Welsh Ministers have made the Education (Student Finance) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (WSI 2026/19). The instrument comes into force on 4 March 2026 and applies to academic years beginning on or after 1 August 2026 (AY 2026/27). It updates multiple higher education finance regulations so that indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILE/ILR) granted under the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) is recognised within the “relevant Afghan citizen” category for fees and student support, subject to the usual residence conditions. (gov.uk)
On tuition fees, the Regulations amend the Education (Fees and Awards) (Wales) Regulations 2007 by refining drafting around leave “granted” in the United Kingdom and by expanding the definition of “person with leave to enter or remain as a relevant Afghan citizen” to capture those with ILE/ILR outside the Rules on the basis of the ARR. This brings eligible ARR status holders into scope for home fee status and fee limits where other conditions are met. (legislation.gov.uk)
Parallel changes are made to the Higher Education (Qualifying Courses, Qualifying Persons and Supplementary Provision) (Wales) Regulations 2015 so that the same definition applies when determining who is a qualifying person on a qualifying course. The existing tests around ordinary residence, including being ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom on the first day of the first academic year of the course, continue to apply. (legislation.gov.uk)
For undergraduate student support, the Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2018 are amended in Schedule 2 (category 2ZA – protected persons and family members). The drafting changes replace “granted” with “who has” in the chapeau to ensure an extant leave requirement at the point of eligibility, and add ARR-based ILE/ILR alongside existing Afghan schemes, aligning student support with the fees framework. (legislation.gov.uk)
Postgraduate support is adjusted on the same basis. The Education (Postgraduate Doctoral Degree Loans) (Wales) Regulations 2018 and the Education (Student Support) (Postgraduate Master’s Degrees) (Wales) Regulations 2019 adopt the extant-leave formulation and recognise ARR-based ILE/ILR within the “relevant Afghan citizen” definition. Existing termination provisions, under which eligibility ceases if the relevant leave expires and no further leave is granted, continue to apply. (legislation.gov.uk)
The ARR was a time‑limited route established in April 2024 and discontinued on 4 July 2025. Individuals invited under the policy continue to be processed and, on arrival, receive ILE/ILR with access to public services; the Welsh amendments ensure those grants are treated consistently with ARAP and ACRS within higher education fees and support from AY 2026/27. (gov.uk)
Providers and student finance administrators should note the timing. With commencement on 4 March 2026 and application from AY 2026/27, admissions and fees teams have one recruitment cycle to embed the changes, update eligibility checks to recognise ARR-based ILE/ILR evidence, and ensure fee classification and statutory support decisions reflect the revised definitions. (legislation.gov.uk)
For prospective and continuing students who hold ARR-based ILE/ILR and meet residence requirements, the amendments will enable home fee status and access to student support in Wales once their course falls within AY 2026/27 or later. Students should ensure their leave remains current; if leave lapses without renewal, eligibility for postgraduate loans and other support terminates under existing rules. (legislation.gov.uk)