Medr update: access to specialist performing arts degrees in England

Medr was last year made aware of issues regarding Welsh-domiciled students being unable to access student finance for certain specialist performing arts degrees delivered through university partnerships in England. Whilst Medr has no involvement in the automatic designation of courses for student support, we have continued to monitor the situation and highlighted to the Welsh Government the impact it is having on prospective learners and their future aspirations.

Last year, the Welsh Government and Student Finance Wales reviewed the automatic designation of franchise providers of English institutions registered by the Office for Students. Through this process, they found a number of instances whereby franchise providers had been incorrectly uploaded to Student Loan Company systems by the franchising institution.

This does not represent a change in the way that courses are designated – it represents an error made by the franchising institution.

It is important to emphasise that it is the responsibility of the franchising institution to ensure it is aware of the support available to students and to communicate that accordingly. It should also be noted that student support legislation differs across the four nations of the United Kingdom and eligibility in one jurisdiction does not automatically confer eligibility in another.

Only providers meeting the legislative criteria, such as being registered with the Office for Students, are automatically designated. Further information on the automatic designation of higher education courses can be found on the Welsh Government website.

Where automatic designation is not available, the franchising institution may apply, on behalf of their franchise provider, to Medr for Specific Course Designation for Welsh domiciled student support. Medr is then responsible for assessing applications for Specific Course Designation and advising Welsh Ministers on their eligibility.

If Specific Course Designation is granted by Welsh Ministers, the tuition fee loan available to students is set at the lower fee limit, currently £6,355 (rising to £6,525 for the 2026/27 academic year). We remain available to discuss designation processes or application routes with any franchising institution or provider seeking clarity.

It may also be worth noting the Welsh Government consulted last year on changes to the designation policy. Separately, the UK Government have also proposed in a recent consultation that franchised delivery partners with 300 or more students must be registered with the Office for Students for courses they deliver to be designated for student finance. This will require many providers to register with the Office for Students and would affect their eligibility for designation in Wales, particularly in the context of the proposed changes by the Welsh Government.

This information is intended to set out clearly Medr’s role in relation to course designation following a number of concerned correspondence with Medr on this issue.