Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Gross income

5.—(1) For the purposes of this paragraph “preceding financial year” means the financial year preceding the academic year in respect of which the resources of the eligible student fall to be assessed and “current financial year” means the financial year which includes the first day of the academic year; provided that where references to a financial year fall to be construed in accordance with paragraph 2(3) as references to a year ending less than five months before the beginning of an academic year of the eligible student’s course, “preceding financial year” shall mean the financial year last ending five or more months before the academic year in respect of which the resources of the eligible student fall to be assessed and “current financial year” shall mean the financial year ending within those five months.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, “gross income” means the income of the student’s parent in the preceding financial year or, for the purpose of calculating residual income under paragraph 2(2), in the financial year there mentioned.

(3) Where the Department is satisfied that the sterling value of the income of the student’s parent in the current financial year is likely to be not more than 85 per cent. of the sterling value of his income for the preceding financial year, it may for the purpose of calculating the parental contribution ascertain the gross income by reference to the current financial year; and, in such case, sub-paragraph (2) shall have effect, in relation to the academic year in respect of which the eligible student’s resources fall to be assessed and, if the Department so determines, any subsequent year, as if the reference therein to the preceding financial year were a reference to the current financial year.

(4) Where –

(a) one of the eligible student’s parents dies either before or during the year in respect of which the resources of the student fall to be ascertained (“the relevant year”); and

(b) that parent’s income has been or would be taken into account for the purpose of determining the parental contribution,

the parental contribution shall –

(c) where the parent dies before the relevant year, be determined by reference to the income of the surviving parent; or

(d) where the parent dies during the relevant year, be the aggregate of—

(i) the appropriate proportion of the contribution determined by reference to the income of both parents, that is to say such proportion thereof as the part of the relevant year during which both parents were alive bears to the full year; and

(ii) the appropriate proportion of the contribution determined by reference to the income of the surviving parent, that is to say such proportion thereof as the part of the relevant year remaining after the parent dies bears to the full year.

(5) Without prejudice to sub-paragraph (6), where, in pursuance of any trust deed or other instrument or by virtue of any applicable legislation any income is applied by any person for or towards the maintenance, education or other benefit of the eligible student or of any person dependent on the student’s parent, or payments made to his parent are required to be so applied, that income, or those payments, shall be treated as part of the gross income of the parent.

(6) Where any such benefit as is mentioned in paragraph l(l)(b) of Part I is provided, by reason of the parent’s employment, for any member of his family or household who is an eligible student (whether the student or some other such member) then that benefit shall not be treated as part of the gross income of the parent.

(7) Where the parents do not ordinarily live together throughout the year in respect of which the resources of the eligible student fall to be ascertained (“the relevant year”), the parental contribution shall be determined by reference to the income of whichever parent the Department considers the more appropriate in the circumstances.

(8) Where the parents do not ordinarily live together for part only of the relevant year, the parental contribution shall be the aggregate of –

(a) the appropriate proportion of the contribution determined as provided in sub-paragraph (7), that is to say such proportion thereof as the part of the relevant year for which the parents do not so live together bears to the full year; and

(b) the appropriate proportion of the contribution determined without regard to this sub-paragraph, that is to say, such proportion thereof as the part of the relevant year for which the parents so live together bears to the full year.

(9) Where one of the eligible student’s parents is his step-parent the parental contribution shall be ascertained by reference only to the income of the other parent.