AEB eligibility for Gurkha spouse

Is the funding provided by ESFA or one of the Combined Authorities?

I’m sure those serving are eligible, I’m just not sure about the spouse. What sort of residency permit do they hold?

Ooh, tricky. The national rules only mention family members of *other nations' armed forces* (which Ghurkhas technically aren't), so I guess it will have to be three years?

(I've been around long enough to remember when Ghurkhas had their own paragraph! Yes, yes, the Rules were written in hieroglyphics at the time...) 

Its ESFA funding and she doesn't appear to have any immigration status of her own.  She is here as a dependant of her husband.

Sadly that will mean she isn't fundable Steve :(

Yeah, bit of a pain... Even with the overseas armed forces, the husband would have to have been stationed here for three years before a family member is eligible...

He has been here for 4 years but she only came over a year ago.

[I know but...] maybe worth a Service Desk email to confirm that "overseas" does or doesn't include Ghurkhas? I assume it's mainly for the US bases...

I received the following response from the ESFA:

Members of other nations’ armed forces stationed in England, and their family members, aged 19 and over, are eligible for ESFA funded AEB, set out in the who we fund section, if the armed forces individual has been ordinarily resident in England for the previous 3 years on the first day of learning. We will not fund family members that remain outside of England.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2023-to-2024/esfa-funded-adult-education-budget-funding-rules-2023-to-2024#learners-in-the-armed-forces

Thought they might fall back on that, and I'd certainly use it to fund this individual given it's the response from the Service Desk but, as I say above, Ghurkhas *aren't* members of other nations armed forces, they're part of the British army.