The Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

CHAPTER 3 DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES

Qualifying conditions for the disabled students’ allowance

41.  An eligible student (“A”) qualifies for a grant to assist with the additional expenditure which the Department is satisfied that A is obliged to incur in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course by reason of a disability to which A is subject.

Amount of the disabled students’ allowance

42.—(1) Subject to the following paragraphs, the amount of the disabled students’ allowance is the amount that the Department considers appropriate in accordance with the student’s circumstances.

(2) Except where paragraph (4) applies, the amount of the disabled students’ allowance must not exceed—

(a) £20,520 in respect of an academic year for expenditure on a non-medical personal helper;

(b) £5,161 in respect of all the academic years during the period of eligibility for expenditure on major items of specialist equipment;

(c) the additional expenditure incurred—

(i) within the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland for the purpose of attending the institution;

(ii) within or outside the United Kingdom for the purpose of attending, as a part of the student’s course, any period of study at an overseas institution or for the purpose of attending the Institute;

(d) £1,724 in respect of an academic year for any other expenditure including expenditure incurred for the purposes referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) which exceeds the maxima specified in those sub-paragraphs.

(3) Where the eligible student has received payments to assist with expenditure on major items of specialist equipment in connection with the course by virtue of holding a transitional award, the maximum amount of grant under paragraph (2)(b) is reduced by the amount of those payments.

(4) The maximum amount under paragraphs (2)(a) and (d) is £15,390 and £1,293, respectively where—

(a) an eligible student attends a course for the initial training of teachers; and

(b) in any academic year of that course, the periods of full-time study and full-time teaching practice are in aggregate less than 6 weeks.