Welsh students will no longer receive tuition grants

Full-time students from Wales will no longer receive tuition fee grants for university, as announced by Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams.

Instead, the grants will be given to students with a household income of less than £59,200 a year.

The changes were backed by Welsh Assembly Education Minister, Kirsty Williams

35% of Welsh students will be able to receive the maximum grant, alongside 70% receiving some form of means-tested support.

The Welsh Government hope to set these measures in place next year for students starting university in September 2018.

Students from Wales are currently given a considerable amount towards their tuition fees, receiving £5,100 a year.

The change arrives with an implementation of the Diamond review, a proposal created by Professor Ian Diamond in September, which aimed to re-examine student finance in Wales.

Other accepted proposals include the top rate of maintenance grant being equivalent to the National Living Wage (currently £8,100), modification of support for part-time students and a support package for post-graduate studies.

A consultation process will now be underway, with changes needing approval from Treasury and being set in place by the Student Loans Company.

Kirsty Williams, Assembly Education Minister, said: “We have decided to limit the increase to the upper household income threshold for means-tested support to £59,200, as we feel this would be sensible and prudent given the current financial outlook for the public sector in Wales.

“I am clear that Wales needs a sustainable and progressive higher education funding settlement that supports students when they most need it, and enables our universities to compete internationally.

“If you want to go to university, this system will allow you to do so.”