The Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 No. 195

PART 4FEE SUPPORT

CHAPTER 1TYPES OF FEE SUPPORT AVAILABLE

Current system students

12. A current system student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of the fees payable by him in connection with his attendance on a designated course in accordance with Chapter 2 of this Part.

Old system students

13.—(1) An old system student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of the fees payable by him in connection with his attendance on a designated course in accordance with Chapter 3 of this Part.

(2) An old system student qualifies for a fee contribution loan in respect of the fees payable by him in connection with his attendance on a designated course in accordance with Chapter 4 of this Part.

Requirement to enter a contract for a loan for fees

14. To receive a loan for fees payable under this Part, an eligible student must enter into a contract with the Department.

Students becoming eligible in the course of an academic year

15. Where one of the events listed in regulation 16 occurs in the course of an academic year—

(a)a student may qualify for fee support in accordance with this Part in respect of that academic year provided that the relevant event occurred within the first three months of the academic year; and

(b)fee support is not available in respect of any academic year beginning before the academic year in which the relevant event occurred.

Events

16. The events are—

(a)the student’s course becomes a designated course;

(b)the student, his spouse, his civil partner or his parent is recognised as a refugee or becomes a person with leave to enter or remain;

(c)a state accedes to the European Community where the student is a national of that state or a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 2) of a national of that state;

(d)the student becomes a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 2) of an EC national;

(e)the student acquires the right of permanent residence;

(f)the student becomes a person described in paragraph 6(1)(a) of Schedule 2; or

(g)the student becomes the child of a Swiss national.

Students to be treated as in attendance on a course

17.—(1) A student to whom this regulation applies is treated as if he were in attendance on the designated course for the purpose of qualifying for fee support.

(2) This regulation applies to—

(a)a compressed degree student; or

(b)a disabled student who—

(i)is not a compressed degree student; and

(ii)is undertaking a designated course in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland but is not in attendance because he is unable to attend for a reason which relates to his disability.

CHAPTER 2FEE LOANS FOR CURRENT SYSTEM STUDENTS

Availability of fee loans to current system students - general

18.—(1) A current system student does not qualify for fee support in respect of a designated course if—

(a)he has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemption in regulation 36(1) or (2) does not apply; or

(b)he has an honours degree from an institution in the Republic of Ireland for which he received financial support under previous regulations and the exemption in regulation 36(1) or (2) does not apply; or

(c)the designated course is a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) (a) and (b), a current system student qualifies for fee support in respect of a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland.

(3) A current system student does not qualify for a fee loan in respect of:—

(a)an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year; or

(b)a year for which he is in receipt of funding from the Department to participate in a management development programme known as the Business Education Initiative.

(4) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Department must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(5) The standard entitlement is calculated in accordance with regulation 19, 20, 21 or 22.

(6) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Department must allocate a fee loan from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a fee loan has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(7) A current system student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Department allocates a fee loan to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(8) In addition to the standard entitlement, a current system student who falls within regulation 21 qualifies for a fee loan in respect of the first academic year that he takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year if he failed to complete the most recent previous course because of compelling personal reasons.

(9) Where a current system student qualifies for a fee loan under paragraph (8), the Department must not allocate a fee loan under paragraph (6) to the first academic year that the student takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(10) In addition to the standard entitlement, if the Department determines that the student is repeating an academic year of the designated course because of compelling personal reasons, a current system student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of the year of repeat study provided that the academic year that the student is repeating was a qualifying year of study and the year of repeat study is not a bursary year.

(11) A current system student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a year of repeat study which the student is taking other than for compelling personal reasons if—

(a)the academic year which he is repeating was a qualifying year of study;

(b)the academic year of repeat study is not a bursary year; and

(c)when the academic year of repeat study is added to the number of any other academic years of repeat study that the student has already taken on the current course other than for compelling personal reasons, it does not exceed the number of additional years of support.

(12) In this regulation, the “number of additional years of support” is the number of years which make up the standard entitlement less the number of standard academic years (plus one where the student qualifies for a fee loan under paragraph (8)).

(13) The amount of the fee loan in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 23 and may be nil.

Standard entitlement of current system students who have not studied on a previous course

19. Subject to regulation 20, the standard entitlement of a current system student who has not studied on a previous course is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course.

Standard entitlement – course leading to degree in social work

20.—(1) Where the current course is a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland, the standard entitlement of a current system student is as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the current course.

(2) Paragraph (1) also applies where—

(a)the current course in relation to that student falls under paragraph (a) of the definition of “end-on course”; or

(b)the student has studied on a previous course other than a course mentioned in sub-paragraph (a).

(3) Where this regulation applies, regulations 21 and 22 do not apply.

Standard entitlement of current system students who have transferred from or otherwise studied on a previous course

21.—(1) The standard entitlement of a current system student who has studied on a previous course and who does not fall within regulation 22 is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course
PC is the number of academic years that the student has spent on previous courses.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation, a “current system student who has studied on a previous course” includes a current system student who has had his status as an eligible student transferred to the current course as a result of one or more transfers of that status by the Department pursuant to regulations made under Article 3 of the Order from a designated course which—

(a)is a previous course; and

(b)the student began on or after 1st September 2006.

Standard entitlement of current system students on end-on courses and certain degree courses

22.—(1) This regulation applies to—

(a)a current system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2;

(b)a current system student who —

(i)has completed a full-time course mentioned in paragraph 2 or 3 of Schedule 3;

(ii)is on a full-time first degree course (other than a first degree course for the initial training of teachers) that he did not begin immediately after the course referred to in paragraph (i); and

(iii)has not taken a full-time first degree course after the course referred to in paragraph (i) and before the current course;

(c)a current system student who—

(i)has completed a full-time foundation degree course;

(ii)is on a full-time honours degree course that he did not begin immediately after the course referred to in paragraph (i); and

(iii)has not taken a full-time first degree course after the course referred to in paragraph (i) and before the current course.

(2) Regulations 19, 20 and 21 do not apply to students to whom this regulation applies.

(3) The standard entitlement of a student to whom this regulation applies is calculated as follows—

where

D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course
X is 1 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was less than three years and 2 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was three years
PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on the preliminary course excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

Amount of the fee loan

23.—(1) Unless one of the cases set out in paragraph (3) applies, the amount of a fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)£3,070; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(2) In the cases set out in paragraph (3), the amount of a fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)£1,535; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(3) The cases are—

(a)the final academic year of a designated course where that academic year is normally required to be completed after less than 15 weeks’ attendance;

(b)in respect of a sandwich course, an academic year—

(i)during which any periods of full-time study are in aggregate less than 10 weeks; or

(ii)if in respect of that academic year and any previous academic years of the course the aggregate of any one or more periods of attendance which are not periods of full-time study at the institution (disregarding intervening vacations) exceeds 30 weeks;

(c)in respect of a course for the initial training of teachers, an academic year during which any periods of full-time study are in aggregate less than 10 weeks;

(d)in respect of a course provided in conjunction with an overseas institution, an academic year—

(i)during which any periods of full-time study at the institution in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland are in aggregate less than 10 weeks; or

(ii)if in respect of that academic year and any previous academic years of the course the aggregate of any one or more periods of attendance which are not periods of full-time study at the institution in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland (disregarding intervening vacations) exceeds 30 weeks;

(e)an academic year of a course provided by the Institute where the course began before 1st September 2001.

(4) If a student’s status as an eligible student is transferred from one designated course to another under these Regulations and the circumstances in paragraph (5) apply, the student may apply to the Department to borrow an additional amount by way of a fee loan in respect of the academic year of the course to which he transfers.

(5) The circumstances are—

(a)the fees payable in respect of the academic year of the course to which the current system student transfers exceed the fees payable in respect of the academic year of the course from which the student is transferring; and

(b)the academic year of the course to which the current system student transfers does not begin on a later date than the academic year of the course from which he is transferring.

(6) If a student’s status as an eligible student is transferred from one designated course to another under these Regulations and the circumstances in paragraph (7) apply, the student may apply to the Department for another fee loan in respect of the academic year of the course to which he transfers.

(7) The circumstances are that the academic year of the course to which the current system student transfers begins on a later date than the academic year of the course from which he is transferring.

(8) Where the circumstances in paragraph (5) apply, the maximum additional amount that the current system student may borrow in respect of the academic year to which he transfers, provided that he qualifies for a fee loan in respect of that year, is determined by deducting the amount of any fee loan he has taken out under these Regulations in respect of the academic year from which he is transferring from the lesser of—

(a)£3,070 or, where one of the cases set out in paragraph (3) applies, £1,535; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in respect of the academic year to which he is transferring.

(9) Where the circumstances in paragraph (7) apply, the maximum amount of fee loan that a current system student may borrow in respect of the academic year to which he transfers provided that he qualifies for a fee loan in respect of that year is the lesser of—

(a)£3,070 or, where one of the cases set out in paragraph (3) applies, £1,535; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(10) Where a current system student has applied for a fee loan of less than the maximum amount available in relation to an academic year, he may apply to borrow an additional amount which when added to the amount already applied for does not exceed the relevant maximum applicable in his case.

CHAPTER 3GRANTS FOR FEES FOR OLD SYSTEM STUDENTS

Old system students who are continuing students

24.—(1) This regulation applies to an old system student who began a designated course before 1st September 2006 and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2007 (a “continuing student”), or began a designated course on or after 1st September 2006 at a relevant institution of higher education in the Republic of Ireland and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2007.

(2) A continuing student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of any academic year of the course that begins on or after 1st September 2007 where in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course that began before 1st September 2006 the Department determined in accordance with regulations made under Article 3 of the Order that the student did not qualify for fee support in respect of the designated course.

(3) A continuing student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of a designated course if the designated course is a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(4) A continuing student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(5) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course, the Department must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(6) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

SAY is the number of standard academic years of the designated course that begin after 31st August 2006
X is the number of academic years of the designated course that begin after 31st August 2006 in respect of which the Department determined in accordance with regulations made under Article 3 of the Order that the student did not qualify for a grant for fees in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course that began before 1st September 2006.

(7) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course, the Department must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(8) A continuing student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Department allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(9) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 30, 31 or 32 and may be nil.

Old system students who are transferring students

25.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this regulation applies to an old system student who—

(a)began a designated course on or after 1st September 2006 and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2007; or

(b)begins a designated course on or after 1st September 2007,

having had his status as an eligible student transferred to the course as a result of one or more transfers of that status by the Department pursuant to regulations made under Article 3 of the Order from a designated course that he began before 1st September 2006 (a “transferring student”).

(2) This regulation does not apply where an eligible student has transferred from a course in relation to which he was a gap year student to another designated course in accordance with regulations made by the Department under Article 3 of the Order.

(3) Where in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the relevant course, the Department determined in accordance with regulations made under Article 3 of the Order that the student did not qualify for fee support in respect of that course, a transferring student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of any academic year of the current course.

(4) In this regulation, the “relevant course” is the designated course that the student was taking as at 31st August 2006.

(5) A transferring student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of a designated course if the designated course is a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(6) A transferring student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(7) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Department must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(8) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows where the course began before 1st September 2007 and is not a course listed in paragraph (11)—

where

RAY is the number of standard academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006
X is the number of academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006 in respect of which the Department determined in accordance with regulations made under Article 3 of the Order that the student did not qualify for a grant for fees in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the relevant course where that year began before 1st September 2006.

(9) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows where the course begins on or after 1st September 2007 and is not a course listed in paragraph (11)—

where

RAY is the number of standard academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006
X is the number of academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006 in respect of which the Department determined in accordance with regulations made under Article 3 of the Order that the student did not qualify for a grant for fees in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the relevant course where that year began before 1st September 2006
SS is the number of academic years of study that the student has taken from and including 1st September 2006 in respect of which he qualified for fee support (excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons) or which were bursary years or Erasmus years.

(10) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows where the course is one listed in paragraph (11)—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the designated course.

(11) The courses are—

(a)a course for the degree (including an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education where the student has transferred to that course from a course for the Certificate in Education on or before the completion of the latter course; or

(b)a course for the honours degree of Bachelor of Education where the student has transferred to that course from a course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education on or before the completion of the latter course.

(12) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Department must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(13) A transferring student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Department allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(14) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 30, 31 or 32 and may be nil.

Old system students who are on end-on courses

26.—(1) An old system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (a) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2 that he began before 1st September 2006 qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of that course in accordance with regulation 24.

(2) An old system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (c) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2 qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of that course in accordance with regulation 24.

(3) Paragraphs (4) to (12) apply to—

(a)an old system student in respect of an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (a) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2 that he —

(i)began on or after 1st September 2006 and is continuing on after 31^st August 2007; or

(ii)begins on or after 1^st September 2007;

(b)an old system student in respect of an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (b) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2.

(4) An old system student to whom this paragraph applies does not qualify for fee support in respect of a course mentioned in paragraph (3)—

(a)he has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemption in regulation 36(1) or (2) does not apply; or

(c)the designated course is a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (4)(a) and (b) an old system student qualifies for fee support in respect of a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland.

(6) An old system student to whom this paragraph applies does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a course mentioned in paragraph (3) that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(7) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a course mentioned in paragraph (3), the Department must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(8) Subject to paragraph (9), the standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course
X is 1 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was less than three years and 2 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was three years
PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on the preliminary course excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

(9) The standard entitlement of an old system student to whom paragraph (3)(a) applies whose course is a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the current course.

(10) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a course to which this paragraph applies, the Department must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(11) An old system student to whom this paragraph applies qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of a course to which this paragraph applies if the Department allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(12) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a course to which this regulation applies is determined in accordance with regulation 30, 31 or 32 and may be nil.

Old system students who are gap year students who have not studied on a previous course

27.—(1) This regulation applies to an old system student who is a gap year student who has not studied on a previous course.

(2) A gap year student does not qualify for fee support in respect of a designated course if—

(a)he has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemption in regulation 36(1) or (2) does not apply; or

(c)the designated course is a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(a) and (b) an old system student qualifies for fee support in respect of a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland.

(4) A gap year student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(5) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Department must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(6) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course.

(7) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Department must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(8) A gap year student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Department allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(9) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 30 or 31 and may be nil.

Old system students who are gap year students who have studied on a previous course

28.—(1) This regulation applies where—

(a)an old system student is a gap year student who has studied on a previous course;

(b)an old system student has transferred from a course in relation to which he was a gap year student to another designated course in accordance with regulations made by the Department under Article 3 of the Order.

(2) An old system student to whom this regulation applies does not qualify for fee support in respect of a designated course if—

(a)he has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemption in regulation 36(1) or (2) does not apply; or

(c)the designated course is a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(4) An old system student to whom this regulation applies does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(5) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Department must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(6) Subject to paragraph (7), the standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course
PC is the number of academic years that the student has spent on previous courses.

(7) The standard entitlement of an old system student to whom paragraph (6) applies whose course is a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the current course.

(8) When assessing an application for support in connection with an academic year of a designated course, the Department must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(9) An old system student to whom this regulation applies qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Department allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(10) In addition to the standard entitlement, an old system student to whom this regulation applies qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of the first academic year that he takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year if he failed to complete the most recent previous course because of compelling personal reasons.

(11) Where an old system student to whom this regulation applies qualifies for a grant for fees under paragraph (10), the Department must not allocate a grant for fees under paragraph (8) to the first academic year that the student takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(12) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 30 or 31 where the eligible student falls within paragraph (1)(a) and in accordance with regulation 30, 31 or 32 where the eligible student falls within paragraph (1)(b) and in either case the amount may be nil.

Availability of the grant for fees to old system students for years of repeat study

29.—(1) In addition to the standard entitlement, if the Department determines that the student is repeating an academic year of the designated course because of compelling personal reasons, an old system student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of the year of repeat study provided that the academic year that the student is repeating was a qualifying year of study and the year of repeat study is not a bursary year.

(2) An old system student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a year of repeat study which the student is taking other than for compelling personal reasons if—

(a)the academic year which he is repeating was a qualifying year of study;

(b)the academic year of repeat study is not a bursary year; and

(3) In this regulation, the “number of additional years of support” is the number of years which make up the standard entitlement less the number of standard academic years (plus one where the student qualifies for a grant for fees under regulation 28(10)).

Amount of the grant for fees for a course at a publicly-funded institution in the United Kingdom or relevant institution of higher education in the Republic of Ireland

30.—(1) Unless one of the cases set out in regulation 23(3) applies, the basic amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course at a publicly-funded institution is the lesser of—

(a)£1,225; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(2) In the cases set out in regulation 23(3), the basic amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is the lesser of—

(a)£610; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(3) Where a contribution exceeding nil is calculated under Schedule 5, a deduction will be made from the basic amount of the grant for fees determined under paragraph (1) or (2) in accordance with regulation 92.

(4) Paragraphs (1) to (3) do not apply to designated courses at Heythrop College or at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

(5) In the case of a designated course at Heythrop College, the amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is £2,195.

(6) In the case of a designated course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is £4,455.

(7) In the case of a course in respect of an academic year at a relevant institution of higher education in the Republic of Ireland, the amount of grant is an amount specified by the Department in writing.

Amount of the grant for fees for a course that is provided at a private institution on behalf of a publicly-funded institution

31.—(1) The basic amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year at a private institution is the lesser of £1,225 and the fees payable by the student in connection with that year if—

(a)the designated course began on or after 1st September 2001;

(b)the designated course is provided on behalf of a publicly-funded institution; and

(c)none of the cases in regulation 23(3) applies.

(2) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year at a private institution is the lesser of £610 and the fees payable by the student in connection with that year if—

(a)the designated course began on or after 1st September 2001;

(b)the designated course is provided on behalf of a publicly-funded institution; and

(c)one or more of the cases in regulation 23(3) applies.

Amount of the grant for fees for a course at a private institution

32.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course at a private institution where regulation 31 does not apply including courses or academic years for the degrees of Bachelor of Divinity, Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Arts (Joint Honours) or the Diploma in Theology of the Queen’s University of Belfast, undertaken at the Union Theological College, the Edgehill College, the Irish Baptist College, Belfast or the Belfast Bible College is the lesser of—

(a)£1,150; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(2) In the case of a designated course at the University of Buckingham, the amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is £2,905.

CHAPTER 4FEE CONTRIBUTION LOANS FOR OLD SYSTEM STUDENTS

Availability of fee contribution loans to old system students

33. An old system student, other than a student undertaking a course at a relevant institution of higher education in the Republic of Ireland, or whose course is a course leading to a degree in social work at an educational institution in Northern Ireland qualifies for a fee contribution loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course if—

(a)he qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of that year or would have qualified if he had applied for the grant (even if the amount is or would have been nil); and

(b)the designated course is provided by or on behalf of an institution that was publicly funded as at 1st August 2005.

Amount of the fee contribution loan

34.—(1) Where an old system student applies for a grant for fees and a fee contribution loan, the amount of the fee contribution loan in respect of an academic year of the designated course is the amount for which the student applies not exceeding the difference between the basic amount of the grant determined under regulation 30 or 31 and the amount of the grant that is payable after the application of the contribution in accordance with regulation 92.

(2) Where the only fee support for which an old system student applies is a fee contribution loan, the maximum amount for which the student may apply in respect of an academic year is the lesser of—

(a)£1,225 or, if any of the cases set out in regulation 23(3) apply, £610; and

(b)the fees payable by the student in connection with the academic year.

(3) An old system student may apply to borrow an additional amount of fee contribution loan where—

(a)the Department determines that the maximum amount of fee contribution loan should be increased (including an increase from nil) as a result of a reassessment of the student’s contribution or otherwise; and

(b)the Department considers that the increase in the maximum amount does not result from the old system student—

(i)failing to provide information promptly which might affect his ability to qualify for a grant for fees or fee contribution loan or the amount of grant for fees or fee contribution loan for which he qualifies; or

(ii)providing information which is inaccurate in any material particular.

(4) The additional amount under paragraph (3) is an amount which when added to the amount already applied for does not exceed the increased maximum.

(5) Where an old system student has applied for a fee contribution loan of less than the maximum amount to which he is entitled, he may apply to borrow an additional amount which, when added to the amount already applied for, does not exceed the relevant maximum applicable in his case.

CHAPTER 5INTERPRETATION OF PART 4

Previous course

35.—(1) Subject to the exceptions in paragraphs (3), (4) and (5), a “previous course” is any full-time higher education course or any part-time course for the initial training of teachers which the student began to attend or, in the case of a compressed degree course, undertake before the current course and which meets any of the conditions in paragraph (2).

(2) The conditions are—

(a)the course was provided by an institution in the United Kingdom which was publicly funded for some or all of the academic years during which the student took the course;

(b)the course was provided by an institution in the Republic of Ireland and the student was funded under previous regulations for some or all of the academic years during which he took the course; or

(c)any scholarship, exhibition, bursary, grant, allowance or award of any description which was paid in respect of the student’s attendance on the course to defray fees was from public funds or funds attributable to public funds.

(3) A course which would otherwise be a previous course will not be treated as such if—

(a)the current course is a course for the initial training of teachers;

(b)the duration of the current course does not exceed two years (the duration of a part-time course being expressed as its full-time equivalent); and

(c)the student is not a qualified teacher.

(4) A course for the Certificate in Education which would otherwise be a previous course will not be treated as such if—

(a)the current course is a course for the degree (including an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education;

(b)the student transferred to the current course from the course for the Certificate in Education before the completion of that course or began the current course on completion of the course for the Certificate in Education.

(5) A course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education will not be treated as a previous course if—

(a)the current course is a course for the honours degree of Bachelor of Education;

(b)the student transferred to the current course from the course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education before the completion of that course or began the current course on completion of the course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education.

(6) Subject to paragraphs (7), (8) and (9), for the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 21 and 28—

(a)each academic year that the student completed on a previous course is counted; and

(b)an academic year of a previous course that the student began or ceased to attend part of the way through the year is counted as one academic year on a previous course.

(7) For the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 21 and 28, an academic year of a previous course is not to be counted as a year spent on a previous course if—

(a)the student did not qualify for fee support for that year other than because the academic year was a bursary year or an Erasmus year; and

(b)the student qualified for fee support for some but not all of the academic years of that previous course.

(8) For the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 21 and 28, an academic year of a previous course is not to be counted as a year spent on a previous course if it was a year of repeat study that the student was taking for compelling personal reasons or a year in relation to which the student qualified for fee support because he had failed to complete a previous course for compelling personal reasons.

(9) For the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 21 and 28, where a student transfers from an academic year of one designated course to an academic year of another designated course before the Department considers that he has completed the year from which he is transferring, the time spent by the student during the academic year in which the transfer takes place on the course from which he is transferring is not counted as a year spent on a previous course.

(10) A student who undertook a previous course but was not in attendance because he was unable to attend for a reason which related to his disability is only treated as if he were in attendance on the previous course in respect of periods of study beginning on or after 1st September 2006.

Miscellaneous

36.—(1) An eligible student is not prevented from qualifying for fee support under this Part—

(a)by virtue of having an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom if—

(i)the current course is a course for the initial training of teachers;

(ii)the duration of the current course does not exceed two years (the duration of a part-time course being expressed as its full-time equivalent); and

(iii)the student is not a qualified teacher.

(b)by virtue of having an honours degree from an institution in the Republic of Ireland for which he received financial support under previous regulations if—

(i)the current course is a course for the initial training of teachers;

(ii)the duration of the current course does not exceed two years (the duration of a part-time course being expressed as its full-time equivalent); and

(iii)the student is not a qualified teacher.

(2) Where the current course is considered to be a single course because of regulation 6(5) and (6) and it leads to an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom or relevant institution of higher education in the Republic of Ireland being conferred on the eligible student before the final degree or equivalent qualification, the eligible student is not prevented from qualifying for fee support under this Part in respect of any part of the single course by virtue of having that honours degree.

(3) For the purposes of calculating the amount of fee support, an institution that provides courses designated by regulation 4 of the Education (Student Support) (Dance and Drama) Regulations 1999(1) is not to be regarded as publicly funded by reason only that it receives public funds from the governing body of a higher education institution in accordance with section 65(3A) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992(2).

(4) Where an institution allows an eligible student to study the content of one standard academic year of the designated course over two or more academic years, for the purpose of determining whether the student qualifies for fee support for those years, the last of such years of study is to be treated as a standard academic year and the preceding years of that kind are to be treated as years of repeat study other than for compelling personal reasons.

(1)

S.I. 1999/2263, amended by S.I. 2001/2893.

(2)

1992 c. 13; section 65(3A) was inserted by the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c. 30), section 27.