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This article considers the implications for higher education institutions of the 14–19 reforms, principally those proposed by the Working Group led by Mike Tomlinson. It suggests that the reforms present six challenges to HE. The first challenge is about the kind of learner commitment demanded by our rigid model of a degree and the limits this presents to participation. The second challenge involves the process of selection and how well this reflects the balance between breadth and depth that is critical to 14–19 development. The third challenge relates to the generic skills and understandings needed to succeed in higher education and how these are acquired and demonstrated. The fourth challenge focuses on credit systems and asks why these still fail to deliver the flexible and personalised programmes that learners need. The fifth challenge is about the ways in which learners, particularly those from under-represented groups, are supported into and through higher education. Sixthly, there is a shared challenge about preparing learners for 21st century work and how we ensure that learning builds work-readiness. Learner-centred partnership is suggested as essential to taking on these challenges and ensuring that the benefits of 14–19 reform extend into higher study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]