References to independent students
3.—(1) In these Regulations “independent student” means a student who—
(a)has attained the age of 25 years before the beginning of the year for which payments in pursuance of his award fall to be made; or
(b)has supported himself out of his earnings for periods before the first year of his course aggregating not less than three years; or
(c)has been married for at least two years before the beginning of the year for which payments in pursuance of his award fall to be made whether or not the marriage is still subsisting; or
(d)has no parent living; or
(e)is irreconcilably estranged from his parents.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) a student shall be treated as having supported himself out of his earnings for any period or periods for which—
(a)he was participating in arrangements for training for the unemployed under any scheme operated, sponsored or funded by any state authority or agency, national, regional or local;
(b)the student was in receipt of … benefit payable by any state authority or agency, national, regional or local, in respect of a person who is available for employment but who is unemployed;
(c)the student was available for employment and had complied with any requirement of registration imposed by a body referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) as a condition of entitlement for participation in arrangements for training or receipt of benefit; or
(d)the student held a State Studentship or comparable award; or
(e)the student received any pension, allowance or other benefit paid by reason of a disability to which the student is subject, or by reason of confinement, injury or sickness, paid by any state authority or agency, national, regional or local, by an employer or any former employer, or by any other person; or
(f)the student could not reasonably have been expected to support himself out of his earnings because he had the care of a person under the age of 18 years who was dependent upon him.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(e) a student shall be regarded as irreconcilably estranged from his parents if, but not only if, he has not communicated with either one of them for the period of one year before the beginning of the year for which payments in pursuance of his award fall to be made.
(4) In this regulation … “parent” shall have the same meaning as in Part II of Schedule 3 to these Regulations.