Senedd petition demands rethink on student finance rules

Ella Groves

A petition calling on the Welsh Government to review student finance rules for specialist performing arts degrees has attracted more than 8,800 signatures, amid concerns that Welsh students could be  disadvantaged.

The petition urges ministers to reconsider funding eligibility changes that will mean Welsh students can no longer access Student Finance Wales support for certain degree-level courses in Circus, Dance and Musical Theatre from September 2026.

Under current rules, for students to qualify for Student Finance Wales support both the university awarding the degree and any partner college delivering the course must be registered with the Office for Students (OfS) in England.

Many specialist performing arts colleges are not OfS-registered, meaning their Welsh students risk losing access to public funding.

Most specialist musical theatre and dance training is delivered by recognised colleges in England in partnership with English universities, with Welsh students traditionally relying on student finance to pursue those routes.

The Office for Students is the regulatory body for higher education providers in England. Registration requirements include having an access and participation plan under the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA), participation in the Teaching Excellence Framework and meeting financial viability standards.

The petition was launched by Jenny Capitao after she discovered the change while researching higher education options with her daughter, who hopes to pursue a career in dance.

“I started this petition after discovering that my own daughter and other Welsh students like her could be unable to access student finance for certain specialist performing arts courses in England because of technical registration rules,” she said.

“Students from other parts of the UK are able to access student finance for these same courses, but Welsh students currently cannot.

“We encourage young people in Wales to work hard and pursue their ambitions, yet some are being placed at a disadvantage simply because of where they live. Access to education and opportunity should not depend on postcode.”

Concerns

Ms Capitao said she had been contacted by families, students and people working in the performing arts sector across Wales who shared similar concerns.

“In just over two weeks, more than 8,800 people have signed the petition, showing how strongly people across Wales feel about this issue,” she added.

The petition closes on 1 March before being referred to the Senedd’s Petitions Committee. Any petition receiving more than 250 signatures must be considered by the committee, while those exceeding 10,000 signatures may be considered for a full debate in the Senedd.