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

Conversion of status – eligible distance learning students transferring to designated courses

121.—(1) Where an eligible distance learning student ceases to undertake a designated distance learning course and transfers to a designated course at the same or at another institution, the Department must convert the student’s status as an eligible distance learning student to that of an eligible student in connection with the course to which the student is transferring where—

(a) the Department receives a request from the eligible distance learning student to do so; and

(b) the period of eligibility has not terminated.

(2) The following applies to a student who transfers under paragraph (1)—

(a) where the Department has determined to pay an amount of disabled distance learning students’ allowance to the student in periodic instalments no payment in respect of that amount of grant must be made in respect of any instalment period beginning after the date on which the student became an eligible student;

(b) any support to which the student is entitled under this Part in respect of the academic year in which the student transfers is ignored in determining the amount of support to which the student may be entitled in respect of that year under Parts 4 to 6;

(c) the maximum amount of any support under Part 5 or 6 to which the student would, apart from this regulation, be entitled in connection with a designated course in respect of that academic year is reduced by one third where the student became an eligible student during the second quarter of that academic year and by two thirds where the student became such a student in a later quarter of that year; and

(d) where an amount of disabled distance learning students’ allowance for any purpose has been paid to the student in a single instalment, the maximum amount of disabled students’ allowance payable under Chapter 3 of Part 5 for that purpose is reduced (or, where sub-paragraph (c) applies, further reduced) by the amount of disabled distance learning students’ allowance paid to the student for that purpose and where the resulting amount is nil or a negative amount that amount is nil.