The Education (Student Finance) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 3) (Wales) Regulations 2023

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which are in nine Parts, amend various Regulations which make provision about, and in connection with, student finance.

Part 1 makes provision about the coming into force and application of these Regulations.

Parts 2 to 8 make amendments to the following Regulations—

(a) Part 2 amends the Education (Fees and Awards) (Wales) Regulations 2007 (“the 2007 Regulations”),

(b) Part 3 amends the Education (European University Institute) (Wales) Regulations 2014 (“the 2014 Regulations”),

(c) Part 4 amends the Higher Education (Qualifying Courses, Qualifying Persons and Supplementary Provision) (Wales) Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”),

(d) Part 5 amends the Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2017 (“the 2017 Regulations”),

(e) Part 6 amends the Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2018 (“the 2018 Regulations”),

(f) Part 7 amends the Education (Postgraduate Doctoral Degree Loans) (Wales) Regulations 2018 (“the Doctoral Degree Loan Regulations”), and

(g) Part 8 amends the Education (Student Support) (Postgraduate Master’s Degrees) (Wales) Regulations 2019 (“the 2019 Regulations”).

Part 9 makes savings in respect of the 2014 Regulations and the 2018 Regulations.

Amendments made by these Regulations—

(a) update the categories of eligible students in the 2014 Regulations, the 2017 Regulations, the 2018 Regulations, the Doctoral Degree Loan Regulations and the 2019 Regulations and make corresponding changes to the 2007 Regulations and the 2015 Regulations, to include certain family members of persons who are granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom under the Afghan or Ukraine related immigration schemes;

(b) update the definition of a “person with leave to enter or remain as a relevant Afghan citizen” in the 2014 Regulations as a result of changes to the immigration rules;

(c) omit obsolete references to Scottish legislation in the 2017 Regulations and the 2018 Regulations;

(d) provide for students who are eligible to apply for a healthcare bursary, to qualify for the full rate of maintenance loan in the 2017 Regulations and the 2018 Regulations;

(e) require distance learning students to be in Wales on the first day of the first academic year to qualify for a grant for dependants, unless an exception applies, under the 2018 Regulations; and

(f) provide for early termination of eligibility under the Doctoral Degree Loan Regulations and the 2019 Regulations where a student ceases to have certain types of leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the Higher Education Division, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.