109.—(1) A person must apply for support in connection with each academic year of a designated part-time course by completing and submitting to the Welsh Ministers an application in such form as the Welsh Ministers may require.
(2) The application must be accompanied by—
(a)a declaration under regulation 111(2) to (6) completed by the academic authority; and
(b)such additional documentation as the Welsh Ministers may require.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the application must reach the Welsh Ministers within a period of nine months beginning with the first day of the academic year of the course in respect of which it is submitted.
(4) Paragraph (3) does not apply where—
(a)one of the events listed in regulation 94(4) occurs after the first day of the academic year in respect of which the applicant is applying for support under this Part, in which case the application must reach the Welsh Ministers within a period of nine months beginning with the day on which the event occurred;
(b)the applicant is applying for a grant for disabled part-time students' living costs, in which case the application must reach the Welsh Ministers as soon as is reasonably practicable; or
(c)the Welsh Ministers consider that having regard to the circumstances of the particular case the time limit should be relaxed, in which case the application must reach the Welsh Ministers not later than such date as they specify.
(5) The Welsh Ministers may take such steps and make such inquiries as they consider necessary to determine whether the applicant is an eligible part-time student, whether the applicant qualifies for support under this Part and the amount of support payable, if any.
(6) The Welsh Ministers must notify the applicant in writing of whether or not the applicant qualifies for support under this Part and, if the applicant does qualify, the amount of support payable in respect of the academic year, if any.