Solicitor apprenticeships survive funding axe - but money pulled for older applicants

The UK government has confirmed it will maintain public funding for solicitor apprenticeships, but only for those who start the programme aged 21 or under in a move that’s been met with cautious relief from the legal sector.

Announced today (27 May), the decision ends months of uncertainty over the future of the level 7 solicitor apprenticeship scheme, after proposals last year suggested funding could be pulled entirely. Instead, from January 2026, firms will lose access to public money for any new apprentices aged 22 or over.

Under the current levy system, firms can claim up to £27,000 per apprentice to cover the cost of SQE training and exams. That model has been central to the solicitor apprenticeship route’s rapid rise - with more than 1,300 new apprentices starting in 2023-24 alone, 45% of whom were aged between 20 and 24, according to the Law Society.

Now, firms will only be able to recoup that money if the apprentice is 21 or younger when they start, potentially complicating recruitment, especially around graduate solicitor apprenticeships, an increasingly popular route that sees aspiring lawyers complete a degree before starting their apprenticeship.

Law Society reaction

The Law Society welcomed the government’s decision to preserve support for younger apprentices, but said the new age cap risks cutting off talent before it reaches the pipeline.

"This benefits not just the legal sector, but also those young people that can’t afford university fees", said Law Society president Richard Atkinson. "But we urge the government to maintain apprenticeship funding for people over 21."

"Continuing to fund solicitor apprenticeships after the age of 21 is critical if we are to support recruitment within the legal profession."

The government, for its part, says the shift will allow it to rebalance levy funding "towards training at lower levels, where it can have the greatest impact".

What's next

Firms like White & Case - which currently offers the highest known solicitor apprentice starting salary at £32,000 - may now need to revisit how they structure entry routes and target candidates. Smaller firms, which often rely on apprenticeships to boost local hiring and improve access, could also feel the squeeze.

The broader worry, of course, is that the funding cap will blunt the solicitor apprenticeship success story just as it was beginning to change the way top firms think about talent.