To receive WGLG FE, students must be studying a designated course. The course must be provided by or in a recognised school or college.

The school or college is responsible for confirming that the student’s course is eligible for WGLG FE funding. You can do this through the Learning Centre Portal, as part of the process for confirming the student’s WGLG FE Learning Agreement.

Contact hours

All students must follow or intend to follow a designated course that has at least 275 contact hours. For the purposes of WGLG FE eligible designated courses must have:

• 500 or more contact hours if they are full-time
• 275 to 499 contact hours if they are part-time

The WGLG FE scheme leaves some room for interpretation of contact hours. These are the time when an eligible student receives teaching or supervision during periods of study or practice.

Generally, this should include any time when a member of the Learning Centre staff is present to give specific guidance towards the learning activity. It can also be a member of staff of a subcontracted organisation.

Contact hours may include lectures, tutorials and supervised study in the workplace. They may also include contact time with staff assessing the student's achievements, for example, assessment of competence.

You must ensure the number of contact hours the course has meets the requirements for WGLG FE support. You must also ensure you can record attendance for administration and audit purposes.

Course type

Eligible course criteria are set out in the WGLG FE scheme. An eligible designated course must:

• be publicly funded
• require attendance at a recognised education provider

Courses must be recognised qualifications up to and including National Qualifications level 3.

An important requirement is that the course must show some measure of progression for the student from beginning to end. Both academic and vocational courses are included.

Only further education courses are valid for WGLG FE. Higher education courses (level 4 and upwards) do not qualify.

Eligible course types

Entry level:

• preparation for level 1 qualifications
• Traineeship Engagement

Foundation level 1:

• BTEC level 1
• NVQ level 1
• Traineeship level 1
• City & Guilds level 1
• VRQ level 1

Intermediate level 2:

• BTEC level 2
• NVQ level 2
• GCSEs
• City & Guilds level 2
• VRQ level 2

Advanced level 3:

• A levels
• Access to Higher Education
• BTEC level 3
• NVQ level 3
• VRQ level 2

You can find more information about qualifications and how to process these in the Learning Centre Portal user guide.

If you are not sure if a course is valid or not, you should email the Welsh Government at studentfinancedivision@gov.wales.

Eligible courses – Independent Living Skills programmes

For the WGLG (FE) scheme, eligible students must be undertaking a further education course up to level 3. This is equivalent to A levels or NVQ level 3, leading to a qualification issued by a recognised awarding body.

From academic year 2019/20, the Welsh Government extended support to students with learning difficulties and disabilities on Independent Living Skills (ILS) programmes that are made up of unaccredited provision.

All Learning Centres offering ILS programmes are responsible for determining the suitability of the students.

ILS programmes follow a robust schedule of processes for:

• initial student assessments
• target setting
• monitored achievement against target

These processes set by the Welsh Government fit with current WGLG FE agreements.

The revised curriculum was developed in response to recommendations set out in a recent Estyn Thematic Report. Each new programme is designed to provide a practical approach for gaining and consolidating skills, to prepare students for adult life.

Under the new curriculum, ILS students follow tailored individual programmes which develop their skills across 4 pillars of learning:

• health and wellbeing
• employability
• independent living
• community inclusion

To support this new development, students with learning difficulties commencing an ILS programme are eligible for WGLG FE support from academic year 2019/20. This is subject to satisfying all other eligibility criteria. These include personal eligibility, income thresholds and residency requirements.

The programme is wholly non-accredited. It leads to the achievement of a personalised learning programme funded by the Welsh Government under Preparation for Life and Work.

Work-related study

Students who attend a school or college as part of an apprenticeship or work-related study are not eligible for WGLG FE.

If a compulsory work placement is part of the student's course, this will count towards the overall contact hours for WGLG FE.

If placements are a compulsory element of a course, it is important that there is no double funding. This could occur if students receive a work-based learning (WBL) allowance.

Distance Learning

The WGLG scheme rules do not have provisions for distance learning. We may award discretionary payments to students who are unable to attend in person learning sessions at a learning centre due to a disability. This must be set out in their learning agreement.