Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Applications for support

33.—(1) A person shall apply for support in respect of an academic year of a part-time course (other than a course for the initial training of teachers) by completing and submitting to the Department an application in such form as it may require; and regulation 6 shall not apply to him in connection with his undertaking that course.

(2) The completed application form shall include among other things the following particulars –

(a) his United Kingdom national insurance number, unless he does not have one;

(b) his most recent student loan account number, if any; and

(c) the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two persons who know the student.

(3) The applicant shall sign a declaration on the application form that –

(a) the particulars given in the application form are correct to the best of his knowledge and belief;

(b) he will notify the Department (or if an Education and Library Board or any other person is exercising functions in relation to his application by virtue of a determination under Article 4 (1)(a) or 4(3) of the Order he will notify that authority or person) of any change in them;

(c) in the case of an application for a loan, he shall repay the amount lent to him, together with interest and applicable charges and penalties, in accordance with the Order and regulations made thereunder from time to time; and

(d) in the case of an application for a grant under regulation 34, he will if required to do so repay to the Department any amount paid to him which for whatever reason exceeds the amount of grant to which he is entitled under that regulation.

(4) The application form must reach the Department not later than 6 months after the first day of the academic year of the course in which it is submitted, but where –

(a) the course becomes a designated part-time course after the first day of that academic year, the application must reach the Department not later than 6 months after the date on which the course was designated;

(b) the student, or his spouse or parent, is recognised as a refugee or has been granted leave to enter or remain as mentioned in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 after the first day of that academic year, the application must reach the Department not later than 6 months after the date of recognition or the date leave was granted respectively;

(c) the Department considers that having regard to the circumstances of the particular case the time limit should be relaxed, the application must reach the Department not later than such date as it specifies.

(5) An applicant shall demonstrate his eligibility for support by providing such evidence as the Department may require; and the Department may take such steps and make such inquiries as it considers necessary to determine whether the applicant is eligible for support.

(6) If the Department considers that the applicant is eligible for the support for which he has applied under this Part it shall –

(a) where the application is the first to be made in connection with the applicant’s undertaking the part-time course, notify him of the facts that he is an “eligible part-time student” and is eligible for the support for which he has applied; and

(b) in respect of any subsequent application notify him that he is eligible for the support for which he has applied.