Independent eligible students
4.—(1) An eligible student is an independent eligible student if one of the following cases applies—
Case 1
The student is aged 25 or over on the first day of the current academic year.
Case 2
The student is married or is in a civil partnership before the beginning of the first day of the current academic year, whether or not the marriage or civil partnership continues to subsist after that date.
Case 3
The student has no parent living.
Case 4
The Welsh Ministers are satisfied that—
(a)neither of the student’s parents can be found, or
(b)it is not reasonably practicable to get in touch with either of the student’s parents.
Case 5
Either—
(a)the student has not communicated with either of the student’s parents for a period of one year or more ending on the day before the first day of the current academic year, or
(b)in the opinion of the Welsh Ministers, the student is irreconcilably estranged from the student’s parents on other grounds.
Case 6
The student’s parents reside outside the European Union and the Welsh Ministers are satisfied that—
(a)the assessment of the household income by reference to the parents’ income would place those parents in jeopardy, or
(b)it would not be reasonably practicable for the parents to send funds to the United Kingdom for the purposes of supporting the student.
Case 7
Where paragraph 6 (separation of parents) applies, the parent selected by the Welsh Ministers under sub-paragraph (3) of that paragraph has died, irrespective of whether that parent had a partner.
Case 8
On the first day of the current academic year, the student has the care of a person under the age of 18.
Case 9
The student has been supported by the student’s earnings for any period of three years (or periods which together aggregate at least three years) ending before the first day of the first academic year of the present course.
Case 10
Where a student is an independent eligible student by virtue of Case 9 in respect of one academic year, the student continues to be an independent eligible student for any subsequent academic year of the designated course.
Case 11
The student is a care leaver within the meaning given by regulation 49.
(2) For the purposes of Case 9, an eligible student is treated as being supported by the student’s earnings if during the period or periods referred to in Case 9 one of the following grounds applies—
Ground 1
The eligible student was participating in arrangements for training unemployed persons under a scheme operated, sponsored or funded by a public body.
Ground 2
The eligible student received a benefit payable by a public body in respect of a person who is available for employment but is unemployed.
Ground 3
The eligible student was available for employment and had complied with any registration requirement of a public body as a condition of entitlement for participation in arrangements for training or the receipt of benefits.
Ground 4
The eligible student held a state studentship or comparable award.
Ground 5
The eligible student received a pension, allowance or other benefit paid by reason of the student’s disability, injury or sickness or for a reason associated with childbirth.