Protection of enrolled learners

Protection of Enrolled Learners (PEL) aims to safeguard a learner’s academic journey. It refers to arrangements made for specific programmes to ensure that a learner can complete the programme that they have begun if their programme is no longer offered by their provider for any reason.

A programme in which a learner has enrolled may no longer be offered if a provider stops trading or a provider is unable to continue to offer the programme. A provider may not be able to continue to offer a programme if, for example, the provider does not have appropriately qualified staff, or appropriate physical resources such as equipment, to provide the programme. 

New statutory arrangements for the protection of enrolled learners were implemented on 1st September 2024.  

Up to 1st September 2024 statutory PEL arrangements applied to further and higher education and training providers of programmes leading to QQI awards. These programmes were of three months duration or longer and for which fees were paid. The new statutory arrangements in place from 1st September 2024 apply to a wider group of providers and programmes; they include providers of English language programmes that are authorised to use the TrustEd Ireland mark.

Providers with existing statutory PEL arrangements in place on 1 September 2024 may continue with these arrangements until 1 September 2027. All such providers must have transitioned to the new PEL arrangements by 1 September 2027.

For further details on the new statutory learner protection arrangements, please refer to the following documents:

• A guide to learner protection
• FAQs - Learner protection for English language education
• FAQs - learner protection for Further and Higher Education
• FAQs - Learner Protection Fund
• Online calculator - learner protection annual charge for English language education programmes
• Protection of Enrolled Learners Annual Charge Regulations (S.I. No. 428 of 2024)
• Learner Protection Fund Regulations (S.I. No. 430 of 2024)