33.—(1) Regulation 3 (eligible students) is amended as follows.
(2) After paragraph (2) insert—
“(2A) Paragraph (2)(b) does not apply to a student undertaking a vocational course leading to a Postgraduate Diploma or to a Postgraduate masters degree.”; and
(3) After paragraph (5) insert—
“(6) For the purposes of these Regulations, and subject to paragraph (7), in assessing a person’s eligibility under Schedule 1 for a loan in respect of a course, that course will be deemed to have started on the date that the first constituent part of any programme which contributes to the final award for that course commenced.
(7) In assessing a person’s eligibility under Schedule 1 for a loan in respect of a course—
(a)a programme of education leading to—
(i)a Degree;
(ii)a Higher National Diploma; or
(iii)a Higher National Certificate; and
(b)such other programmes of education as the Scottish Ministers may determine,
are to be treated as separate and distinct courses of education.”.