These Regulations, which come into force on 1st September 1996, supersede the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1994.

Provisions in these Regulations which differ from the corresponding provisions of the 1994 Regulations as amended (except as a result of minor drafting or consequential changes) are indicated by the use of heavy type. Omissions are indicated by the use of dots. The changes of substance made by these Regulations other than the changes in the rates of grant and allowances are described below.

The list of subjects studied on a course for the degree of Bachelor of Education which attract a second full mandatory award for the course, as opposed to an award under which some payments are discretionary, has been amended to include biology and religious education, and technology has been replaced by design technology and information technology (regulation 25(3)). A transitional provision has preserved the entitlement to a full award of students studying the deleted subject on whom awards have been bestowed under previous Regulations (regulation 6(6)).

Local education authorities have a discretion to reduce the amount of grant payable in a year after a student has been absent from his course for more than 28 days due to illness. The regulations have been amended to ensure that any such reduction of maintenance grant will not take into account those first 28 days of absence (regulation 26(5)).

Other provision for the payment of fees charged by the colleges of the universities of Kent, Lancaster and York has been made and accordingly such fees are no longer payable pursuant to a mandatory award (paragraph (b) of Schedule 1).

Previous Awards Regulations provided that certain students who lived away from their parents' home but who in the opinion of their local education authority could conveniently attend their courses from home might only be entitled to the ordinary maintenance requirement applicable to students living at their parents' home. This provision has been removed, so that all students who live away from their parents' home are entitled to the ordinary maintenance requirement applicable to students living away from their parents' home (paragraphs 2 and 3 of Schedule 2).

Students attending a course in medicine, dentistry or nursing who by way of clinical training are required to attend a hospital not comprised in their institution are entitled to certain travel expenses. This provision has been amended to include travel expenses to premises other than hospitals (paragraph 7(b) of Schedule 2).

Provision has been made to allow payments under the European Comunity programme known as “Leonardo da Vinci” to be disregarded in calculating a student’s income for the purposes of ascertaining his entitlement to maintenance grant (paragraph 1(1)(q) of Schedule 3).