Fee and access plan

Under the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015, we are required to develop a fee and access plan each year and invest a proportion of undergraduate fee income on fee and access plan activity.

Our fee and access plan sets out the activities we will deliver to ensure equality of opportunity and fair access for groups that are under-represented in higher education, and to support them to achieve successful outcomes. This includes measures to attract applications from and retain students from, those under-represented groups.

The plan also details how we will continue to provide higher education, including Welsh language provision, to all undergraduate students by enhancing student experience and employability.

Fee and access plan summary

To promote equality of opportunity, widen access to higher education, increase Welsh medium learning and improve outcomes for under-represented groups and vulnerable students, we will:

1. Raise aspirations and increase access to HE amongst under-represented groups
2. Ensure that continuation rates for underrepresented groups are in line with the rest of the student population
3. Increase the number of students studying through the medium of Welsh through the enhancement of the University’s Welsh Language community, culture and provision
4. Improve the employability of under-represented students

To promote higher education, improve civic engagement, ensure high-quality teaching and learning and support the student voice and graduate employability, we will:

1. Continue to focus on global, community and civic engagement that is impactful and of high quality
2. Provide a high-quality learning and teaching environment
3. Focus on enhancement that improves the student experience
4. Continue to provide curricula and wider opportunities to enhance student employability

View our current plan

Medr approved variations to our 2023-25 and 2025-27 Fee and Access Plans (FAP) on 25 September 2024. We made changes to our FAPs to address a factual error in Section 1 of the FAP. Prior to HEFCW approval, the changes to our FAP were discussed with student representatives, and agreed by the Chair of the University’s Finance and Resources Committee, by Chair’s Action and under delegated authority from Council.

Earlier variations to the 2023-25 FAP were approved by HEFCW on 25 April 2024. The changes were made to the tuition fee levels in Section 1 of the FAP, following a change to Welsh Government policy in February 2024 which confirmed that the tuition fee cap (the maximum tuition fee that regulated providers can charge to certain students on full-time undergraduate courses) will increase from £9,000 to £9,250 per year. This increase in the tuition fee cap means that Welsh universities can charge the same level of fee charged by higher education providers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland since 2017. Prior to HEFCW approval, the changes to our FAP were agreed by the University’s Finance and Resources Committee, under delegated authority from Council.

To request the earlier versions of the 2023-25 or 2025-27 Fee and Access Plan, or for any other queries about the University's Fee and Access Plan, please contact strategicplanning@cardiff.ac.uk

Plans from previous years

Download our HEFCW approved fees and access plans from previous years: