The short answer
- Total support is £12,590 a year living away from home, £10,685 living with parents and £15,720 in London.
- Part is a Welsh Government Learning Grant: up to £7,020, £8,260 or £10,325, and at least £1,020 for everyone.
- The rest is a Maintenance Loan, repaid on Plan 2.
- Tuition is covered by a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,790 a year.
How Welsh support works
Student Finance Wales first works out your Welsh Government Learning Grant from your household income, then pays the rest of the fixed total as a Maintenance Loan. So a student from a low-income home gets more grant and less loan; a student from a high-income home gets the £1,020 minimum grant and more loan. Everyone ends up with the same money to live on.
Different from England
In England, higher household income cuts the total you can get. In Wales it only changes the mix of grant and loan.
Grant and loan by household income
| Household income | Grant | Loan |
|---|---|---|
| £18,370 or less | £8,260 | £4,330 |
| £25,000 | £7,085 | £5,505 |
| £30,000 | £6,198 | £6,392 |
| £35,000 | £5,311 | £7,279 |
| £40,000 | £4,425 | £8,165 |
| £45,000 | £3,538 | £9,052 |
| £50,000 | £2,651 | £9,939 |
| £59,200 or more | £1,020 | £11,570 |
Living with parents, the grant runs from £7,020 down to £1,020 within a £10,685 total; in London, from £10,325 to £1,020 within £15,720.
Worked examples
- Learning Grant each year£5,311
- Maintenance Loan each year£7,279
- Tuition Fee Loan each year£9,790
- Grants over 3 years (not repaid)£15,933
- Learning Grant£7,020
- Maintenance Loan£3,665
Tuition fees
Universities across the UK can charge up to £9,790 a year in 2026/27. Welsh students can borrow the full amount as a Tuition Fee Loan, paid straight to the university, whether they study in Wales or elsewhere in the UK. Private providers without a fee cap are limited to a £6,525 loan. Students who started before August 2018 had a different system with a Fee Grant.
Household income
For a student starting in 2026/27, Student Finance Wales uses household taxable income for the 2024/25 tax year. For students who depend on their parents that means both parents’ income, or a parent and their partner. Independent students, for example those aged 25 or over, married or self-supporting for 3 years, are assessed on their own and their partner’s income. Some pension contributions and an allowance for other dependent children are taken off. If income has dropped a lot this year, ask for a current year income assessment.
Wales compared with England
- Total support away from home
- £12,590 for everyone
- Grant
- £1,020 to £8,260
- Loan plan
- Plan 2: 9% over £29,385
- Total support away from home
- £5,048 to £10,830
- Grant
- None
- Loan plan
- Plan 5: 9% over £25,000
A Welsh student from a low-income family gets £8,260 a year of grant that an English student would have to borrow. Over three years that is £24,780 less debt.
Extra grants
- Special Support Grant of up to £5,181 instead of the Learning Grant for lone parents, some disabled students and those on certain benefits; it does not reduce the loan.
- Childcare Grant of up to £196 a week for one child or £335 for two or more.
- Parents’ Learning Allowance of up to £1,983 and Adult Dependants’ Grant of up to £3,474.
- Disabled Students’ Allowance for extra costs, not means-tested.
- Travel Grant for some students studying abroad or on placements.
Repaying your loans
Welsh students’ Tuition Fee and Maintenance Loans are Plan 2 loans, even for courses starting after 2023. You repay 9% of income over £29,385 a year from the April after you leave, through your payslip, and anything left is written off 30 years later. On £32,000 you would repay £235 a year, about £20 a month. Interest is RPI plus up to 3% depending on income, capped at 6% from September 2026. See the Plan 2 calculator.
The £1,500 loan cancellation
Welsh students can have up to £1,500 of their Maintenance Loan written off when they make their first repayment. It happens automatically if you are eligible; you do not need to apply. Keep your contact details up to date with the Student Loans Company so it is applied.
Part-time and postgraduate study
Wales also offers living-cost support to part-time undergraduates, worked out in proportion to the intensity of the course, and a postgraduate master’s package combining a grant and a loan. Check Student Finance Wales for the details of each.
How and when to apply
- From springApplications open
Apply online with a Student Finance Wales account.
- Well before termApply for on-time funding
Applications take several weeks to process, so apply early to have money at the start of term.
- SummerParents confirm income
Through their own online account.
- Each yearReapply
Usually a short online form.
Independent and mature students
You are assessed as an independent student, on your own income and any partner’s rather than your parents’, if you are 25 or over at the start of the academic year, are married or in a civil partnership, have a child you look after, have supported yourself for at least 3 years, or are care-experienced or estranged from your parents. Many mature students have little or no taxable income in the assessment year, so they get the full Learning Grant.
Students aged 60 or over on the first day of the academic year get a different, smaller package of support, so check with Student Finance Wales if this applies to you.
Making the money last
The grant and loan are paid together in three instalments, at the start of each term. Rent, especially for a private house on a 51-week contract, can take most of each payment. Before term starts:
- work out your rent for each term and set it aside as soon as each payment arrives;
- divide what is left by the weeks until the next payment to get a weekly budget;
- remember the April payment has to last until the autumn if your tenancy covers the summer.
The student budget calculator works this out for you.
Should you take the full loan?
The Learning Grant is paid whether or not you take the loan, so you can ask for a smaller Maintenance Loan and keep the grant. Whether to borrow the full amount depends on your plans. Plan 2 loans are only repaid once you earn over £29,385, and many graduates never clear the balance before it is written off after 30 years, so for them borrowing more may not mean repaying more. If you expect to earn well and clear the loan, borrowing less saves interest of up to RPI plus 3%. If you do not need the money, you can also repay early without a penalty.
Health and teaching courses
Some courses have their own funding. Students on NHS-funded nursing, midwifery and allied health courses in Wales who agree to work in Wales after qualifying can get their tuition paid and a non-repayable bursary through the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, with a reduced Maintenance Loan. Teacher training and some other courses may also have incentives. Check with your university before you apply, because these schemes change what Student Finance Wales pays.
A London example
- Learning Grant each year£4,255
- Maintenance Loan each year£11,465
- Total support each year£15,720
- Grants over 3 years (not repaid)£12,765
London rents are high, so even £15,720 a year may not cover everything. Check what your university offers in bursaries.
What repayments look like
Plan 2 repayments are 9% of income over £29,385 a year, taken from your pay. On £32,000 that is £235 a year, about £20 a month; on £40,000, £955 a year or £80 a month; on £50,000, £1,855 a year or £155 a month. The Plan 2 threshold is frozen at £29,385 until April 2030, so repayments rise if your pay goes up. Interest is RPI plus up to 3%, depending on income, capped at 6% from September 2026, and anything left after 30 years is written off.
Disabled students
Disabled Students’ Allowance helps with the extra costs of studying with a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. It pays for specialist equipment, non-medical helpers such as note-takers or mentors, and extra travel costs. It is not based on household income and does not have to be repaid. You apply through Student Finance Wales, usually with medical evidence, and then have a needs assessment.
Key numbers
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total support with parents / away / London | £10,685 / £12,590 / £15,720 |
| Most grant with parents / away / London | £7,020 / £8,260 / £10,325 |
| Grant for everyone | £1,020 |
| Full grant up to household income of | £18,370 |
| Grant tapers to £1,020 at | £59,200 |
| Tuition Fee Loan | Up to £9,790 |
| Plan 2 threshold | £29,385 |