Written question WQ91345
- Asked by
- Rhys ab OwenIndependent
- To be answered by
- Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What is the Minister doing to close the class divide in postgraduate education?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The Welsh Government has made financial support available for postgraduate study for many years. Our policy ensures that professions which require postgraduate qualification as the norm and which are of strategic importance to the Welsh Government, including teaching, social work and health-related professions, are given particular priority for funding and are open to everyone, regardless of their background. Some of these are qualifying courses (as provided for by Higher Education (Qualifying Courses, Qualifying Persons and Supplementary Provision) (Wales) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/1484)) and so are subject to the provisions for widening access and the promotion of higher education made by the Higher Education (Fee and Access Plans) (Wales) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/1498).
The Welsh Government has also made available loans (since 2017) and grants (since 2019) to assist those who are considering an investment in postgraduate Master’s education, where a course is not supported as described above. A loan has been available for those on doctoral courses since 2018. While grants for Master’s study will cease from the 2024/25 academic year due to budget pressures, a loan will remain available.
According to HESA data, the number of Welsh domiciled postgraduate students has grown from 16,955 in 2017/18 to 23,090 in 2021/22 (the latest year for which data is available), an increase of 36%.