Written Statement by MS, Minister for Further and
Higher Education
I am committed to making education available to everyone
regardless of their financial circumstances, including through
our Welsh Government Learning Grant for Further Education (WGLG
FE) Scheme which provides vital support for adults aged 19 and
over to enter or progress their education up to Level 3.
Today, as applications for our WGLG FE support for academic year
2025/26 open, I'm pleased to say that for the first time in over
14 years, I have been able to increase the grant amount eligible
learners can receive.
Until today, learners have received up to a maximum of £1,500 to
help them with the costs of further education. From
September 2025, I am increasing the grant available for eligible
full-time learners with a household income of £18,370 or less to
up to £1,919, and for part-time learners to up to £959.
These rates will apply for new learners and for current WGLG FE
recipients looking to progress into next year.
The WGLG FE aims to help with costs such as books, equipment and
travel expenses and create opportunities for adult learners who
might otherwise struggle with education costs. These grant
increases will provide further financial support and help
learners with the increased cost of living.
The higher rates will remain in place while an independent review
of the WGLG FE Scheme is carried out. This review, amongst
other objectives, will consider the household income thresholds
that determine eligibility and demonstrates my continued
commitment to ensuring we have the right support available to
learners at every stage of their lives to access education.
The academic year 2025/26 sees a real investment in our FE
learners with WGLG FE recipients having more money in their
pockets, and our Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Scheme
providing the highest weekly rate of grant in the UK and
increased household eligibility thresholds to extend eligibility
to more learners.
Both WGLG FE and EMA form part of our Young Persons Guarantee,
and I'm proud to say that these Schemes have contributed to the
support given to over 50,000 young people since November 2021 and
provide a contribution towards the Welsh Government's National
Milestone of at least 90% of 16- to 24-year-olds being
in education, employment, or training by 2050.
WGLG FE is available for full or part time study making adult
learning accessible and able to fit around existing
commitments. I strongly believe that returning to study as
an adult can have a profound impact on both a person's well-being
and confidence. It can create opportunities to enter higher
education through an Access to HE course, give adults the chance
to re-start an educational pathway that may have previously been
unattainable like GCSEs and A-Levels, and it can provide the
skills and vocational qualifications people need to progress in
or enter the workplace like basic skills and NVQs.
Today at my visit to NPTC Brecon campus, I heard about learners
in receipt of WGLG FE, in particular Owen who is a shining
example of the benefits of WGLG FE. Owen has maintained
100% attendance and consistently shown commitment, motivation and
a strong desire to achieve his qualification. This
demonstrates the crucial role WGLG FE can play in ensuring
learners can focus on their studies without the added pressure of
financial strain.
With the increase in grant now available, I would strongly
encourage anyone aged 19 and over and thinking about returning to
study or looking to progress up to a Level 3 qualification to ask
their college about WGLG FE.
More information about WGLG FE eligibility, grant rates and how
to apply can be found on the Student Finance Wales
Welsh Government Learning Grant FE page.
