A £360,000 fund raised from financial penalties on Solicitors Qualifying Examination provider Kaplan has been distributed to organisations to support disadvantaged candidates with SQE costs, the Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed today.

The fund will be shared amongst 11 organisations providing a range of legal, educational and social mobility services. The money will help candidates qualify as a solicitor by covering the £1,934 entry fee for the SQE1 and the SQE2 fee of £2,974. Supported candidates could sit their first exam by January 2026.

The 11 organisations are: Aberystwyth Veteran’s Legal Link Clinic, Accutrainee, Black and Proud CIC, Bristol Law Society, The College of Legal Practice, The Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme, The Law Training Centre, The Legal Social Mobility Fund, The Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund, The University of Lancashire and The University of Law.

Each organisation will run its own selection process before deciding who will benefit from the funding.

The fund was established at the outset of the SRA’s contract with SQE provider Kaplan. Financial penalties incurred by Kaplan when it failed to deliver on agreed targets were paid into the fund. The fund has been building since the SQE’s launch in 2021 and the £360,000 is its first distribution.

The regulator said future initiatives will be determined by available funding payments and business priorities.

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Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, said he looked forward to following successful candidates' journeys. He added: ‘One of the objectives of the SQE is to promote a diverse profession by removing artificial and unjustifiable barriers. Our decision to distribute the fund in this way reflects our commitment to meeting the SQE objectives. The fund recognises that talent, not financial circumstances, should determine who can become a solicitor. Up to 190 candidates could be supported through the scheme.’

Law Society president Richard Atkinson said: 'Our work to support aspiring solicitors who face significant personal barriers to qualify will be greatly helped by the funding provided by the SRA. This funding will promote social mobility and work towards increasing diversity within the legal profession by supporting individuals who face social, educational, financial or personal challenges to qualifying as a solicitor.'  

The Law Society’s DAS supports aspiring solicitors from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete their legal education, obtain work experience and meaningful mentorship opportunities.