Further changes to student support and fee protection regulations 2026 to 2027 academic year (SFWIN 04/2026)

The Education (Student Finance) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (‘the 2026 Regulations’) will make changes to those regulations which provide for statutory student support and tuition fee protections (for home fee status and capped tuition fees to apply). These changes apply to eligible students who are taking a designated course of higher education in an academic year beginning on or after 1 August 2026.

Please note: the information described in this notice is for guidance only and depends on the 2026 Regulations being made into law. This notice does not cover every detail of the policy and should not be treated as legal advice or a complete explanation of the law.

We’ve made every effort to ensure the information is accurate at the time of publication, but it should not be relied upon as a complete and accurate summary of the 2026 Regulations. In the event of differences between this notice and the 2026 Regulations, the 2026 Regulations prevail.

The 2026 Regulations are expected to come into force in March 2026.

Eligibility for student support and fee protections for persons with indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK awarded under the Afghanistan Response Route

The 2026 Regulations will extend the definition of a “person with leave to enter or remain as a relevant Afghan citizen” to include persons who have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK awarded under the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR).

The ARR was an immigration scheme open to individuals who met certain criteria, including being categorised as at high risk of targeting by the Taliban, and who had not previously been found to be eligible for leave status under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme or any other route which provides settled status.

The ARR scheme was opened by the UK Government in April 2024 and was closed to new applications on 4 July 2025.

Providing eligibility for student support and fee protections under the student support and fee protection regulations will ensure consistency of policy for all relevant Afghan citizens and their family members.

Additionally, certain wording within the definition of a “person with leave to enter or remain as a relevant Afghan citizen” can potentially be misinterpreted. The 2026 Regulations will amend existing wording of student support and fee protection regulations to ensure clear understanding of the requirements for eligibility. There is no change to policy arising from these changes.

The amendments will apply to an academic year of a course which begins on or after 1 August 2026 and will apply to both eligible new and continuing undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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 the Strategy and Funding Division, Welsh Government.

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

We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English.