The Education (Student Support) (Postgraduate Master’s Degrees) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Education (Student Support) (Postgraduate Master’s Degrees) (Wales) Regulations 2019 (“the 2019 Regulations”) provide for the making of grants and loans to students who are ordinarily resident in Wales and undertaking postgraduate master’s degree courses which begin on or after 1 August 2019.

These Regulations amend the 2019 Regulations to provide that the base grant and contribution to costs grant will not be available to students who begin courses on or after 1 August 2024. These Regulations also increase the maximum amount of contribution to costs loan available to such students under the 2019 Regulations, which corresponds to the total amount of support payable to previous student cohorts.

Regulation 1 provides for the coming into force and application of these Regulations.

Regulation 7 amends the qualifying conditions for the base grant and contribution to costs grant to provide that eligible students will only qualify for such support in relation to designated courses which begin before 1 August 2024.

Regulation 9 inserts a new regulation 31ZA into the 2019 Regulations to provide for the amount of contribution to costs loan payable to eligible students who begin designated courses on or after 1 August 2024. This provision reflects the removal of grant support and increases the maximum amount of contribution to costs loan available.

Regulation 12 inserts a new regulation 36A into the 2019 Regulations to provide for the effect of an eligible student becoming or ceasing to be an eligible prisoner on their entitlement to support, where the eligible student begins a designated course on or after 1 August 2024. This provision reflects the removal of grant support and the increase in the maximum amount of contribution to costs loan.

Regulations 3, 7(2)(b) and (3)(b), 8(c), 10 and 13 omit redundant provisions relating to postgraduate social care students. The amount of support bestowed on or paid to such students under section 116(2)(a) of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 exceeds the maximum amount of contribution to costs loan payable to such students under regulation 31A of the 2019 Regulations. Regulation 31A and other related provisions are therefore redundant.

Regulations 4 and 6 make amendments which are consequential on the amendments made by regulations 12 and 9 respectively. Regulation 5 makes incidental provision to reflect the removal of grant support. Regulations 8 and 11 disapply regulations 31 and 36 of the 2019 Regulations respectively in relation to designated courses beginning on or after 1 August 2024.

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.