The short answer
- Choose a solicitor apprenticeship if you will be 21 or under on the first day, or an exception or an employer covers the training, you are sure enough about law to commit to one employer for several years or you want to earn a wage instead of paying tuition.
- Choose a degree plus the SQE if you want a university degree, in law or any other subject, before you commit, you will be 22 or over when an apprenticeship could start and no exception applies or you want to choose your QWE yourself, in up to four organisations.
Key facts
- Since January 2026, government funding for level 7 solicitor apprenticeships has been restricted to candidates aged 21 and under, those starting aged 16 to 25 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or are care leavers, and existing apprentices (check the official website).
- Your age on the first day of the apprenticeship decides; apprentices who started before 1 January 2026 stay funded.
- For funded apprentices, SQE training and assessment are paid through the apprenticeship levy fund; the funding band for the solicitor standard was £27,000 (check the official website).
- On the degree route, tuition is up to £9,790 (check the official website) a year in 2026/27, and SQE1 and SQE2 cost £2,006 (check the official website) and £3,086 (check the official website) unless an employer pays.
- A trailblazer apprenticeship typically takes five to six years after A levels; a graduate apprenticeship two to three years, and it counts as QWE.
How do they compare?
| Criterion | a solicitor apprenticeship | a degree plus the SQE |
|---|---|---|
| Government funding | Restricted to candidates aged 21 and under, those starting aged 16 to 25 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or are care leavers, and existing apprentices (check the official website) | Student finance: a Tuition Fee Loan for the degree; a Master’s Loan of up to £13,206 (check the official website) only for a master’s such as an LLM |
| Tuition and SQE fees | Paid through the apprenticeship for funded apprentices (funding band £27,000 (check the official website)) | Tuition up to £9,790 (check the official website) a year; SQE1 £2,006 (check the official website) and SQE2 £3,086 (check the official website) unless an employer pays |
| Length | Typically five to six years after A levels; two to three years after a degree | The degree, then at least two years’ full-time QWE, which can overlap with SQE1 and SQE2 |
| Pay while qualifying | A wage from the first day; the apprentice rate applies under 19 or in the first year | None from the degree itself; QWE can be paid or voluntary |
| Qualifying work experience | The apprenticeship counts as QWE | Two years’ full-time or equivalent, in up to four organisations |
| Entry | Recommended: five GCSEs including maths and English and three A levels at grade C or above; a degree for graduate apprenticeships | The university’s requirements; a degree in any subject |
What changed for solicitor apprenticeships in 2026?
Since January 2026, government funding for level 7 solicitor apprenticeships has been restricted to candidates aged 21 and under, those starting aged 16 to 25 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or are care leavers, and existing apprentices (check the official website). Your age on the first day of the apprenticeship counts. (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships) (GOV.UK, DfE update of 22 October 2025) If you will be 22 or older and no exception applies, an apprenticeship now depends on an employer that pays for the training itself.
The Department for Education words the exception as care leavers and people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan aged 22 to 24, and keeps funding anyone who started a level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026 through to completion. (GOV.UK, DfE update of 22 October 2025) Before the change, an employer could draw up to £27,000 (check the official website) for each solicitor apprentice to cover SQE training and exams. (Non-Billable, 27 May 2025 (secondary source)) The change reaches far: of the more than 1,300 people who started solicitor apprenticeships in 2023-24, 45% were aged 20 to 24 – an age band that straddles the new limit. (Legal Futures, 27 May 2025 (secondary source))
This page compares the apprenticeship with the other main way in – a degree, then the SQE and two years’ qualifying work experience – on what can be checked: funding, cost, time, pay and flexibility. It is general information, not legal or careers advice.
How do the two routes work?
Degree plus SQE: a degree in any subject or an equivalent qualification, SQE1 and SQE2, two years’ full-time or equivalent qualifying work experience (QWE) and the character and suitability requirements. (SRA, SQE route) A preparation course is not required. (SRA, SQE training options) QWE can be paid or voluntary, in up to four organisations, before, during or after the assessments. (SRA, qualifying work experience)
Solicitor apprenticeship: the SRA describes two forms. The trailblazer apprenticeship typically takes five to six years and can be started after A levels; the graduate apprenticeship typically takes two to three years after a degree. In both, the time as an apprentice counts as your QWE, you must pass both parts of the SQE, and the SQE training and assessment costs are paid through the apprenticeship levy fund. (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships) Under the version of the apprenticeship standard for starts up to 30 April 2026, SQE2 formed the end-point assessment; a revised version with a new assessment plan applies to starts from 1 May 2026. (Skills England, solicitor apprenticeship standard) The SRA accepts an apprenticeship at level 6 or above as equivalent to a degree. (SRA, degree and equivalent qualifications)
Will you be 21 or under on the first day?
The age rule is easy to misjudge, because it looks at the first day of the apprenticeship, not at the day you apply. (GOV.UK, DfE update of 22 October 2025) The examples below are worked out by date; the funded age is 21 and under, unless one of the exceptions above applies.
| Born | Path | First day | Age that day | Within the funded age? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2008 | Three-year degree from September 2026, then a graduate apprenticeship | 3 September 2029 | 21 | Yes |
| 2 September 2007 | The same school year, the same degree and the same start date | 3 September 2029 | 22 | No, unless an exception applies |
| 2 September 2007 | The same degree, but the apprenticeship starts in July after graduation | 16 July 2029 | 21 | Yes |
| 31 August 2008 | A gap year or a four-year degree, then a graduate apprenticeship | 2 September 2030 | 22 | No, unless an exception applies |
| 31 August 2008 | A solicitor apprenticeship straight after A levels | 1 September 2026 | 18 | Yes |
The last day you can start within the funded age is the day before your 22nd birthday: 1 September 2029 for someone born on 2 September 2007, and 30 August 2030 for someone born on 31 August 2008. Two people from the same school year can fall on different sides of the line with the same start date, and a gap year, a four-year degree or a later intake can be enough to miss it. Our convention for a birthday on 29 February: the new age starts on 1 March in other years.
What does each route cost you?
| Cost | Degree plus SQE | Funded solicitor apprenticeship |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Up to £9,790 (check the official website) a year, which a Tuition Fee Loan can cover (GOV.UK, student finance for new full-time students); three years at that cap would come to £29,370 (check the official website) by our arithmetic, but the cap is set to rise with inflation each year (University of Leeds, 23 February 2026 (secondary source)) | Training is funded through the apprenticeship; ask the employer what it covers |
| SQE1 and SQE2 | £2,006 (check the official website) and £3,086 (check the official website), £5,092 (check the official website) together, unless an employer pays | Paid through the apprenticeship levy fund, like the SQE training (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships) |
| Preparation | Optional; a Master’s Loan of up to £13,206 (check the official website) only for a full master’s course such as an LLM (GOV.UK, Master's Loan eligibility) | Part of the apprenticeship’s training |
| Pay while qualifying | None from the degree itself; QWE can be paid or voluntary | A wage from the first day |
Apprentices are paid at least the apprentice rate of the National Minimum Wage if they are under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of the apprenticeship; after that, the rate for their age applies. (GOV.UK, minimum wage rates) The solicitor payback calculator compares pay while you qualify with pay afterwards, and the cost calculator adds up the SQE route.
How long does each route take?
- Trailblazer apprenticeship: typically five to six years after A levels, working throughout; it ends with the SQE and includes your QWE. (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships)
- Degree, then a graduate apprenticeship: the degree plus typically two to three years. (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships)
- Degree plus SQE: the degree plus at least two years’ full-time QWE, which can run alongside SQE1 and SQE2; placements during a degree can count too. (SRA, qualifying work experience)
With a three-year degree, both routes take roughly five years or more after A levels. The difference lies in how those years are spent: at work with study alongside, or at university first.
What if you are 22 or over?
- Check the exceptions first: care leavers and people with an EHC plan, and anyone who started before 1 January 2026. (GOV.UK, DfE update of 22 October 2025)
- Ask employers directly how they will pay for the training of an apprentice who is not government-funded.
- Gain QWE as a paralegal or in another legal role and prepare for the SQE alongside – see paralegal pay and QWE and whether to self-fund the SQE.
- Consider CILEX, which needs no degree – compared in the SQE or the CILEX route.
For changing career later in life, see becoming a solicitor at 30, 40 or 50.
What is the bigger decision?
An apprenticeship asks you to commit early – to law, and often to one employer for years – in return for a wage and no tuition debt. A degree keeps your options open for longer but costs more up front, and the SQE and QWE still lie ahead. Think about whether you want to live away from home, how sure you are about law, and what happens if the first employer is not the right fit: on the degree route you can combine QWE from up to four organisations. (SRA, qualifying work experience)
Common mistakes
- Assuming your age when you apply counts: it is your age on the first day.
- Planning a gap year without checking what it does to your age at the start of a graduate apprenticeship.
- Thinking apprentices skip the SQE: both parts are part of the apprenticeship.
- Counting only tuition: on the degree route the SQE fees and the QWE years come on top.
- Giving up on an apprenticeship at 22 without asking employers how they fund it.
What this means for you
- Work out your age on the likely first day, using the examples above.
- If you will be within the funded age, compare apprenticeship offers by training, pay and the area of law.
- If not, plan the degree-plus-SQE route with QWE, or ask employers how they pay for older apprentices.
- Either way, try the free SQE1 quick test to see the kind of questions SQE1 asks, and read how to become a solicitor for the whole route.
Our SQE1 course fits short daily sessions beside work or study.
What this page covers
- Last updated
- Based on
- SRA pages on apprenticeships, the SQE route, QWE and degree equivalence; the Department for Education’s update of 22 October 2025; Skills England; GOV.UK on student finance and the minimum wage; the fact register for the funding rule, fees and loans; dated secondary sources
- Includes
- The 2026 funding rule and its exceptions, age on the first day, costs, length, pay, options from 22, mistakes
- Not included
- Apprenticeships below level 7, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, individual employers’ pay, legal or careers advice
CILEX is a trade mark of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. It is named only to identify the qualification; CILEX is not connected with this page.
Who should choose which?
| If you … | Usually fits |
|---|---|
| will be 21 or under on the first day and are sure about law | a solicitor apprenticeship |
| want university first, or are not yet sure about law | a degree plus the SQE |
| are graduating at 21 and can start before your 22nd birthday | a graduate solicitor apprenticeship |
| will be 22 or over, with no exception and no employer paying | a degree plus the SQE, with QWE as a paralegal |
| are a care leaver or have an EHC plan and are under 25 | a solicitor apprenticeship – check the exception first |
Frequently asked questions
Can I do a solicitor apprenticeship if I am 22 or over?
Since January 2026 the government funds level 7 solicitor apprenticeships only for candidates aged 21 and under, those starting aged 16 to 25 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or are care leavers, and existing apprentices (check the official website). Outside those groups, an apprenticeship depends on an employer paying for the training itself, so ask employers directly.
Does my age when I apply or when I start count?
Your age at the start of the apprenticeship. The last day you can start within the funded age is the day before your 22nd birthday.
What happens if I started my apprenticeship before January 2026?
The Department for Education keeps funding anyone who started a level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026 through to completion.
Is a solicitor apprenticeship cheaper than a degree?
For a funded apprentice, yes in direct costs: SQE training and assessment are paid through the apprenticeship levy fund and you earn a wage. On the degree route, tuition is up to £9,790 (check the official website) a year in 2026/27, with a Tuition Fee Loan, and SQE1 and SQE2 cost £2,006 (check the official website) and £3,086 (check the official website) unless an employer pays.
Do solicitor apprentices take the SQE?
Yes. Like every aspiring solicitor, apprentices must pass both parts of the SQE, and the time as an apprentice counts as their QWE.
How long does a solicitor apprenticeship take?
The SRA says a trailblazer apprenticeship typically takes five to six years and can start after A levels; a graduate apprenticeship typically takes two to three years.
Related tools and pages
Sources
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Solicitor apprenticeships (28 November 2025). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Department for Education (GOV.UK): DfE Update further education: 22 October 2025 – level 7 apprenticeships: government funding from 1 January 2026 for ages 16 to 21, and 22 to 24 for care leavers or those with an EHC plan; age at the start of the apprenticeship; earlier starters funded to completion (22 October 2025). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Skills England, Department for Education: Solicitor (ST0246), version 1.1: level 7, typical duration 72 months, maximum funding £27,000, SQE1 at the gateway and SQE2 as the end-point assessment; starts up to 30 April 2026 (version 2.0 from 1 May 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Non-Billable (legal careers news, secondary source): Solicitor apprenticeships survive funding axe – but money pulled for older applicants (funding for new starters aged 21 or under from January 2026; up to £27,000 per apprentice for SQE training and exams) (27 May 2025). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Legal Futures (legal news, secondary source): Government to restrict funding for solicitor apprenticeships (in 2023-24, 45% of the more than 1,300 people who started solicitor apprenticeships were aged 20 to 24) (27 May 2025). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route (August 2025). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: SQE training options (28 January 2026). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Qualifying work experience (26 January 2024). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Degree and equivalent qualifications explained (23 July 2025). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- GOV.UK (Student Finance England): Student finance for undergraduates: new full-time students – what you'll get (Tuition Fee Loan up to £9,790 in 2026 to 2027). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- University of Leeds, student news (secondary source): Tuition fees and student finance: what's changing (UK undergraduates starting in 2026/27: £9,790; fees in England to rise each year in line with inflation from 2026) (23 February 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- GOV.UK (Student Finance England): Master's Loan: eligibility. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Prospects, Graduate Prospects Ltd (careers website, secondary source): Postgraduate loans in England 2026 (up to £13,206 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2026; under 60 on the first day of the first academic year) (April 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- GOV.UK (Student Finance England): Master's Loan: what you'll get. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Reports find SQE to be robust with improvements made (including SQE fees for 2026/27) (21 April 2026). Accessed 25 October 2026.
High Performer Certs is an independent study platform. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and it is not authorised or accredited by the SRA or the SQE assessment provider. The SQE and SOLICITORS QUALIFYING EXAMINATION trade marks are the property of and are used under licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.