Financial support for full-time undergraduate students from Wales
Tuition Fee Costs
For 2025/26, Aberystwyth University will charge a tuition fee of £9,535 a year for a full time undergraduate degree course. Payment of tuition fees can be deferred until after you finish your studies, if you opt to take out a Tuition Fee Loan.
The Tuition Fee Loan is available regardless of family income. However, students who have previously studied at Higher Education level should contact Student Finance Wales to check their entitlement.
A Tuition Fee Loan must be repaid once you leave your course and start earning more than £28,470 a year (from 6th of April 2021). Deductions are usually made through the PAYE tax system by your employer in the same way as tax and National Insurance contributions. You will make repayments at a rate of 9% of any amount that you earn above £28,470 a year (from 6th of April 2021). For further information, please visit the following website: www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can pay your fees whilst you study.
Welsh Government Learning Grant
- A £1,000 minimum Welsh Government Learning Grant will be available to all eligible full time undergraduate students who live in Wales.
- Students from Wales may also be eligible for an additional means-tested Welsh Government Learning Grant, which will be based on your taxable household income.
- The Grant will be paid directly into your bank or building society account in three instalments - one at the start of each term.
- The Welsh Government Learning Grant does not have to be paid back when you graduate.
Maintenance Loans/Grants
- Maintenance Loans are available to help you pay for living expenses such as accommodation, food, books, clothes and travel. This money comes from the Welsh Government via the Student Loans Company.
- How much you will receive with be determined on where you will live whilst you study and your taxable household income.
- The Maintenance Loan will be paid directly into your bank or building society account in three instalments - one at the start of each term.
- A Maintenance Loan has to be repaid once you leave your course and start earning more than £28,470 a year. Deductions are usually made through the PAYE tax system by your employer in the same way as tax and National Insurance contributions. You will make repayments at a rate of 9% of any amount that you earn above £28,470 a year (from 6th of April 2021). For further information, please visit the following website: www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk
The tables below give a breakdown of the Maintenance Payments for 25/26 based on Household income, whether living at home or away.
Living at Home
| Household income | Grant | Loan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £18,370 or less | £6,885 | £3,595 | £10,480 |
| £25,000 | £5,930 | £4,550 | £10,480 |
| £35,000 | £4,488 | £5,992 | £10,480 |
| £45,000 | £3,047 | £7,433 | £10,480 |
| £59,200 or more | £1,000 | £9,480 | £10,480 |
Living away from Home (Outside London)
| Household income | Grant | Loan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £18,370 or less | £8,100 | £4,245 | £12,345 |
| £25,000 | £6,947 | £5,398 | £12,345 |
| £35,000 | £5,208 | £7,137 | £12,345 |
| £45,000 | £3,469 | £8,876 | £12,345 |
| £59,200 or more | £1,000 | £11,345 | £12,345 |
Funding for Placement Years
For the 2025/26 Academic Year the tuition fee charge for Aberystwyth University students undertaking an integrated year in industry is as follows:
| Sandwich placement | £1,905 |
|---|---|
| Year abroad | £1,430 |
Eligible full-time students on full-year sandwich course paid placements where the periods of full-time study are less than 10 weeks in aggregate can apply for a reduced maintenance loan only.
The reduced rate is half the full maintenance loan rate rounded down to the nearest whole £5.
Students living at home are entitled to a reduced rate maintenance loan of £4,740, where the full rate of maintenance loan is £9,480.
Students studying away from home, outside London, are entitled to a reduced rate maintenance loan of £5,670, where the full rate of maintenance loan is £11,345. As with Student Finance England, students in Wales undertaking certain specified unpaid placements may be eligible for full funding, providing the placement is one of the following:
- Unpaid service in a hospital or in a public health service laboratory or with a clinical commissioning group in the UK
- Unpaid service with a local authority in the UK acting in the exercise of its functions relating to the care of children and young persons, health or welfare, or with a voluntary organisation providing facilities or carrying out activities of a like nature in the UK
- Unpaid service with a local authority acting in the exercise of public health functions in the UK
- Unpaid service in the prison or probation and aftercare service in the UK
- Unpaid research in a UK institution or, in the case of a student attending an overseas institution as a part of their course in an overseas institution
- Unpaid service with a Special Health Authority, the NHS Commissioning Board, the National Institute for Care and Excellence, the Health and Social Care Information Centre, a Local Health Board, a Health Board or a Special Health Board in Scotland, or a Health and Social Services Board in Northern Ireland
- Unpaid service in the UK Parliament
How and When to Apply for Student Finance
- To apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan and Welsh Government Learning Grant students will complete an Application for Student Finance (PN1) form.
- This form can be completed online or you can download from the Student Finance Wales website: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
- Application forms available from early March 2025.
- You are advised to complete the form as soon as possible so that the financial assessment is completed well before your course starts in September 2025.
How will you receive your student funding?
Student finance is usually paid in three instalments, directly into your bank account. You will receive one instalment after registration, the second in early January and the final instalment after Easter.
Previous Higher Education Study
If you have previously studied a higher education course, your entitlement to student finance may be affected. We recommend that you contact Student Finance Wales or the Money Advice Service at Aberystwyth University for further information.
Special Support Grant and Maintenance Loan Entitlement
Special Support Grant and Maintenance Loan Entitlement
The Special Support Grant is available for students who may be eligible to receive means-tested benefits such as Income Support / Universal Credit and Housing Benefit. This grant is intended to help with additional costs like books, course equipment, and travel. It is available to students who:
- Are lone parents
- have dependent children and their partner is also a full-time student
- Are eligible for certain specified disability benefits
The Special Support Grant is paid instead of the Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG). The amount you receive depends on your household income and where you live and study. Here’s a summary of the support available for the 2025-2026 academic year:
Living away from parental home and studying outside London
| Household income | Loan | Grant | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £18,370 or less | £5,670 | £8,100 | £13,770 |
| £25,000 | £5,670 | £6,947 | £12,617 |
| £35,000 | £7,137 | £5,208 | £12,345 |
| £45,000 | £8,876 | £3,469 | £12,345 |
| £59,200 or more | £11,345 | £1,000 | £12,345 |
Childcare Grant
You can apply for a Childcare Grant (CCG) to help cover your childcare costs if you’re an undergraduate student who has children.
What's available?
How much you get will depend on your household income, how many dependent children you have and what your childcare costs are. You’ll have to cover any remaining childcare costs yourself. If you’re a part-time student, you will be assessed for a reduced amount of CCG based on your study intensity.
Your grant doesn't need to be paid back.
2025/26 academic year
You could get 85% of your childcare costs up to a maximum of:
- £192 per week for 1 dependent child
- £329 per week for 2 or more dependent children
If you don't have a childcare provider at the time you apply, you can still get CCG, but this will be capped at £147 per week or 85% of actual costs, whichever is lower. Once you supply childcare provider details, we’ll recalculate your funding for the higher amount.
Who qualifies?
You can apply for CCG if you:
- have at least one child under 15 who depends on you financially, or under 17 if they have special educational needs
- are using a childcare provider registered by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
- are attending a full-time or part-time course (including a distance learning course) and getting undergraduate student finance that depends on your household income.
You can't apply if you:
- claim the childcare element of Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit
- get tax-free childcare from HM Revenue and Customs
- are paying a relative to care for your child only
- or your partner are receiving funding from the NHS.
If you’re a parent of a child between 3 and 4 years old, you may be eligible for further childcare support from the Welsh Government under the Childcare Offer which has recently been expanded to include students who are parents.
Parents’ Learning Allowance
This non-repayable allowance awarded to help students with dependent children.
- The maximum amount of Parent Learning Allowance payable in 2025/26 will be £1,945 and the minimum £53.00.
- How much you get depends on your taxable household income.
- The Department for Works and Pension and Housing Benefit departments will disregard the amount you have been awarded when they work out your benefit entitlement.
- This grant is usually paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term at the same time as your maintenance loan and other grants.
Adult Dependent Grant
This grant is awarded to students with adult dependent. If you have a partner depends on you financially, you may be eligible for this non-repayable grant.
- The maximum amount of Adult Dependent Grant payable in 2025/26 will be £3,407.
- How much you will get depends on your partner’s net income.
- This grant will be treated as income when applying for Housing and Council Tax Benefit or Welfare Benefit.
- This grant is usually paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term at the same time as your maintenance loan and other grants.
Useful Links & Websites
- Student Finance Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
- Advice, Information and Money Service: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/sscs/advice-info-money/
- Welfare Benefits: https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits