Payment of grants or loans for fees for old system eligible students
68.—(1) The Welsh Ministers must pay the grant for fees or fee contribution loan for which an old system eligible student qualifies to an academic authority to which the old system eligible student is liable to make payment.
(2) The Welsh Ministers may pay the grant for fees or fee contribution loan in such instalments (if any) and at such times as they consider appropriate.
(3) The Welsh Ministers must not pay the grant for fees or fee contribution loan—
(a)unless they have received a request for payment from the relevant academic authority; and
(b)a period of three months beginning with the first day of the academic year has expired.
(4) The Welsh Ministers must pay the grant for fees not later than 10 weeks after the expiry of the period in paragraph (3)(b), or promptly after a request for payment has been received which the Welsh Ministers consider to be a valid request, if that is later.
(5) Where assessment of an old system eligible student’s contribution or other matters have delayed the final calculation of the amount of the grant for fees or fee contribution loan for which the old system eligible student qualifies, the Welsh Ministers may make a provisional assessment and payment.
(6) No payment of the grant for fees or fee contribution loan may be made in respect of a designated course if—
(a)before the expiry of a period of three months beginning with the first day of the academic year, the old system eligible student ceases to attend or, in the case of a student who is treated as in attendance under regulation 13(3) and 13(4), ceases to undertake the course; and
(b)the academic authority has determined or agreed that the student will not commence attending, or as the case may be undertaking, the course again in the United Kingdom during the academic year in respect of which the fees are payable, or at all.
(7) Where an old system eligible student ceases to attend or undertake a designated course during the academic year and the academic authority has determined or agreed that the student will not return during that academic year, the academic authority must inform the Welsh Ministers as soon as is practicable of the old system eligible student’s departure from the designated course.