Funding and paying for your learning
Schemes available and criteria required if you are looking for financial assistance.
Concessionary fees
You may be eligible for concessionary fees. Concessionary fee rates are shown below the standard fee rate for each course.
Concessions are available to anyone living in the UK and receiving:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Council Tax Reduction (does not include discounts and exemptions)
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- State pension
- Personal Independence Payment
They are also available to Cardiff University staff and full-time Cardiff University students.
Concessionary fees are not available if a sponsor (such as your employer or Student Finance Wales) is paying the fee.
Enrolling with the concessionary fee
Please send evidence of current eligibility to learn@cardiff.ac.uk when you enrol, such as a:
- Cardiff University staff or student ID card
- screenshot of your benefits account
- letter from the benefits agency confirming entitlement (scans and photographs are acceptable)
Your evidence of entitlement to benefits must clearly show your name, address and benefit awarded. It must be dated within six weeks of your application or clearly show that entitlement is current or ongoing.
Please do not send bank statements as we cannot accept them.
Please contact us if you need further information.
Loans and grants
If you intend to study 30 credits or more in this academic year, you may be able to apply to Student Finance Wales for a tuition fee loan to fund your learning. In some cases, you may also be eligible for certain grants.
You will need to check the eligibility criteria that apply to part-time students. The criteria will vary depending on the academic year you start your studies and whether you are a new or returning student. Read a quick summary.
If you wish to apply you should do so as soon as possible once you have selected your courses. The quickest way is to apply online on the Student Finance Wales website.
Please note that Section 4 of the application form, ‘About your university or college and course’, must be filled out correctly or Student Finance Wales will send the form back to you. If you need assistance in completing the application form then contact Student Services:
+44 (0)29 2251 8888
Fee Waiver Update
Please note: we have reached our fee waiver funding limit for 2023/24. Applications will be added to a waiting list. Unfortunately, we are not able to reserve spaces on courses for applicants on the waiting list.
With the support of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) we are offering a fee waiver scheme (subject to availability) to support students who would not otherwise have access to higher education. Eligible students will have their course fees paid by HEFCW.
To be eligible for a fee waiver you:
- must not study more than 20 credits in this academic year
- must be living in Wales
You must also meet at least one of the following criteria:
- you are from an area of socio-economic deprivation or low participation in higher education
- you receive qualifying benefits such as Universal Credit
- you belong to a Black, Asian or minority ethnic group
- you are a refugee or asylum seeker
- you have a disability
- you are a carer
- you are a Care Leaver or Care Experienced
- you identify as LGBTQ+
- your Parents/guardians are not educated to a higher education level
Go to the Fee Waiver Guidance and Application Form.
Please be aware that the student fee waiver scheme is subject to availability.
Read our Student Fee Waiver leaflet.
Additional financial assistance may also be available from the University to students on low incomes who have no prior experience in Higher Education. For further information on eligibility and the application process, please contact the Advice and Money Team.
Pay by instalment
For courses where the fee payable is over £380, payment can be made by two instalments (payment by instalment is not possible if you are enrolling online).
The first instalment will be £265 and is required when you complete an application for the course. You will then be advised of the due date and amount of the second instalment by letter.
Pay by invoice
If your employer (other than the university) is paying for the course and would prefer to pay by invoice they will need to provide a purchase order. This should be included in your application to the course. If you are unable to attach a purchase order, please contact us.
Contact
If you have any questions about funding or payment, please get in touch.
This summer we’re offering intensive language courses in Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish and Ukrainian. A range of levels are available from beginners to more advanced.
