Consultation Responses
Consultation Responses
Consultation response: Regulation of higher education providers and designation for student support
29 Jul 2025
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We regulate fee levels at higher education institutions, ensure a framework is in place for assessing the quality of higher education and scrutinise the performance of tertiary education providers.
We are developing a new regulatory system for tertiary education that we expect to be fully established by August 2027.
Medr takes over specific regulatory duties in this area from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).
These relate to:
- monitoring regulated institutions’ compliance with fee and access plans
- assessing the quality of education
- monitoring institutions’ compliance with the Financial Management Code
- providing information and advice to Welsh Ministers.
Medr also takes over responsibilities from the Welsh Government in respect of monitoring other tertiary providers’ compliance with Terms and Conditions of Funding.
Charging undergraduate fees: developing fee and access plans
An institution that wants its full-time undergraduate courses to be automatically designated for higher education student support must submit a fee and access plan to us. This process will be in place until the new regulatory system is established.
If the plan is accepted, the institution could charge up to the maximum fee limit of £9,535, and students studying those courses at that institution can apply for a tuition fee loan up to that amount.
Eligible institutions must:
- be located in Wales
- provide higher education
- be a charity
On application an institution must provide information about its financial viability, the arrangements for organising and managing its financial affairs, and the quality of education it provides or is provided on its behalf.
A fee and access plan must set out the objectives of an institution as they relate to equality of opportunity and the promotion of higher education. We expect institutions to contact us before applying for the first time.
Guidance on producing a fee and access plan
Full information on how to apply for a fee and access plan can be found in the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales’s fee and access plan guidance, which continues to be applicable until Medr produces its own.
This guidance was informed by guidance to HEFCW from the Welsh Government. For more information contact [email protected].
- Fee and Access Plan Guidance (HEFCW circular W24/07HE)
- Guidance on varying a fee and access plan
- Fee and access plan variation change request form
- Students’ involvement in fee and access planning processes
- Review of fee and access plan evaluation frameworks
- Process for rejecting fee and access plans
More information on quality requirements for fee and access plans is available on the quality page.
Specific course designation
UK providers whose courses are not automatically designated for Welsh student support must have their courses specifically designated for student support.
Medr administers the process for assessing specific course applications, giving assurance to Welsh Ministers, who decide whether a course or courses can be designated.
The Welsh Government’s Policy and a list of those courses currently specifically designated for student support are on the Student Finance Wales website.
Applicants that have not previously had courses specifically designated for student support should contact [email protected] before submitting an application.
Higher education providers
For higher education providers seeking the specific designation of courses, please see our application guidance. This document should be read in conjunction with the Welsh Government Process for Specific Designation and providers should complete both Annex B and Annex C. Please contact [email protected] before submitting an application.
For higher education providers who currently have specific designation of courses for Welsh domiciled students, Medr monitors designation on annual basis. This is informed by our monitoring guidance and should be read in conjunction with the Welsh Government Process for Specific Designation. Every year, Medr will contact those providers and request them to verify an existing course list, and complete our monitoring form.
School Centred Initial Teacher Training Providers (SCITTs)
For School Centred Initial Teacher Training providers seeking the specific designation of courses, please see our application guidance. This document should be read in conjunction with the Welsh Government Process for Specific Designation and providers should complete both Annex B and Annex C. Please contact [email protected] before submitting an application.
For Higher Education providers who currently have specific designation of courses for Welsh domiciled students, Medr monitors designation on annual basis. This is informed by our monitoring guidance and should be read in conjunction with the Welsh Government Process for Specific Designation. Every year, Medr will contact those providers and request them to verify an existing course list, and complete our monitoring form.
Automatic course designation
A course is only automatically designated (and attracts statutory student support) if the institution or other provider meets the requirements set out in student support regulations. The Welsh Government has provided information explaining the conditions for a higher education course to attract student support on its website. Only those institutions in Wales with an approved fee and access plan have their full time higher education courses automatically designated for student support.
Medr has statutory oversight of the Fee and Access Plan function. For more information on fee and access plans, contact [email protected].
As this was administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) until 31 July 2024, HEFCW’s most recent guidance still applies.
Providers with fee and access plans
Providers with current fee and access plans, which are available on their websites, are:
Aberystwyth University
Bangor University
Cardiff University
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Coleg Cambria
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai
Grŵp NPTC Group
Swansea University
University of South Wales
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Wrexham University
Statement of intervention
The Statement of Intervention describes the range of ways in which we might respond to help institutions resolve difficulties and manage risks.
We might intervene if the interests of students, the reputation of the tertiary education and research sector or the wider education sector need to be protected; or to safeguard public spending.
We will be required to intervene when an institution has failed, despite reasonable time and support, to satisfactorily address serious issues, or where an issue is sufficiently serious that more immediate action must be taken.
As this was administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) until 31 July 2024, HEFCW’s most recent guidance still applies.
Guidance on partnership arrangements for higher education providers
We provide guidance on franchise partnership arrangements in Wales, taking account of the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015.
Automatic course designation
A course is only automatically designated (and attracts statutory student support) if the institution or other provider meets the requirements set out in student support regulations. The Welsh Government has provided information explaining the conditions for a higher education course to attract student support on its website. Only those institutions in Wales with an approved fee and access plan have their full time higher education courses automatically designated for student support.
Medr has statutory oversight of the Fee and Access Plan function. For more information on fee and access plans, contact [email protected].
As this was administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) until 31 July 2024, HEFCW’s most recent guidance still applies.
Providers with fee and access plans
Providers with current fee and access plans, which are available on their websites, are:
Aberystwyth University
Bangor University
Cardiff University
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Coleg Cambria
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai
Grŵp NPTC Group
Swansea University
University of South Wales
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Wrexham University
Statement of intervention
The Statement of Intervention describes the range of ways in which we might respond to help institutions resolve difficulties and manage risks.
We might intervene if the interests of students, the reputation of the tertiary education and research sector or the wider education sector need to be protected; or to safeguard public spending.
We will be required to intervene when an institution has failed, despite reasonable time and support, to satisfactorily address serious issues, or where an issue is sufficiently serious that more immediate action must be taken.
As this was administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) until 31 July 2024, HEFCW’s most recent guidance still applies.
Guidance on partnership arrangements for higher education providers
We provide guidance on franchise partnership arrangements in Wales, taking account of the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015.
Future plans for regulation
Medr is now the regulatory authority for tertiary education in Wales, taking over the duties of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) in relation to higher education, and the Welsh Government in relation to some aspects of further education.
Established under the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 under the name Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, Medr aims to maintain high standards and ensure equitable access to quality education and research.
Over the next two years, we will be consulting on the development of a new regulatory system for all of tertiary education, in line with the requirements of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022.
Our regulatory framework, developed in line with the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022, introduces a streamlined and effective approach to regulating tertiary education and research. This system builds on the foundation provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and introduces modern practices to enhance quality, transparency, and inclusivity.
Key Features
Risk-based regulation
- Targeted oversight: Focuses regulatory efforts on institutions based on their risk profiles, ensuring efficient and effective use of resources.
- Reduced burden: Minimises unnecessary compliance burdens on well-performing institutions.
Quality assurance
- Maintaining standards: Continues the commitment to high standards in education and research, promoting continuous improvement and adaptation.
- Rigorous assessments: Regular reviews ensure institutions meet the quality criteria set by Medr.
Financial oversight
- Ensuring stability: Monitors financial health to ensure institutions remain viable and capable of providing quality education.
- Guidance and support: Offers best practice guidelines for financial management and planning.
Equality of opportunity
- Widening access: Requires institutional investment to make education accessible to all, particularly those groups underrepresented in tertiary education, aligning with Welsh Government policies.
- Removing barriers: Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of effective practice to reduce obstacles and deliver good educational outcomes for learners.
Transparency
- Clear reporting: Requires institutions to maintain transparency and accountability in their operations, fostering trust and confidence among stakeholders.
The Register will be a crucial element of Medr’s regulatory system, and will list all approved tertiary education institutions in Wales that deliver higher education. This register will ensure that there is oversight of Welsh institutions that benefit from public funding, providing a reliable resource for students, employers, and the public.
Only registered institutions will be eligible for public funding and whose students will be able to access financial support, ensuring that resources support credible and compliant institutions. They will also need to meet rigorous quality standards, ensuring they provide reliable and high-quality education.
We plan to consult on developing the conditions of registration, as well as the process for registration throughout 2025, with a view to implementing the new arrangements on 1 August 2026, with applications opening in Spring 2026. Once operational, the register will be publicly available through our website.
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Medr/2025/02: Consultation on a new regulatory system including conditions of registration and funding
15 May 2025
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