The Assembly Learning Grants and Loans (Higher Education) (Wales) (No.2) Regulations 2011 (“the Principal Regulations”) provide for financial support for students who are ordinarily resident in Wales and taking designated higher education courses in respect of academic years beginning on or after 1 September 2012.

These Regulations amend the Principal Regulations.

These Regulations introduce a new cohort of student and type of course into the Principal Regulations. A 2012 accelerated graduate entry student is a student who starts an accelerated graduate entry course on or after 1 September 2012. An accelerated graduate entry course is a course for graduate entry students which leads to a qualification as a medical doctor or dentist and does not exceed 4 years in duration.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 4 of the Principal Regulations. This amendment ensures that 2012 accelerated graduate entry students and other students who are paid the universal healthcare bursary are eligible students for the purposes of the Principal Regulations. The universal healthcare bursary is an award of £1,000 paid to students starting healthcare related courses after 1 September 2012.

Regulations 5 and 6 amend regulations 6 and 7 of the Principal Regulations. Regulations 6 and 7 of the Principal Regulations deal with an eligible student’s period of eligibility and previous study for the purposes of the Principal Regulations. These amendments ensure that a 2012 accelerated graduate entry student’s previous undergraduate study is not counted for the purposes of calculating their period of eligibility and does not prevent them accessing limited support under the Principal Regulations.

Regulation 7 amends regulation 10 of the Principal Regulations which makes provision relating to the time limits for submitting applications for support under the Principal Regulations. This amendment extends the time limit in relation to 2012 accelerated graduate entry students who are applying for a separate or additional amount of fee loan under the Principal Regulations.

Regulations 8 to 12 amend Part 4 of the Principal Regulations which deals with the provision of fee support for full-time eligible students. Regulations 8 to 11 make a number of minor amendments which prevent those students studying at private institutions and 2012 accelerated graduate entry students from accessing certain types of fee support under the Principal Regulations.

Regulation 12 inserts new regulations 24A and 24B into the Principal Regulations. Regulation 24A provides for the payment of a new private institution fee loan to eligible students starting courses at private institutions on or after 1 September 2012. Regulation 24B provides for the payment of an accelerated graduate entry fee loan to 2012 accelerated graduate entry students.

Regulations 13 to 15 amend Parts 5 and 6 of the Principal Regulations which deal with the provision of grants and loans for living costs for full-time eligible students. Regulation 13 ensures that certain limited grants for living costs are available to 2012 accelerated graduate entry students in their first year of study. Regulations 14 and 15 make provision for the loans for living costs available to 2012 accelerated graduate entry students. The amendments provide these students with full entitlement to such a loan in their first year of study.

Regulations 16 and 17 amend Part 10 of the Principal Regulations and make new provision on the payment of grants and loans for fees.

Regulation 18 amends regulation 86 of the Principal Regulations which deals with the payment of grants for fees in respect of eligible distance learning students.

Regulation 19 makes a minor amendment to the English text of the Principal Regulations.