# The Lifelong Learning (Student Support) (Amendment of Fees and Awards etc.) Regulations 2026, Regulation 12: Designation - exceptions

Extent: E+W

(1) A course is not a designated course if any of the following apply—
(a) in the case of a postgraduate pre-registration course—
(i) it is a distance learning course, or
(ii) it is less than two course years long;
(b) in the case of a course falling within paragraph 6 or 7 of Schedule 4—
(i) the governing body of a maintained school or of an Academy has arranged for the provision of the course to a pupil of the school or Academy respectively, or
(ii) the course is less than one year long;
(c) the course is taken as part of an employment-based teacher training scheme;
(d) in the case of a first degree course (other than a graduate entry accelerated programme or a graduate entry veterinary course)—
(i) it leads to the award of a professional qualification, and
(ii) a first degree (or equivalent qualification) would normally be required for entry to a course leading to the award of that professional qualification;
(e) it is a UK dual degree programme;
(f) its designation has been revoked or suspended under regulation 10(8) or 11(6).
(2) In paragraph (1)(b)(i)—
(a) “Academy” means a school to which Academy arrangements under section 1 of the Academies Act 2010 relate;
(b) “maintained school” means a community, foundation or voluntary school, a community or foundation special school or a maintained nursery school.
(3) In paragraph (1)(e), “UK dual degree programme” means a single course of study offered by an institution in the United Kingdom leading to the award by that institution of two first degrees, other than a full-time course leading to a qualification as a—
(a) medical doctor,
(b) dentist,
(c) veterinary surgeon,
(d) architect,
(e) landscape architect,
(f) landscape designer,
(g) landscape manager,
(h) town planner, or
(i) town and country planner.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/858/regulation/12 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/lifelong-learning-student-support-amendment-of-fees-and-awards-etc-regulations-2026/regulation-12
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.