The Education (Student Support) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend—

(a) the Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2017 (“the 2017 Regulations”),

(b) the Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2018 (“the 2018 Regulations”), and

(c) the Education (Student Support) (Postgraduate Master’s Degrees) (Wales) Regulations 2019 (“the Master’s Regulations”).

The 2017 Regulations provide for financial support for students taking designated higher education courses which begin on or after 1 September 2017.

Regulation 3 amends the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2(1) of the 2017 Regulations. It inserts “or under these Regulations” at paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) so that the definition refers to the 2017 Regulations as well as to previous Regulations, with the effect that a student who completes a course attracting support under the 2017 Regulations and then, disregarding any intervening vacation, immediately starts one of a number of other courses listed in the definition of “end-on course” will continue to be eligible for support for the later course under the 2017 Regulations.

Regulation 4(a) amends paragraph 5 of Schedule 5 to the 2017 Regulations. It introduces a new paragraph 5(4A) and makes an amendment to paragraph 5(2) which is consequential on the introduction of paragraph 5(4A). Paragraph 5(4A) provides that sub-paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) of paragraph 5 are to be read so that, if there are two parents in an eligible student’s household, the aggregate of both parents’ residual incomes is used when determining which financial year to use when calculating the residual incomes of those parents.

Regulation 4(b) makes an amendment which is consequential on the introduction of paragraph 5(4A) of Schedule 5 to the 2017 Regulations.

Regulation 4(c) amends paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 to the 2017 Regulations. It introduces a new paragraph 7(2) and makes a change to the existing text of paragraph 7 which is consequential on the introduction of paragraph 7(2). Paragraph 7(2) provides that, when sub-paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) of paragraph 5 are applied to the determination of a new eligible student’s parent’s partner’s income, those sub-paragraphs are to be read so that the aggregate of the student’s parent’s residual income and the student’s parent’s partner’s residual income is used when determining which financial year to use when calculating the residual incomes of the parent and the parent’s partner.

The 2018 Regulations provide for financial support for students taking designated higher education courses which begin on or after 1 August 2018. They also provide support for courses which begin before that date and are subsequently converted from full-time to part-time or part-time to full-time on or after 1 August 2018.

Regulation 6 amends paragraph 16 of Schedule 3 to the 2018 Regulations so that, if there are two parents, or a parent and a parent’s partner, in an eligible student’s household, the aggregate of both those persons’ residual incomes is used when determining which financial year to use when calculating their residual incomes.

The Master’s Regulations provide for the making of grants and loans to students for postgraduate master’s degree courses which begin on or after 1 August 2019.

Regulation 8 amends paragraph 16 of Schedule 3 to the Master’s Regulations so that, if there are two parents, or a parent and a parent’s partner, in an eligible student’s household, the aggregate of both those persons’ residual incomes is used when determining which financial year to use when calculating their residual incomes.