Many learners are in the lurch because they lack support and funding crucial to their studies. NUS Wales has begun to research this priority area with a survey of students in further education. 

Deputy President Raechel Mattey said: 

"Further education students get a raw deal when it comes to support and funding, particularly when compared to their fellow students in higher education. While students in Wales get a better deal with EMA still intact, that may not always be the case. So NUS Wales needs to be setting the agenda. The first step is research.

"We want to hear directly from FE students about what they know and what they need in terms of support and funding. With students' help, we can begin to make a case for changing this broken model."

Raechel is taking the survey -- both in electronic and paper format -- around Wales' freshers fayres in the current fortnight. 

Are you a student studying on a further education course in Wales? Take the survey.