Student Finance Wales - Adult Dependants' Grant

Adult Dependants' Grant

You will receive a grant of up to about 4,000 EUR per year (up to 3,474 GBP for 2026/2027 and 3,407 GBP for 2025/2026) if an adult is financially dependent on you whilst you are studying. This grant supplements your regular student finance and does not need to be repaid. The exact amount depends on your household income, the income of the person dependent on you, and whether you have a partner. Part-time students receive an amount based on the intensity of their course. The grant is awarded by Student Finance Wales (SFW), the Welsh Government agency that administers student finance in Wales.

Who can apply

• Dependant: You provide financial support to an adult, such as your husband, wife or partner. This benefit does not apply to children, not even your own adult children.
• Their income: Unless the adult is your spouse or civil partner, their annual income must not exceed 3,923 GBP (approximately 4,500 EUR).
• Not a student themselves: The person you are supporting must not be receiving any student finance.
• Your course: You are undertaking a full-time or part-time undergraduate degree, including distance learning, and receive a means-tested student finance grant from Student Finance Wales.
• Age: You are older than 25 or are considered an independent student. If you are younger than 25 and are considered independent, you may still apply, provided you live with a partner who is dependent on you and you began your studies on or after 1 August 2018.
• Field of study: Any subject.
• Nationality: Any nationality that entitles the holder to Welsh student finance.

How to apply

You apply for this online via Student Finance Wales as part of your main application for student finance. If you have already submitted an application and skipped the section on dependants, please submit the separate application form for dependants’ grants instead. There is no separate deadline beyond that for your application for student finance.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not a competitive scholarship, but an entitlement. If you are already receiving a means-tested Welsh student finance grant and are supporting an adult who meets the income criteria, you are entitled to this. Your chances depend on whether you meet the eligibility criteria and can provide the necessary evidence – not on whether you outshine other applicants. The main grounds for exclusion are dependants who earn too much or who receive student finance themselves.