Household income
Your eligibility for WGLG FE is dependent on your household income. You can get up to £1,500 for a full-time course, or up to £750 for a part-time course.
The household income is the income of either:
- you or your partner (if you have one)
- you or your parent(s)
- you or your parent and their partner
Dependent students
If you live with your parent(s) you’re considered a dependent student.
If you’re applying for the 2024 to 2025 academic year, you must give your income details for tax year 2022 to 2023 (6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023).
Your parent(s), or your parent and their partner, must give their income details for tax year 2022 to 2023 (6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023).
The higher income from you or your parent(s) will be used to assess your entitlement.
More information about household income can be found in our parents and partners section.
Independent students
You’re normally considered an independent student if:
- you’re 25 or over
- you’re responsible for a child
- you have supported yourself financially for at least three years
- you have been estranged from your parents for more than 12 months
- your parents are deceased
- you’re married or in a civil partnership
- you’re a ‘care leaver’ who has been in the care of your local authority between the ages of 14 or 16, depending on when you started your course
If you’re applying for the 2024 to 2025 academic year, you must provide details of your income for tax year 2022 to 2023 (6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023).
If you’re married or in a civil partnership, your partner must also give their income details for tax year 2022 to 2023 (6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023).
The higher income from you or your partner (if applicable) will be used to assess your entitlement. More information about household income can be found in our parents and partners section.
If you’re a care leaver (you have not lived in the legal care of your parents for at least 13 weeks before turning 25), you will not need to give us any financial information when you complete your application. But you will need to send evidence of your status.
Find out more about applying as an independent student.
Household income thresholds
How much you get will depend on your total household income.
The table shows the household income thresholds. You can also use the FE calculator to work out how much you could get. You can get up to £1,500 for a full-time course, or up to £750 for a part-time course.
The table shows how much you could get based on your household income.
| Annual household income | Part-time (275 – 499 hours) | Full-time (500+ hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £6,120 | £750 | £1,500 |
| £6,121 – £ 12,235 | £450 | £750 |
| £12,236 – £18,370 | £300 | £450 |
| £18,371 and above | £0 | £0 |
If your household income has gone down
If your household income has permanently dropped since the 2022 to 2023 tax year, we can assess your application using your current household income. You’ll need to send evidence of both you and your parents’ or partner’s current income. The evidence must show there’s been a permanent drop in income since the 2022 to 2023 tax year.
The application guidance notes give more information about the types of evidence they can send.
Once you’ve been awarded WGLG FE, we may contact you in the future and ask for evidence. This is to make sure you continue to be eligible.