Welsh Ministers have signed off changes that will matter to students on both sides of the border. From the 2026/27 academic year, Afghan nationals granted indefinite leave to enter or remain under the Afghanistan Response Route will be treated as home students in Wales and able to access Welsh student finance.

The Education (Student Finance) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2026 were made on 2 February 2026, come into force on 4 March 2026, and apply to courses starting on or after 1 August 2026. The rules cover undergraduate, master’s and doctoral support administered by Student Finance Wales, as well as fee status in Welsh universities.

The amendments slot a new limb into existing definitions across the 2007 Fees and Awards Regulations, the 2015 Higher Education regulations, and the 2018–2019 student support schemes. In plain terms, anyone with indefinite leave granted outside the immigration rules on the basis of the Afghanistan Response Route is brought within scope for home fee status, fee limits and student support.

Ministers have also tidied the drafting so that, for the purposes of loans and grants, a person must already hold leave to enter or remain in the UK at the point of applying. That aligns the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral schemes with the approach used in the 2007 and 2015 regulations.

Though the Afghanistan Response Route closed on 4 July 2025, the Welsh Government has moved to ensure those already granted status are not left in limbo. The explanatory note says the change makes such people “eligible for home fee status, the fee limits and student support”, underlining that Welsh institutions and finance agencies should recognise their status from 2026/27.

This matters in the North. Many Afghan families have settled in communities from Wrexham and Flintshire through to Chester, the Wirral and Greater Manchester, with students often mixing Welsh and English study options. Welsh‑domiciled learners can use Student Finance Wales to study anywhere in the UK, so the update will help those heading to Bangor or Wrexham University as well as to universities in Liverpool, Salford or Manchester.

Fee status at English universities is determined by English law, so the Welsh change doesn’t automatically alter how an institution in, say, Leeds or Newcastle sets its fees. But Welsh‑domiciled applicants covered by the rule will still be able to take their Welsh loans and grants with them if they choose to study across the border.

Applicants should expect providers to ask for proof of status, typically a biometric residence permit or Home Office decision letter confirming indefinite leave under the Afghanistan Response Route. Student Finance Wales is expected to update application guidance ahead of the 1 August 2026 academic year start.

The Regulations were signed by Vikki Howells, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, acting under authority of the Cabinet Secretary for Education. A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and is available from the Welsh Government’s Tertiary Education Directorate in Cardiff.

For families planning ahead, the dates matter: the regulations take effect on 4 March 2026 but apply to courses beginning on or after 1 August 2026. If you’re starting earlier, current rules remain in place. If you’re aiming for 2026/27, speak to admissions and finance teams now to line up the right evidence.