Higher Education Course Designation: overview

The Welsh Government designates courses if they meet certain criteria. Students who normally live in Wales may be eligible for student grants and loans when attending ‘designated’ courses.

To attract student support, it is the responsibility of providers of higher education to ensure that their undergraduate or postgraduate courses are designated before admitting Welsh students. Not doing so could lead to significant financial and well-being harm for students.

It is important to note that criteria for course designation are not the same across each of the UK nations. Providers should not assume a course designated by the UK Government, the Scottish Government or the Northern Ireland Executive will also be designated by the Welsh Government.

Automatic designation

This is a course provider who satisfies the criteria for designated courses within the student support regulations. They can have their courses automatically designated for Welsh Government student support.

Further information on the criteria for designated courses is available in the higher education course designation policy.

Specific or case-by-case designation

This is for courses that do not satisfy the criteria to be automatically designated. The provider may apply to the Welsh Ministers for specific designation, via Medr.

Further information on the process for a provider to apply for specific designation of higher education courses is available in the Welsh student support: policy for specific course designation.