Welsh providers

From 1 August 2017, the automatic designation of full-time higher education courses applies only to courses provided by 'recognised educational institutions'.

A 'recognised educational institution' is currently defined as either:

• a Welsh-regulated institution, meaning an institution which has a fee and access plan approved by the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (Medr) under Section 7 of the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015 while that plan remains in force
  
  
• a provider operated by a charity within the meaning in section 1 of the Charities Act 2011 on behalf of a Welsh-regulated institution

If a higher education course is not automatically designated, the Welsh Ministers will need to specifically designate it. You must not add courses to the Courses Management Service (CMS) before the Welsh Ministers have granted designation. 

If the Welsh Ministers advise that your courses are only designated for continuing students, you must set your course to returning students only when saving to CMS.

Only then can students apply for financial support from the Welsh Government. The Welsh Ministers might designate these courses on a course-by-course basis.

If you are a Welsh provider that is not a 'recognised educational institution' and want to offer your courses to students under other designating authorities, you must request specific course level designation from the relevant authority.

We can request this on your behalf for Northern Irish and Scottish students. English students will be automatically designated for Welsh alternative providers if Wales has designated the provider.

Currently DfE NI does not designate postgraduate courses at alternative providers. You must not add these courses to CMS.