These Regulations, which come into operation on 8th April 2002, amend the Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.

Regulation 3 amends regulation 16(2) so that where a student’s academic year begins in the autumn he shall be eligible for 85 per cent. of the grant for dependants for childcare costs for a period of 40 weeks beginning on the first day of the first term of that year.

Where a student’s academic year begins in the winter, spring or summer he shall be eligible for 85 per cent. of the grant for dependants for childcare costs for each week of each term of the year and Christmas and Easter vacations.

For weeks of the academic year that are not covered by the former a student shall be eligible for 70 per cent. of the grant for dependants for childcare costs, except for any week that falls between the end of his course of study and the end of the academic year in which the course ends.

A new regulation 30(2A) is inserted which provides that an eligible part-time student will not be ineligible for a loan under regulation 30(2)(a) if he is awarded a first degree which is not an honours degree, that award was made because he completed the required forms of assessment at an educational institution in the United Kingdom, and he is registered to continue the honours degree course at the same institution so as to obtain an honours degree.