As a Welsh student, the supporting finance route for your university journey is slightly different to that of other students in the UK. Regardless of where you are studying, you will need to apply through Student Finance Wales.
Student finance differences in comparison to England
Unlike Student Finance England, Welsh students get a Tuition Fee Loan and on top of this they can also apply for a Fee Grant. Students can receive up to £3,900 for their Tuition Fee Loan, and up to £5,100 for their Fee Grant.
According to the Student Finance Wales site, “The Fee Grant covers the difference between the maximum Tuition Fee Loan available and the tuition fee charged by their university or college.”
The grant amount given to students depends on their household income and where they’re studying. However, the Fee Grant isn’t like the rest of the loans as it doesn’t have to be paid back.
Maintenance Loans are also available for Welsh students, the only difference is that they may not have to repay £1,500 of it back as the loan balance gets cancelled by the Welsh Government when repayment occurs.
Earn more for learning in Welsh
On top of grants, bursaries and loans, students that wish to study in the Welsh medium can receive scholarships or extra funding.
At Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, students can receive £1,000 a year for up to 3 years (a total of £3,000) if they study at least 66%/80 credits a year of their course in Welsh. However, according to the university site, a limited number of the Main Scholarships are available and the Universities will nominate individuals to receive this Scholarship.
Cardiff University offers up to £500 per year, University of South Wales offers scholarships of £250 and many other universities in and around Wales do the same. So if you’re studying in Wales and your first language is Welsh, this could definitely be an avenue to research.
