The Education (Student Support) (No.2) (Amendment) and Education (Student Loan) (Repayment) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

“Overpayment of grants and allowances”.

29.  After regulation 127 (Amount of assistance), insert—

“Amount of the part-time fee loan under regulation 126(1)(aa)

127A.— (1) The maximum amount of part-time fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated part-time course must not exceed the lesser of—

(a) £3,022.50; and

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

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (6), the part-time fee loan to which an eligible part-time student is entitled is calculated as follows—

where

• FC is the amount determined in accordance with paragraph (1);

• FG is the grant paid under regulation 126(1)(a), if any.

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

(4) The circumstances are—

(a) the fees payable in respect of the academic year of the course to which the eligible part-time 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 eligible part time student transfers does not begin on a later date than the academic year of the course from which the student is transferring.

(5) Where the circumstances in paragraph (4) apply, the maximum additional amount that the eligible part-time student may borrow in respect of the academic year to which that student transfers, provided that the student qualifies for a part-time fee loan in respect of that year, is determined by deducting the amount of any part-time fee loan the student has taken out under this Part in respect of the academic year from which the student is transferring from the lesser of—

(a) the amount specified in paragraph (1)(a); and

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

minus any grant paid under regulation 126(1)(a) in respect of the academic year from which the student is transferring.

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

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

(8) Where paragraph (7) applies, the maximum amount of part-time fee loan that the eligible student may borrow in respect of the academic year to which that student transfers, provided that the student qualifies for a part-time fee loan in respect of that year, is the lesser of—

(a) the amount specified in paragraph (1)(a); and

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

minus any grant paid under regulation 126(1)(a) in connection with that year.

(9) Where an eligible part-time student has applied for a part-time fee loan of less than the maximum amount available in relation to an academic year, that student may apply to borrow an additional amount which when added to the amount already applied for does not exceed the maximum amount calculated in accordance with paragraph (2), or determined in accordance with paragraphs (5) or (8), whichever is applicable.”.