Wales: FE fee status

Last modified: 04 July 2024

Before you look at this page, you should read our introductory information about 'Home' and 'Overseas' fees and find out if your course is higher education (HE) or further education (FE). If your course is a HE course in Wales, please refer to our page Wales: HE fee status.

Further education - fee status

Last modified: 04 July 2024

Further education (FE) courses include GCSEs, AS and 'A' levels (and their equivalents), NVQs, GNVQs, BTECs, and Access courses. The info below explains the conditions you need to meet to be entitled to pay tuition fees at the ‘home’ rate on courses of FE in Wales. Check if your course is in higher education (HE) or further education (FE).

The Welsh Government provides funding to FE institutions for 'home' students. Previously the Welsh Government has advised us that FE institutions should determine 'home' fees eligibility using its Guide to the post-16 planning and funding framework. The Guide to the post-16 planning and funding framework is based upon the Education (Fees and Awards) (Wales) Regulations 2007, as amended, which provide for both higher education (HE) and FE fees assessment (but which are primarily used for HE assessment).

The Guide to the post-16 planning and funding framework is now very dated. It was published in 2013. It is now very out-of-sync with provisions in the much-amended Education (Fees and Awards) (Wales) Regulations 2007. We are seeking clarity from the Welsh Government about when the Guide to the post-16 planning and funding framework will be updated or superceded.

If you are a FE student who does not appear to be eligible under any of the provisions in the now-dated Guide to the post-16 planning and funding framework (explained below), you should also check whether there is, instead, underpinning provision for you in the Education (Fees and Awards) (Wales) Regulations 2007, as amended, which we explain in Wales: HE fee status.

If you fit into one of the categories below, an institution must charge you 'home' fees. For an explanation of terms used in the categories, see Definitions at the bottom of this page.

1. Those who are 'settled' in the UK

2. EU/overseas territories nationals, and family

3. EEA / Swiss / overseas territories workers, and family

4. Refugees, and family

5. Person with HP, DL, ELE/ELR, and family

6. Child of a Swiss National

7. Child of a Turkish worker

8. Reciprocal exchange

9. Asylum seekers, and their dependants

10. Those aged 16-18 years

11. Recently settled

12. Spouse/civil partner of a settled person/an EEA national

13. Non-EEA citizens with three years' ordinary residence in the UK

14. Exceptional circumstances


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