Period of eligibility
5.—(1) A student’s status as an eligible student is retained in connection with a designated course until the status terminates in accordance with this regulation or regulation 3.
(2) The period for which an eligible student retains the status referred to in paragraph (1) is the “period of eligibility”.
(3) Subject to the following paragraphs and regulation 3, an eligible student’s (“A’s”) period of eligibility terminates—
(a)at the end of the academic year in which the ordinary period of registration of A’s designated course ends; or
(b)when A’s initial thesis in relation to that course is submitted to the relevant academic authority,
whichever is the earlier.
(4) A’s period of eligibility terminates when—
(a)A withdraws from A’s designated course in circumstances where the Welsh Ministers are not obliged under regulation 6 to transfer A’s status as an eligible student to another course; or
(b)A abandons or is expelled from A’s designated course.
(5) The Welsh Ministers may terminate the period of eligibility where A has shown by A’s conduct that A is unfitted to receive a postgraduate doctoral degree loan.
(6) If the Welsh Ministers are satisfied that A has failed to comply with any requirement to provide information under these Regulations or has provided information which is inaccurate in a material particular, the Welsh Ministers may take such of the following actions as they consider appropriate in the circumstances—
(a)terminate A’s period of eligibility;
(b)determine that A no longer qualifies for a postgraduate doctoral degree loan;
(c)treat any postgraduate doctoral degree loan paid to the student as an overpayment which may be recovered under regulation 18.
(7) Where the period of eligibility terminates before the end of the academic year in which a student completes the designated course, the Welsh Ministers may, at any time, renew the period of eligibility for such period as they determine.