Education Maintenance Allowance scheme and Welsh Government Learning Grant (Further Education) scheme: academic year 2024 to 2025 (SFWIN 06/2024)

This Information Notice provides details of the following income assessed further education grant schemes for the 2024 to 2025 academic year:

• Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
• Welsh Government Learning Grant (Further Education) (WGLG (FE)).

There are no changes to the qualifying EMA and WGLG (FE) income thresholds and grant levels. 

The schemes are available to view on the funding and finance for students webpage.

Please ensure that this Information Notice is circulated to all staff and colleagues who help to administer the schemes.

The Student Finance Wales service for the 2024 to 2025 academic year opened on 8 April 2024.

How to apply

New students

Paper application: new students can collect a paper form from their school or college. Applications can also be downloaded for printing from the Student Finance Wales website.

Electronic application: the electronic submission service is expected to open in September 2024. This means new students will be able to submit their application and upload supporting evidence by creating an account online. Further information and updates will be communicated via the Student Finance Wales website.

Returning students

Returning students are not required to submit a paper or electronic application. Their signed EMA or WGLG (FE) Agreement acts as their application to reapply for support for a further year. Student Finance Wales wrote to returning students during Spring 2024 to let them know the next steps to follow for academic year 2024 to 2025.

For information and advice contact the Student Finance Wales bilingual customer service on 0300 200 4050.

Eligible family members of Ukraine schemes or Afghan Citizens

The schemes currently provide provision for a person to be eligible for EMA or WGLG (FE) if they have been granted leave in the UK under the relevant Ukraine Schemes or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARPA) or Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). 

For academic year 2024 to 2025 the schemes have been extended to enable relevant family members of a person granted leave under the relevant Ukraine or Afghan immigration routes above to qualify for funding. 

The family member will also be eligible under the events provision.

Eligible persons granted leave as a protected partner and their children

The schemes currently provide provision to make eligible persons granted leave to remain as a victim of domestic abuse or of domestic violence, and bereaved partners, in line with provisions within the Immigration Rules. The schemes also provide for the child of such a person to be eligible.

Following Home Office changes to its Immigration Rules in January 2024, the schemes have been amended for academic year 2024 to 2025 to allow for eligible persons to apply for funding if granted leave to remain or enter under the new Appendices for Victim of Domestic Abuse and Bereaved Partner, subject to meeting all other criteria.

This category is also eligible under the events provision.

The change to Immigration Rules does not affect those currently accessing funding in academic year 2023 to 2024.

The above changes ensure consistent criteria for maintenance support arrangements between FE and HE support.

Student Finance Wales will only be able to determine eligibility and entitlement once they have received a fully completed application form with appropriate supporting evidence.

If you have queries about applications, how to apply, payments or any other aspect of the service, please contact Student Finance Wales.

If you have any queries about this Information Notice, please email: studentfinancedivision@gov.wales.

Large print, Braille and alternate language versions of this document are available on request. 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English.