These Regulations amend the Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (as amended by the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006) (“SSR 2006”) and the Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 (“SSR 2007”) to comply with article 9 of Decision No 1/80 of the Association Council of 19th September 1980 on the development of the Association between the European Community and Turkey.
The Association Council was created by the agreement establishing an association between the European Community and Turkey which was signed in Ankara on 12 September 1963 by the Republic of Turkey on the one hand and the Member States of the EEC and the Community on the other. The agreement was concluded, approved and confirmed on behalf of the Community by Council Decision 64/732/EEC of 23 December 1963 (OJ 1973 c 113 p 1).
Article 9 of Decision No 1/80 of the Association Council of 19th September 1980 on the development of the association provides: “Turkish children residing legally in a Member State of the Community with their parents who are or have been legally employed in that member State, shall be admitted to courses of general education, apprenticeship and vocational training under the same educational entry qualifications as the children of nationals of that member State. They may in that Member State be eligible to benefit from the advantages provided for under the national legislation in this area.”
The SSR 2006 is amended to make provision for support for students on courses determined by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to be compressed degree courses. Regulations 5 and 9 make additional provision in respect of such students.
Regulation 20 amends regulation 69 of the SSR 2007, the effect being that the loan amount available to students at the British Institute in Paris is equivalent to that available to students at other overseas institutions.
The SSR 2007 specify that an eligible postgraduate student will cease to be eligible for support if he is undertaking a designated postgraduate course that is a part-time course and he is unable to complete that course within twice the ordinary duration of a full-time course leading to the same qualification. Regulation 26 of these Regulations amends regulation 128 of the SSR 2007 to clarify this.
A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this Rule as it has no impact on the costs of business.