EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (“the principal Regulations”). The principal Regulations provide for financial support for students taking designated higher education courses in respect of an academic year beginning on or after 1st September 2010.
These Regulations give effect to the changes in student support for Northern Ireland domiciled students commencing designated courses at relevant institutions of higher education in the Republic of Ireland from 1st September 2013. This category of student will now be eligible to apply for a loan to pay the student contribution charge that relevant institutions of higher education in the Republic of Ireland can charge and will also be eligible to apply for the same maintenance grant that all other current system students can apply for.
Regulation 3 makes changes to the interpretation section of the principal Regulations to define students commencing designated courses at relevant higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland from 1st September 2013 as current system students. It also makes consequential changes to include references to the student contribution charge and the support available to such students.
Regulation 4 precludes students from support for the student contribution charge if they are in receipt of financial support from an awarding authority in another Member State.
Regulations 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 13 make further consequential changes to reflect the support being introduced in relation to the student contribution charge.
Regulation 8 amends regulation 25 of the principal Regulations so that students can continue to receive support where they transfer to a designated course in the United Kingdom from a designated course in the Republic of Ireland.
Regulation 9 provides for the amounts of relevant institution charge loan available and the rate used to convert the loan from euro to sterling. It also makes provision so that students can continue to receive support where they transfer from a designated course in the Republic of Ireland to another designated course either in the Republic of Ireland or in the United Kingdom.
Regulation 12 corrects a typographical error.
Regulation 14 amends regulation 99 of the principal Regulations to include the payment arrangements of the relevant institution charge loan to the higher education institutions and regulation 15 amends the principal Regulations so that overpayments of relevant institution charge loan can be recovered by the Department.
A regulatory impact assessment has not been prepared in respect of this instrument as it has no impact on the cost of business, charities or voluntary bodies.