Funding Welsh medium higher education
HEFCW funds Welsh medium provision both through its annual recurrent teaching grant to higher education institutions (HEIs) and funding for Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
Our teaching grant to HEIs includes a Welsh medium premium, or extra payment, for enrolments to Welsh medium courses or modules. The premium acknowledges the extra costs of delivering through Welsh. HEFCW funds on a credit basis, with a unit of funding per credit. The premium is equivalent to an additional 34% on the unit of funding for each eligible credit.
In 2005 we commissioned London Economics to carry out a study to determine more precisely the additional costs that can be associated with delivery of courses and modules through Welsh. Their final report was presented to a sector seminar in September 2006.
Following the seminar we consulted with the sector on some minor changes to arrangements for the Welsh medium premium and updating our guidance (Circular W06/56HE). We published the outcome of the consultation and revised guidance in September 2007 (Circular W07/36HE). There is also information on premium allocations in the grant allocations circular which HEFCW publishes each year.
During the 2011/12 academic year, HEFCW expects to provide grant totalling £4.27 million to Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
The funding provides for the central staffing and infrastructure of the Coleg, but the bulk of the funding is directed towards its programmes and activities to support the development of Welsh medium higher education provision and the take-up of Welsh medium opportunities by students. This includes the Coleg’s major programmes such as the scholarship schemes for students, the academic staffing scheme and strategic development projects.
