ELCAS and Standard Learning Credits: Eligibility, Amounts and How to Claim

ELCAS is the administration service for the MOD's Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) scheme. ELC pays up to £1,000 or £2,000 a year, for up to three years, toward approved courses at Level 3 or above, depending on how long you served. Membership is not automatic, so you must have joined the scheme, and most leavers have five years after discharge to use it. Standard Learning Credits (SLC) are a separate, smaller allowance of up to £175 a year for people still in service.

The rules sit in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 822, Volume 9. This guide summarises them, with figures taken from the JSP 822 Volume 9 elective education policy, the ELCAS website and the MOD's Discover My Benefits pages.

Enhanced Learning Credits at a glance

Every claim follows the same core rules:

• Registration is not automatic. Serving personnel join ELC through their Education Centre. Qualifying service is counted under the scheme rules in JSP 822, and a break in service needs an Interrupted Service Supplementary Form.
• One claim per financial year. The financial year runs 1 April to 31 March, and you can make a maximum of three claims.
• The scheme pays up to 80 per cent of the fee. You pay at least 20 per cent from your own funds before the course starts.
• Level 3 or above only. The course must lead to a qualification at Level 3 or higher on the national framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Level 6 or higher on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, or an approved international equivalent.
• Approved providers only. The provider and course must be on the ELCAS approved list.
• No retrospective claims. You cannot claim for a course you have already paid for.

ELC cannot fund Service training, civilian accreditation of Service training, professional body membership, course materials, pure sport and adventurous training, or battlefield tours.

How long you have after leaving

The ten-year extensions came in on 30 March 2021, as set out on the ELCAS 2021 policy change page. In your final year of eligibility, study must start before the scheme expiry date.

Free first Level 3 or first degree: the FE/HE scheme

ELC members can also use the Publicly Funded Further and Higher Education scheme, sometimes called the Joint Funding Initiative. It pays full tuition fees, with state subsidy, for a first full Level 3 qualification (such as two A levels or a vocational equivalent) or a first foundation degree or undergraduate degree. The ELCAS FE/HE guidance for service leavers sets these conditions:

• You have already joined the ELC scheme.
• You completed six years of eligible service, or four years of qualifying service before 1 April 2017. JSP 822 also allows some medically discharged leavers who completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 training.
• It is your first qualification at that level.
• You meet UK residency rules. JSP 822 requires three years of UK residence before the course starts.
• You study at least 25 per cent of a full-time load with a provider approved for PF FE/HE.
• You finish the course before your entitlement period ends.

For leavers with six or more years, a funded first degree can be worth more than all three ELC awards combined. Our guide to postgraduate funding for veterans covers the next step after a first degree.

Standard Learning Credits

SLC is a separate annual allowance for personal and professional development while you serve and during your resettlement phase.

• It pays 80 per cent of fees, up to £175 per financial year. The Open University gives a worked example: a £200 course costs you £40.
• It is an annual allowance. Unused SLC does not carry forward.
• You need permission before the course starts. You claim on MOD Form 1950, signed by your Education staff and line manager.
• Refunds come at the end of courses up to 12 months long, and at the end of each study year for longer courses, normally to a maximum of three refunds per course.
• You cannot use SLC and ELC on the same elements of a course at the same time.

SLC suits short courses, exam fees and first modules. The MOD page also notes it can fund specialist tuition and software for a diagnosed specific learning difference. See the Army SLC page for the full exclusions.

How to claim ELC

While serving or in resettlement

1. Speak to the Education staff at your local Education or Learning Centre. They confirm eligibility and approve the claim.
2. Choose an approved provider and course using the ELCAS search.
3. Submit the claim online through the ELCAS member area, at least 15 clear working days before the course starts. The Army benefits page quotes 25 working days, so submitting a month ahead covers both.
4. Pay your 20 per cent contribution to the provider before the start date. In resettlement, Individual Resettlement Training Costs can cover part or all of it, and you can attend on Graduated Resettlement Time.
5. ELCAS pays the provider directly once it receives a correct invoice on or after the start date.

After you have left

1. Get a login from your Single Service Representative (SSR). ELCAS cannot set up accounts itself.
2. Submit your claim electronically to your SSR at least 15 working days before the course starts, with proof of your last day of service (discharge document or P45) and a utility bill showing your home address.
3. For a second or third claim, complete the evaluation of your previous claim in the member area first.

The SSR contacts for out-of-service claimants, from the ELCAS leaver guidance, are:

ELCAS itself answers general questions on 0330 0564202 (11:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday) and at elcas@qiaservices.com. Do not post documents: ELCAS destroys postal correspondence without action.

Finding an approved provider

The ELCAS provider search filters by provider name, subject or keyword, UK or international, delivery method (distance, full-time, online, part-time) and whether the provider is approved for PF FE/HE. Approved providers range from universities and colleges to commercial trainers. For example, QA lists ELC-funded courses in cyber security, project management (PRINCE2, APM), ITIL service management and networking.

Before you commit, check four things: the provider ID on the ELCAS search, the qualification level, the total fee including exam costs, and the cancellation terms. Some providers charge up to the full fee for late cancellation.

Making the money go further

• Combine IRTC and ELC on one resettlement course. IRTC can cover your 20 per cent, so a qualifying course can cost you nothing.
• Use the aggregated £3,000 lower-tier claim for a single expensive qualification, if you have six to eight years of service.
• Use the PF FE/HE scheme for a first degree, and keep ELC awards for professional certificates. US veterans considering a UK degree should also read our guide to studying in the UK.
• Match the qualification to job adverts in your target sector. Funding is limited to three claims, so spend each one on a credential employers ask for.