The Open University has warned that rising demand for flexible higher education in Wales is outpacing funding, putting future workforce development and access to study at risk. The university is calling on the new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government to provide more funding to support flexible learning, as student numbers have more than doubled over the past decade, from 7,000 to over 16,000 currently.
Student numbers accelerated notably during the pandemic, rising by 32% in 2020/21, and have continued to climb steadily since. More than half of all part-time higher education students in Wales now study with the Open University. Despite this growth, funding for flexible higher education has fallen significantly in real terms over the last ten years. In today's prices, this equates to a reduction of approximately £288 (18.98%) per student compared with 2015/16 levels.
The university warns that while demand is continuing to rise, the financial support system has not kept pace, placing increasing pressure on provision. Across all providers in Wales, total funding for part-time higher education was £28.6 million in 2015/16. By 2024/25, this had risen to £34.8 million. The Open University says if funding kept pace with inflation, the equivalent figure would have been around £38.3 million. At the same time, student numbers studying part-time across Wales increased by around 12%, meaning the system is supporting more learners with comparatively fewer resources in real terms.
On a per-student basis, funding equated to £1,135 in 2015/16. Adjusted for inflation, this would be around £1,519 today, compared with actual funding of £1,231 per student – a real-terms reduction of approximately 19%. In the current 2025-26 financial year, Medr, the Welsh Government's post-16 education body, has allocated the Open University £22.9 million for its Welsh activities.
While the university does not incur the same campus-related costs as physical universities, it stressed that flexible and distance learning provision still requires significant investment in teaching, student support, specialist course development, and support services – particularly given the high proportion of part-time, working, disabled, and widening participation learners it supports.
Ben Lewis, principal and nation director of the Open University in Wales, said: "Flexible learning has moved firmly into the mainstream, becoming central to how many people access education and develop their skills throughout their lives. We are seeing sustained growth in demand from people who are balancing study with work and family commitments, but the current funding model is not keeping pace with that reality."
He added: "Without early action from the new Welsh Government, there is a real risk to the long-term sustainability of flexible higher education. This matters not just for universities, but for Wales' future workforce, its economic growth, and the delivery of the government's priorities. Flexible higher education plays a critical role in widening participation, enabling people to retrain, upskill, and change careers. It helps address workforce shortages in key sectors such as teaching, nursing, and social care, and opens up access to higher education for those who may not otherwise have the opportunity."
The university is calling on the Welsh Government to take action to safeguard and strengthen the sector. This includes improving funding for flexible provision, protecting maintenance support for part-time students, and increasing the amount part-time students can borrow to cover tuition fees. It says flexible learning helps retain skills within local communities, enabling people to study and progress without leaving their area.
Many Open University students in Wales use flexible learning to progress in their careers, retrain, or access new opportunities while continuing to work and support their families. Learners like Rachel Townsend demonstrate the real-world impact of flexible study. Rachel, 43, from Ystalyfera, balanced full-time work and raising two children as a single parent while studying for a BA (Hons) in Social Work through a local authority scheme with the Open University.
Previously working in social care support roles, she had reached a ceiling in her career progression without a qualification. Unable to give up work or attend in-person sessions, traditional university was not an option. Flexible learning provided a route into higher education that could fit around family responsibilities and working full-time. Since graduating, she has progressed into senior leadership roles within social care, including managing a hospital social work team, and has now launched her own care home business, supporting people with disabilities and complex needs. Alongside her work, she also mentors and supervises Open University social work students herself, helping support the next generation entering the profession.
She said: "Without the flexibility of the Open University, I simply would not have been able to study. I was working full time, raising two children on my own, and needed to keep earning while improving my qualifications. Traditional university was never a realistic option for me. The flexibility meant that I could fit study around my life – often doing coursework in the evenings after the children had gone to bed. It completely changed my future. My degree has given me the opportunity to progress in my career, improve my financial stability, and ultimately achieve things I never thought would be possible. I've gone from feeling stuck in my role to managing teams, mentoring students, and now building my own care business supporting others."
Since 2021/22, 248 social workers have qualified through the Open University in Wales, with annual graduate numbers rising by more than 220%.
