Cost of living: Wales student finance support up 9.4%

Welsh students are set to see a rise in maintenance support amid the cost of living crisis.

The Welsh government has announced a rise of 9.4% for the 2023-24 academic year, subject to new regulations.

The amount the average full-time student can claim in maintenance grants and loans will increase from £10,710 to £11,720.

In contrast, the UK government has announced a 2.8% increase for students ordinarily resident in England.

It comes as students report rising costs leading to hostile flats, stress, and choosing between food and fun.

The change will apply to full-time and part-time higher education students who began a course on or after 1 August 2018.

It does not apply to postgraduates. The postgraduate support and the doctoral loan amount were increased by 1.8%, the Welsh government said.

The household income thresholds for claiming will not change.

'Welcome change'

Beth Williams, who is studying English literature and journalism at Cardiff University, said transport and groceries were eating into her budget significantly this year.

"This is definitely a welcome change I think... it's almost a grand extra so that's really going to help," the 20-year-old said.

"It means students can focus more on their studies and not have the added stress of the financial implications of being a student."

Now in her third year, Ms Williams, from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, said she wanted to prioritise her studies over working at this point.

"It hasn't been possible for me to get a part-time job because of that so I've had to dip into my savings from my summer job," she said.

Living costs support is rising in line with the National Living Wage, which is unique to Wales.

The highest level of grant support is given to those students most in need. Maintenance grant amounts are not changing, but loans are increasing.

Education minister Jeremy Miles said: "Living costs should never be a barrier to studying at university. This increase in support will ensure that students from all backgrounds are able to access higher education."

Ms Williams said she, like many other students, was a lot more conscious of the cost of living.

"I do a lot more cooking at home now than I did last year...We're being a lot more thrifty I feel as well. We're always looking for deals and asking if we can get a discount, making the most of the student discount while we can."