Financial support
We don’t want cost to be a barrier to anyone studying at Coleg y Cymoedd.
Depending on your personal circumstances, there are lots of ways you can get help with the cost of studying, including, grants, bursaries, loans and allowances.
What funding can I get?
The funding you’re eligible for depends on your age, household income and type of course. This is a summary of some of the types of funding you might be able to apply for.
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Funding for 16-18 year olds
There are several sources of funding to help you continue your education beyond compulsory school age.
These are the main types of college funding you could qualify for aged 16-18. Contact Learner Services if you need more support and advice on what’s available.
EMA is for 16 to 18 year olds living in Wales who want to continue their education after school leaving age.
Subject to eligibility, you could get £40 a week, paid every two weeks.
EMA eligibility
To be eligible for EMA you must:
- Be 16-18 years old when your course begins.
- Resident in the UK.
- Studying on an academic or vocational course up to and including level three.
- Have a household income of £23,400 or less if you’re the only young person in the household, or £25,974 or less if there’s more than one (including you).
You will also need to complete a Learning Agreement with Coleg y Cymoedd and have 100% attendance each week to receive your payments.
Check the full EMA eligibility criteria at Student Finance Wales.
How to apply for EMA
You can apply throughout the academic year.
Applications for EMA open in April and you can apply before you have your GCSE results. Submit your application by 30 June to make sure you have funding in place for your course start.
The Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) is for learners who are experiencing financial difficulty and are at risk of dropping out of college because of low income and challenging circumstances.
FCF eligibility
To be considered for FCF you must:
- Be over 16
- On a full-time course
There are then different eligibility criteria depending on what you are claiming support with.
How to apply for FCF
You can apply at any point in the academic year. It’s a good idea to apply as soon as you enrol to get the maximum available support from the fund.
Further education funding for adults (18+)
Adults in further education can apply for financial support depending on their needs and circumstances.
Contact Learner and Campus Services to find out more about what you might be eligible for.
The Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG) is for learners aged 19 or over who are studying a further education course at college.
If you’re eligible, you could get up to £1,919 a year for studying on a full-time course or up to £959 a year to study part-time.
WGLG eligibility
To be eligible for the Welsh Government learning grant you must:
- Live in Wales
- Be studying for a level 2 or level 3 qualification
- Have a household income of less than £18,370
The amount you are entitled to depends on your household income.
Contact Learner and Campus Services for more information about courses that are eligible for WGLG FE support.
How to apply for WGLG
Funding application for the following September opens in April. You need to apply for WGLG FE funding through Student Finance Wales.
If you’re a learner aged 19 or over with a low household income you can apply to the Financial Contingency Fund (FCF).
The fund can help adult learners with expenses like childcare, course equipment and travel.
FCF 19+ eligibility
You need to meet similar FCF criteria as younger learners if you’re aged 19+.
To benefit from the fund you must:
- Be on a full-time course.
- Receive benefits (or live with someone who does).
- Have a household income of £16,190 or less.
There are then different eligibility criteria depending on what you are claiming support with.
How to apply for FCF 19+
You can apply at any point in the academic year. It’s a good idea to apply as soon as you enrol to get the maximum available support from the fund.
You can apply at any point in the academic year although it’s best to do it as early as possible.
Find out more about Coleg y Cymoedd’s Financial Contingency Fund (FCF), including how to apply.
Personal Learning Account (PLA) helps you gain qualifications to increase your employment opportunities in priority sectors across Wales.
PLA works a bit differently to other types of college funding. Instead of getting a loan or grant, you get access through your account to courses you can study for free.
Courses are aligned with sectors that have skills shortages. Browse PLA courses you can study at Coleg y Cymoedd.
PLA eligibility
To be eligible for a PLA you must:
- Be over 19
- Live in Wales
- Be employed, self-employed or a full-time carer
You also need to have a salary of £34,303 or less for most courses.
How to apply for PLA
You can apply for a fully funded PLA course directly through Coleg y Cymoedd.
React+ is a grant programme from the Welsh Government to help get you back into work after redundancy with a grant of up to £1,500.
React+ funding can help with the costs of:
- Vocational training.
- Travel costs.
- Childcare.
ReAct+ eligibility
To be eligible for ReAct+ support you must:
- Be aged 20+.
- Live in Wales.
- Have the right to live and work in the UK.
You also need to meet one of the following criteria:
- You are under formal notice of redundancy.
- You were made redundant within the last six months.
- You are an ex-offender.
- You are an offender serving a community sentence.
How to apply for ReAct+
You need to book an appointment with a Careers Wales adviser to apply for ReAct+.
Find out more about ReAct+, including how to apply at your nearest Careers Wales office.
The Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme (ELCAS) is funding for current and ex-members of the armed forces.
Depending on your length of service, you could get £1,000-£2,000 towards the cost of your course each year.
ELCAS eligibility
The ELCAS scheme is for current or past member of the armed forces.
- You must have served for at least four years.
- If you’re a veteran, you must have left the forces within the last five years.
- Your course must be level three or higher.
How to apply for ELCAS
You need to apply with your services education staff if you’re still in service. If you’ve left the forces, contact your single service representative.
Funding for higher education learners
There are several routes to financing your university-level studies at Coleg y Cymoedd.
Most learners on qualifying courses will be able to apply for student finance and there’s extra support available for some learners.
You can get a student loan of up to £9,790 to cover the cost of a higher education course like a degree, HND or PGCE. The tuition fee loan does not depend on your household income.
You could also get up to £12,590 as a mixture of loan and grant to help with your living costs. How much you get depends on:
- Whether you live with parents or independently from them.
- Your household income.
- Whether you’re studying full-time or part time.
For example, full-time learners not living with parents can claim a non-repayable grant of between £1,020 up to £8,260, depending on household income.
A similar package is available to eligible part-time students, on a pro-rata basis related to intensity of study.
Student finance eligibility
You could be eligible for student finance if your course at Coleg y Cymoedd leads to one of these qualifications:
- First Degree – Bachelor of Arts (BA), Science (BSc) or Education (BEd).
- Foundation Degree.
- Certificate of Higher Education.
- Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE).
- Higher National Certificate (HNC).
- Higher National Diploma (HND).
- A Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE).
- Initial Teacher Education (ITE).
How to apply for student finance
Applications for courses starting the following September open in late March.
There are several other schemes you might be eligible for:
- Disabled students allowance – Extra support on top of your student finance to help with study related costs.
- ELCAS – For current or ex members of the armed forces.
Funding for employers
There are a number of schemes that offer funding to employers and businesses to help encourage upskilling including:
Find out more about funding courses for your employees or contact our Partnerships Team.
Aberdare
Wellington Street
Aberdare
Rhondda Cynon Taff
CF44 8EN
Nantgarw
Heol y Coleg
Parc Nantgarw
Cardiff
CF15 7QY
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Rhondda Cynon Taff
CF40 2TQ
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Twyn Road
Ystrad Mynach
Hengoed
CF82 7XR
