Enhanced Learning Credits
ELCAS approved IT and cyber security courses
Use your Enhanced Learning Credits on training that leads somewhere specific. Work out exactly what a claim covers on each course below, in pounds, before you speak to anyone.
Course2Career is an approved ELCAS provider, number 14012. Enhanced Learning Credits pay 80 per cent of an eligible course fee up to your tier cap: £1,000 per claim on lower tier, £2,000 per claim on higher tier. You pay a minimum of 20 per cent yourself, and you get three claims in total, one per financial year.
Two things most pages get wrong. Lower tier now needs six years of eligible service, not four, unless you had already completed four years before 1 April 2017. And you no longer need to register for the scheme before you leave, because the 2016 Order made enrolment automatic once you have completed Phase 1 training. If another provider's website tells you otherwise, it has not been updated.
Which tier are you on
Your tier depends on eligible service accumulated since 1 April 2000, and it decides the maximum any single claim can pay.
£1,000
Lower tier, per claim
Six or more years of eligible service, or four years completed before 1 April 2017.
- Pays 80% of the fee, capped at £1,000
- Three claims maximum, one per financial year
- Covers 80% outright on any course up to £1,250
£2,000
Higher tier, per claim
Eight or more years of eligible service since 1 April 2000.
- Pays 80% of the fee, capped at £2,000
- Three claims maximum, one per financial year
- Covers 80% outright on any course up to £2,500
Wounded, injured or sick personnel medically discharged before reaching the service threshold may still be eligible. Speak to your Education Staff or Single Service Representative, or ask us and we will point you to the right person.
Work out what you would actually pay
Enter your service and a course price. This gives you the arithmetic, not a decision: your Education Staff or Single Service Representative confirm your actual entitlement.
ELCAS entitlement calculator
80% of the fee, capped at your tier limit
Only service accumulated from 1 April 2000 counts towards ELC.
Pick one of ours, or enter your own figure to check any provider.
Your tier
Not currently eligible
This uses one of your three claims. You cannot use ELC to cover your own contribution.
This calculator applies the published scheme rules and does not check your record. Your entitlement, remaining claims and claim window are confirmed by your Education Staff if you are serving, or your Single Service Representative if you have left.
What each course costs after ELC
Worked out on our published prices at both tiers. Click through for eligibility detail, the certifications included and where each one leads.
| Course | Full price | You pay, higher tier | You pay, lower tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Security Career Programme | £1,857 | £371.40 | £857 |
| CompTIA A+ | £529 | £105.80 | £105.80 |
| CompTIA Network+ | £449 | £89.80 | £89.80 |
| CompTIA Security+ | £469 | £93.80 | £93.80 |
| CompTIA CySA+ | £469 | £93.80 | £93.80 |
| CompTIA PenTest+ | £549 | £109.80 | £109.80 |
On lower tier, any course priced above £1,250 means the £1,000 cap bites before the 80 per cent does, so you cover the balance. On higher tier the cap only bites above £2,500. Every individual CompTIA course here sits well below both thresholds, so a claim covers the full 80 per cent whichever tier you are on. Only the Cyber Security Career Programme is affected, and only on lower tier.
Cyber Security Career Programme
Trainee Cyber Security Analyst, Security Technician, SOC Analyst
ELCAS costs and eligibilityCompTIA A+
IT Support Technician, Helpdesk Analyst, Junior Technician
ELCAS costs and eligibilityCompTIA Network+
Network Technician, Infrastructure Support, Network Engineer
ELCAS costs and eligibilityCompTIA Security+
Junior Cyber Security Analyst, SOC Analyst, Security Technician
ELCAS costs and eligibilityCompTIA CySA+
SOC Analyst, Threat Detection Analyst, Blue Team Analyst
ELCAS costs and eligibilityCompTIA PenTest+
Penetration Tester, Security Consultant, Vulnerability Analyst
ELCAS costs and eligibilityHow to claim, step by step
Get the order right. The most common and most expensive mistake is paying for a course first.
- Check your eligibilityEligible service since 1 April 2000, which tier that puts you on, how many of your three claims remain, and whether you are still inside your claim window after discharge.
- Choose an approved courseIt must lead to a nationally recognised qualification at Level 3 or above and be delivered by a provider on the ELCAS list. We are provider 14012.
- Get a written quoteFull fee, the ELC contribution up to your cap, and your personal contribution. In writing, before anything else happens.
- Submit your claimThrough the ELCAS members area, or on a claim form signed by your Education Staff if serving or your Single Service Representative if you have left. MOD guidance says at least 25 clear working days before the course start date.
- Send us your Claim Authorisation NoteOnce approved you receive a CAN. Send it to us and we invoice the MOD for the funded portion.
- Pay your contribution and startYour course access is issued once your 20 per cent is settled.
The mistake that costs people their claim
Retrospective claims are not permitted. If you pay for a course and then apply, the claim will be refused and there is no appeal that fixes it. Do not pay a provider anything until your claim is approved and you are holding the Claim Authorisation Note. Any provider willing to take your money before that point is not doing you a favour.
Using ELC well, rather than just using it
You get three claims. Most people spend them without a plan and that is where the value leaks.
Spend the cheapest claim first
A claim is a claim regardless of course price. CompTIA Network+ at £449 uses one and costs you £89.80. The Cyber Security Career Programme at £1,857 uses the same single claim and costs you £371.40 on higher tier, or £857 on lower tier. Sequencing matters more than most people realise.
Mind the financial year boundary
One claim per financial year, running 1 April to 31 March. A course starting on 2 April rather than 30 March can be the difference between using this year's claim and next year's. Plan around the date deliberately.
Pick the destination, then the course
ELC used badly gets spent on training that never leads to a role. Work backwards from the job advert you want to be able to answer, then choose the certification that advert asks for.
Check the other funds too
ELC is not the only money available. Standard Learning Credits, the Publicly Funded FE and HE scheme, your resettlement grant and CTP support all sit alongside it. How they fit together.
Common questions
How much ELCAS funding can I get?
ELC pays 80 per cent of the course fee, up to your tier cap. Lower tier is capped at £1,000 per claim and higher tier at £2,000 per claim. You must pay a minimum of 20 per cent of the fee yourself, and you cannot use ELC to cover that 20 per cent.
How many years of service do I need?
Lower tier requires at least six years of eligible service. Higher tier requires at least eight years. The six year rule came in under the 2016 Order: if you had already completed four years of eligible service before 1 April 2017, you qualify for lower tier on the old four year threshold. Only service accumulated since 1 April 2000 counts.
Do I need to register for ELC before I leave?
No, not any more, and a lot of provider websites are still out of date on this. The Armed Forces (Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme and Further and Higher Education Commitment Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2016 removed the registration requirement. Members of the armed forces are automatically enrolled in the ELC Scheme once they have completed Phase 1 training.
How many claims do I get?
Three in total, and only one per financial year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March. Plan the order you use them in, because you cannot get a claim back once it is spent.
Can I still claim after I have left the forces?
Yes, within five years of your discharge date. If you left before 1 April 2016 you have ten years. Check your own date against this rather than assuming, because the window changed.
Can I claim for a course I have already paid for?
No. Retrospective claims are not permitted under any circumstances. The claim has to be approved before the course starts, so speak to us before you pay for anything.
How far in advance do I need to claim?
Submit the claim well before your course start date. MOD guidance for Service personnel states claims should be submitted at least 25 clear working days beforehand. Build in more time than you think you need, because an incomplete form goes back to you and the clock keeps running.
Which courses qualify for ELC funding?
ELC funding is only available for higher level learning, meaning courses leading to a nationally recognised qualification at Level 3 or above on the National Qualifications Framework in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Level 6 or above on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, or an approved international equivalent. The course must also be delivered by an approved provider listed on the ELCAS website.
Can I use my resettlement grant for the 20 per cent?
Many service leavers do use other resettlement funding towards their personal contribution. What you cannot do is use ELC itself to cover the 20 per cent, because the scheme requires a genuine personal contribution. Check the specific rules of any other fund with your Education Staff or Service Leaver representative before relying on it.
Is Course2Career an approved ELCAS provider?
Yes. Course2Career is a trading name of Course Correct Ltd and is an approved ELCAS provider, number 14012. You can verify this on the provider list at enhancedlearningcredits.com rather than taking our word for it.
What does ELCAS not cover?
ELC cannot be used for Service training or civilian accredited Service training, professional body and institute fees, course materials on their own, pure sport and adventurous training, battlefield tours, or the City and Guilds Professional Recognition Awards scheme. It also cannot cover your own 20 per cent contribution.
Not sure which tier you are on, or how many claims you have left?
Tell us your service dates and what you want to end up doing. We will tell you which tier you qualify for, what a claim would actually cover on each course, and whether ELC is even the right fund for your situation. No obligation, and if a different provider or route suits you better we will say so.
Course2Career is a trading name of Course Correct Ltd, ELCAS approved provider 14012. Full accreditations, registrations and terms are on our credentials and evidence page. Official scheme guidance is published at enhancedlearningcredits.com, and where anything on this page differs from theirs, theirs is correct.