Fees and Financial Support 

Apprenticeships are paid for by employers, not apprentices.  

The total cost of the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship at Durham, or Postgraduate Certificate in Senior Leadership Development is £14,000. It is fully funded for all Apprenticeship Levy paying employers. Non-levy paying employers will be able to claim 95% of the cost of the apprenticeship from the Government.  

Non-levy paying employers - “For apprenticeships that started on or after 1 April 2019, employers pay 5% towards the cost of apprenticeship training. The government will pay the rest (95%).” 

From January 2026 government funding will be removed for Level 7 apprentices aged 22 and older. Considering this change, the last Senior Leader Apprenticeship cohort that Durham will offer, begins in December 2025. All apprentices starting their apprenticeships before 1 January 2026 will be fully funded through to completion under the existing funding arrangements.

Full details of apprenticeship funding rules can be found here

All participants who successfully complete their Postgraduate Certificate in Senior Leadership Development will have the option to continue their studies. For an additional fee of £16,500, they can go on to complete the Durham MBA (Online) programme.