14:37:24.903340+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}