ELCAS approved CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ course

The full price is £229. On higher tier ELC pays £183.20 and you pay £45.80. On lower tier ELC pays £183.20 and you pay £45.80. Each of those uses one of your three claims.

Yes. It is delivered by Course2Career, a trading name of Course Correct Ltd, ELCAS approved provider 14012, and the course is levelled by CompTIA at RQF Level 3.

No exam. CompTIA has retired the Cloud Essentials+ certification exam, so this course does not include one. It ends with an assessment and a CompTIA digital certificate.

No. The fee is £229, below £1,250, so ELC pays the full 80 per cent (£183.20) on either tier and you pay £45.80.

No prior experience needed. It is a beginner level course.

Self paced. CompTIA describes it as a 6 hour learning experience. Leave time for your claim as well: MOD guidance says submit it at least 25 clear working days before your start date.

It gives a grounding for business, procurement and project roles that work alongside cloud services, and a first step before CompTIA Cloud+. It is not a route into a technical job on its own.

No. CompTIA has retired the Cloud Essentials+ exam, so the course ends with an assessment and a CompTIA digital certificate showing you completed it. That is not a certification. If you want a cloud certification, CompTIA Cloud+ is the next step.

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.

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.

No, not any more, and a lot of provider websites are still out of date on this.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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.