The Assembly Learning Grants and Loans (Higher Education) (Wales) Regulations 2009

Grants for disabled students' living costs

25.—(1) An eligible student qualifies in accordance with this regulation for a grant for disabled students' living costs to assist with the additional expenditure which the Welsh Ministers are satisfied the student is obliged to incur in connection with his or her attendance on a designated course by reason of a disability to which the student is subject.

(2) Subject to the following paragraphs, the amount of grant for disabled students' living costs under this regulation is the amount that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate in accordance with the student’s circumstances.

(3) Except where paragraph (5) applies, the amount of the grant for disabled students' living costs must not exceed—

(a) £20,520 in respect of an academic year for expenditure on a non-medical personal helper;

(b) £5,166 in respect of all the academic years during the period of eligibility for expenditure on major items of specialist equipment;

(c) the additional expenditure incurred—

(i) within the United Kingdom for the purpose of attending the institution;

(ii) within or outside the United Kingdom for the purpose of attending, as a part of his or her course, any period of study at an overseas institution or for the purpose of attending the Institute;

(d) £1,729 in respect of an academic year for any other expenditure including expenditure incurred for the purposes referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) which exceeds the maxima specified in those paragraphs.

(4) Where the eligible student has received payments to assist with expenditure on major items of specialist equipment in connection with the course by virtue of holding a transitional award, the maximum amount of grant under paragraph (3)(b) is reduced by the amount of those payments.

(5) The maximum amount of grant under paragraphs (3)(a) and (3)(d) is £15,390 and £1,293, respectively where—

(a) an eligible student attends a course for the initial training of teachers which—

(i) began before 1 September 2010;

(ii) begins on or after 1 September 2010 where the student transfers to the present course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers beginning before 1 September 2010; or

(iii) begins on or after 1 September 2010 but before 1 September 2011 and in relation to which the student is a 2010 gap year student; and

(b) in any academic year of that course, the periods of full-time study and full-time teaching practice are in aggregate less than 6 weeks.