As we shared with you previously, there will be a change to college transport from September 2025, with the introduction of a subsidised charge. We understand that changes like these can have an impact, and we want to continue to keep you informed and ensure you have the support you need.
This means that the current free transport for students living over 3 miles away will be replaced by a subsidised charge.
As a reminder, the cost will be £90 per term for students aged 16-18 and £160 per term for those 19+. This helps us continue providing transport, especially in areas with limited public buses.
We’ll be sending out details on how to pay for your transport pass for September in the coming weeks, so please check your emails regularly. If you haven’t already, and you’re interested in using college transport, please register here:
Financial support options like EMA, Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) and the Welsh Government Learning Grant FE are available to help with these costs. To find out more about these options visit Student Support. If you have any questions, please contact theStudent Services team.
The Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Wales is for you if you’re a full-time student aged 16 to 18 years who lives in Wales. If you’re eligible, you’ll get an allowance of £40 a week. Before you apply for EMA there are few things you will need to check to make sure you qualify, such as:
date of birth – you must be 16-18 years old on the first day of your course
course – you must be studying at a participating school or college on an ‘eligible’ course
household income – this must be below a certain level to receive EMA
nationality and residency – If you’re a UK citizen living in Wales you should be eligible for EMA.
To read more about this visit www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
The Welsh Government Learning Grant is for you if you’re a student aged 19 and over on a full-time or part-time course over 275 hours per year and you live in Wales. It’s an income-assessed grant of up to £1,500 that aims to encourage you to continue with their education, where otherwise this may not be possible.
To read more about this visit www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) is a college support fund that can help with DBS costs, essential course equipment and trips.
This fund could also help you with the cost of Nursery fee, if you have a dependent.
The Scheme is to be used to provide financial help to those eligible learners whose access to education might be inhibited by financial considerations, including:
Students who need help with childcare costs
Students who are carers; have been in care, on probation or are otherwise considered at risk
Students on low income.
To qualify, your household income must be less than £20,817 and you must be over 16 on the first day of your course. We welcome applications and assess on an individual basis.
