Student support for higher education (headline data): 2020 (provisional)

Following the Diamond review of Welsh student funding, there were policy changes made in 2018/19 which saw tuition fee grants being phased out and reduced maintenance loan amounts offset by increased Welsh Government Learning Grants (WGLG).

Main points

The amount paid out in supporting higher education students reached £1.08 billion, up 6.3% from £1.01 billion in 2018/19.

The number of students receiving funding also rose to 80,510, an increase of 3.7% on 2018/19.

Overall, the amount received in higher education funding has increased by 60.3% (in cash terms) since 2013/14 from £671.6 million, while the number of students funded has increased by 23.9% (from 65,000).

Tuition fee loans for full-time undergraduates increased by 23.6% since the previous year, up to £396.1 million. This is as a direct result of tuition fee grants being discontinued for new students.

The actual amount paid out in tuition fee support for full-time undergraduate students remained relatively stable at £484.4 million (-0.6% on 2018/19) but this is now made up of a higher proportion of loans than in previous years.

Maintenance loans were paid to 56,595 full-time undergraduates which amounted to £263.2 million. This was relatively stable compared to 57,080 full-time undergraduates paid £262.9 million in 2018/19.

A total of £195.3 million was awarded in full-time WGLG & Special Support Grant, an increase of 17.7% on the £165.9 million awarded in 2018/19.

£56.6 million in postgraduate loans (masters and doctoral) was paid.

£18.8 million in postgraduate grants (masters only) was paid. This is the first year postgraduate masters support includes a grant element (which is means tested).

Early in-year data for 2020/21 shows around 74,215 students receiving funding, an increase compared to the 70,765 at the same time last year.