The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009

• Citation: S.I. 2009/1555
• Sections: 200

Section 1 Citation, commencement, and application

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009 and come into force on 1st September 2009.

(2) These Regulations apply in relation to England .

(3) These Regulations (except regulation 3 and Schedule 5) apply in relation to the provision of support to students in relation to an academic year which begins on or after 1st September 2010 whether anything done under these Regulations is done before, on or after 1st September 2010.

Section 2 Interpretation

(1) In these Regulations—

“the 1962 Act ” means the Education Act 1962 ;

“the 1998 Act ” means the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998;

“the 1998 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 1998 ;

“the 1999 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 1999 ;

“the 2000 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2000 ;

“the 2001 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2001 ;

“the 2002 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2002 ;

“the 2003 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) ( No. 2) Regulations 2002 ()"f00009"/> as amended only by the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2003 ()"f00010"/> and the Education (Student Fees and Support) (Switzerland) Regulations 2003 ()"f00011"/>;

“the 2004 Regulations ” means the 2003 Regulations as amended by the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2004 , the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 , the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2004 , the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2004 , the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2005 , the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 and the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2005 ;

“the 2005 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2005 ;

“the 2006 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2006 ;

“the 2007 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2007 ;

“the 2008 Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2008 ;

“the 2008 (No.2) Regulations ” means the Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations 2008 ;

“2008 cohort student” means a current system student who—

begins the current course on or after 1st September 2008 and before 1st September 2009;

transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 on or after 1st September 2009 from a course beginning on or after 1st September 2008 and before 1st September 2009; or

begins an end-on course on or after 1st September 2009 immediately after ceasing to attend a preliminary course that began on or after 1st September 2008 and before 1st September 2009,

and to whom one of the following sub-paragraphs applies—

the student has not previously undertaken any course designated for the purposes of section 22 of the 1998 Act which began before 1st September 2008;

where (a) or (b) apply, the student is a type 1 or a type 2 teacher training student; or

the course leads to qualification as a social worker, medical doctor, dentist, veterinary surgeon or architect, landscape architect, landscape designer, landscape manager, town planner or town and country planner;

“2009 cohort student” means a current system student who—

begins the current course on or after 1st September 2009 and is not a 2008 cohort student;

transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 on or after 1st September 2010 from a course beginning on or after 1st September 2009; or

begins an end–on course on or after 1st September 2010 immediately after ceasing to attend a preliminary course that begins on or after 1st September 2009,

and to whom one of the following sub-paragraphs applies—

the student has not previously undertaken any course which began before 1st September 2008 and which is a previous course;

where (a) or (b) apply, the student is a type 1or a type 2 teacher training student; or

the course leads to qualification as a social worker, medical doctor, dentist, veterinary surgeon or architect;

“academic authority” means, in relation to an institution, the governing body or other body having the functions of a governing body and includes a person acting with the authority of that body;

“academic year” means the period of twelve months beginning on 1st January, 1st April, 1st July or 1st September of the calendar year in which the academic year of the course in question begins according to whether that academic year begins on or after 1st January and before 1st April, on or after 1st April and before 1st July, on or after 1st July and before 1st August or on or after 1st August and on or before 31st December, respectively;

“Academy” means an Academy established by an agreement under section 482 of the Education Act 1996 ;

“accelerated course” means a course which persons undertaking it are normally required by the institution providing it to attend (whether at premises of the institution or elsewhere) for a period of at least 40 weeks in the final year, being a course of two academic years’ duration;

“borrower” means a person to whom a loan has been made;

“bursary year” means an academic year of a course—

in relation to which the student is eligible to receive any payment under a healthcare bursary the amount of which is calculated by reference to that student’s income; or

in relation to which the student is eligible to receive a Scottish healthcare allowance the amount of which is calculated by reference to that student’s income;

“college fee loan” means a loan for college fees payable to a qualifying student pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act;

“compressed degree course” means a course determined in accordance with paragraph (2) to be a compressed degree course;

“compressed degree student” means an eligible student who—

is undertaking a compressed degree course in the United Kingdom (the “course”);

either—

began the course on or after 1st September 2006 and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2010; or

begins the course on or after 1st September 2010; and

either—

is required to be in attendance on the course for part of the academic year for which the student is applying for support; or

is a disabled student who is not required to be in attendance on the course because the student is unable to attend for a reason which relates to that student’s disability;

“contribution” means an eligible student’s contribution calculated pursuant to regulation 96 and Schedule 4;

“course for the initial training of teachers” includes such a course leading to a first degree unless otherwise indicated but excludes an employment-based teacher training scheme;

“current course” means the designated course in respect of which a person is applying for support;

“current distance learning course” means the designated distance learning course in respect of which a person is applying for support;

“current part-time course” means the designated part-time course in respect of which a person is applying for support;

“current postgraduate course” means the designated postgraduate course in respect of which a person is applying for support;

“current system student” means an eligible student who—

is not an old system student; and

either—

began the current course on or after 1st September 2006 and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2010; or

begins the current course on or after 1st September 2010;

“designated course” means a course designated by regulation 6 or by the Secretary of State under regulation 6;

“designated distance learning course” means a course designated by the Secretary of State under regulation 118;

“designated part-time course” means a course designated by regulation 135 or by the Secretary of State under regulation 135;

“designated postgraduate course” means a course designated by regulation 152 or by the Secretary of State under regulation 152;

“disabled distance learning students’ allowance” means the grant payable under regulation 123;

“disabled part-time students’ allowance” means the grant payable under regulation 141;

“disabled students’ allowance” means the grant payable under regulation 40;

“ Directive 2004/38 ” means Directive 2004/38 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29th April 2004 on the rights of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely in the territory of the Member States;

“ EC national ” means a national of a Member State of the European Community ;

“electronic signature” is so much of anything in electronic form as—

is incorporated into or otherwise logically associated with any electronic communication or electronic data; and

purports to be so incorporated or associated for the purpose of being used in establishing the authenticity of the communication or data, the integrity of the communication or data, or both;

“eligible distance learning student” has the meaning given in regulation 116;

“eligible part-time student” has the meaning given in regulation 133;

“eligible postgraduate student” has the meaning given in regulation 150;

“eligible student” has the meaning given in paragraph (3);

“employment-based teacher training scheme” means—

a scheme established by the Secretary of State whereby a person may undertake initial teacher training in order to obtain qualified teacher status while being employed to teach at a school or other educational institution except a pupil referral unit; or

a scheme established by the National Assembly for Wales or the Welsh Ministers whereby persons who are or who have been employed in a school or other educational institution except a pupil referral unit may become qualified teachers;

“end-on course” means—

a full-time first degree course (other than a first degree course for the initial training of teachers) beginning before 1st September 2009 which, disregarding any intervening vacation, a student begins immediately after ceasing to attend a full-time course mentioned in paragraph 2 or 3 of Schedule 2 for which the student received or was entitled to receive a transitional award, a loan under the 1998 Regulations or support under the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2008 (No.2) Regulations;

a full-time honours degree course beginning on or after 1st September 2006 but before 1st September 2009 which, disregarding any intervening vacation, a student begins immediately after ceasing to attend a full-time foundation degree course and for which the student received or was entitled to receive a transitional award, a loan under the 1998 Regulations or support under the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2008 (No.2) Regulations;

a course for the initial training of teachers beginning before 1st September 2006 the duration of which does not exceed two years (the duration of a part-time course being expressed as its full-time equivalent) which, disregarding any intervening vacation, a student begins immediately after ceasing to attend a first degree course for which the student received or was entitled to receive a transitional award, a loan under the 1998 Regulations or support under the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005 Regulations;

a full-time first degree course beginning on or after 1st September 2009, (other than a first degree course for the initial training of teachers) which, disregarding any intervening vacation, a student begins immediately after ceasing to attend a lower level full-time or part-time higher education course, or undertake a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course;

“equivalent or lower qualification” means a qualification determined in accordance with paragraph (5) to be an equivalent or lower qualification;

“ Erasmus year ” means an academic year of a course during which a student is participating in the action scheme of the European Community for the mobility of university students known as ERASMUS and where the student’s course is a course referred to in regulation 6(1)(e) and all the periods of study during the academic year are at an institution outside the United Kingdom;

“European Community” means the territory comprised by the Member States of the European Community as constituted from time to time;

“fee contribution loan” means a loan for fees made to an old system student pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act;

“fee loan” means a loan for fees made to a current system student pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act;

“fees” has the meaning given in section 41(1) of the Higher Education Act 2004 except in references to college fees;

“fee support” means a grant for fees pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act, a fee contribution loan or a fee loan;

“flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers” means a graduate-entry or postgraduate-level course for the initial training of teachers, the length and pattern of which is determined by reference to the eligible student’s experience and training requirements and which has been approved by the Training and Development Agency for Schools where the course—

began before 1 September 2010; or

begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers which began before 1st September 2010;

“former Metropolitan Police District” means—

Greater London, excluding the City of London, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple;

in the county of Essex, in the district of Epping Forest—

the area of the former urban district of Chigwell,

the parish of Waltham Abbey;

in the county of Hertfordshire—

in the borough of Broxbourne, the area of the former urban district of Cheshunt,

the district of Hertsmere,

in the district of Welwyn Hatfield, the parish of Northaw; and

in the county of Surrey—

in the borough of Elmbridge, the area of the former urban district of Esher,

the boroughs of Epsom and Ewell and Spelthorne,

in the district of Reigate and Banstead, the area of the former urban district of Banstead;

“gap year student” has the meaning given in paragraph (6);

“grant for living and other costs” means a grant payable under Part 5;

“healthcare bursary” means a bursary or award of similar description under section 63 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 or Article 44 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 ;

“higher education course” means a course referred to in Schedule 2 or a postgraduate or other course the standard of which is higher than the standard of a first degree course;

“household income” has the meaning given in Schedule 4;

“information” includes documents;

“ Institute ” means the University of London Institute in Paris;

“intensive course” means an accelerated course or a compressed degree course;

“ Islands ” means the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man;

“loan”, except where otherwise indicated, means a loan pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act, including the interest accrued on the loan and any penalties or charges incurred in connection with it;

“loan for living costs” means a loan for living costs pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act;

“long courses loan” means a long courses loan pursuant to regulation 78;

“maintained school” means a community, foundation or voluntary school, a community or foundation special school or a maintained nursery school;

“old award” is an award within the meaning of the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 2003 ;

“old flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers” means a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers which a student started to attend before 1st September 2008;

“old system student” means an eligible student who—

began the current course before 1st September 2006 and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2010;

is a gap year student in relation to the current course;

began the current course on or after 1st September 2006 where that course is an end-on course (other than one of the kind referred to in paragraph (c) of the definition of “end-on course” in this regulation) following on from—

a course that the student began before 1st September 2006; or

a course that the student began before 1st September 2007 and in relation to which the student was a gap year student; or

began the current course on or after 1st September 2006 having had their status as an eligible student transferred to that course as a result of one or more transfers of that status by the Secretary of State pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act from a designated course in connection with which the Secretary of State determined the student to be an eligible student and which the student began—

before 1st September 2006; or

before 1st September 2007 and in relation to which the student was a gap year student;

“ordinary duration” means, in relation to a designated course, the number of academic years that a standard student would take to complete the designated course excluding any academic years of the course that are bursary years or Erasmus years ;

“period of eligibility” has the meaning given respectively in regulation 7 in relation to an eligible student, in regulation 119 in relation to an eligible distance learning student, in regulation 136 in relation to an eligible part-time student and in regulation 153 in relation to an eligible postgraduate student;

“periods of work experience” means—

periods of industrial, professional or commercial experience associated with full-time study at an institution, but at a place outside that institution;

periods during which a student is employed and residing in a country whose language is one that the student is studying for that student’s course (provided that the period of residence in that country is a requirement of that student’s course and the study of one or more modern languages accounts for not less than one half of the total time spent studying on the course);

“person with leave to enter or remain” means a person—

who has been informed by a person acting under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Home Department that, although the person is considered not to qualify for recognition as a refugee, it is thought right to allow that person to enter or remain in the United Kingdom;

who has been granted leave to enter or remain accordingly;

whose period of leave to enter or remain has not expired or has been renewed and the period for which it was renewed has not expired or in respect of whose leave to enter or remain an appeal is pending (within the meaning of section 104 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 ); and

who has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the period since the person was granted leave to enter or remain;

“preliminary course” means a course mentioned in paragraph 2 or 3 of Schedule 2 that is taken before a full-time degree course (other than a first degree course for the initial training of teachers) or a foundation degree course that is taken before a full-time honours degree course, as the case may be;

“previous course” has the meaning given in regulation 13;

“private institution” means an institution which is not publicly funded;

“public funds” means moneys provided by Parliament or by a government authority outside the United Kingdom;

“publicly funded”, unless otherwise indicated, means maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds and related expressions are to be interpreted accordingly;

“qualified teacher” has the meaning given in section 132(1) of the Education Act 2002 ;

“qualifying course” means a full-time designated course which is provided by the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge and—

leads to qualification as a social worker, medical doctor, dentist, veterinary surgeon or architect;

where it began before 1st September 2009, leads to qualification as a landscape architect, landscape designer, landscape manager, town planner or town and country planner; or

any academic year of which is a bursary year;

“qualifying student” means a person who satisfies the criteria in regulation 89;

“qualifying year of study” means an academic year of a designated course—

in respect of which the student qualified for fee support (even if the amount was nil);

that was a bursary year; or

in respect of which the student would have qualified for fee support (even if the amount would have been nil) if the student had been an eligible student or the current course had been designated at the beginning of that year;

“quarter” in relation to an academic year means a period in that year—

beginning on 1st January and ending on 31st March;

beginning on 1st April and ending on 30th June;

beginning on 1st July and ending on 31st August; or

beginning on 1st September and ending on 31st December;

“refugee” means a person who is recognised by Her Majesty’s government as a refugee within the meaning of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28th July 1951 as extended by the Protocol thereto which entered into force on 4th October 1967 ;

“Research Council” means any of the following research councils—

Arts and Humanities Research Council,

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council,

Economic and Social Research Council,

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council,

Medical Research Council,

Natural Environment Research Council,

Science and Technology Facilities Council;

“right of permanent residence” means a right arising under Directive 2004/38 to reside in the United Kingdom permanently without restriction;

“sandwich course” has the meaning given in paragraph (10);

“Scottish healthcare allowance” means any allowance under sections 73(f) and 74(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 granted in respect of a person on a course leading to a qualification in a healthcare profession other than as a medical doctor or dentist;

“specified designated course” has the meaning given in paragraph (11);

“standard academic year”, unless otherwise indicated, means an academic year of a designated course (other than an academic year that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year) that would be taken (in whole or in part) by a person who does not repeat any part of the course after 1st September 2006 and who enters the course at the same point as the eligible student;

“standard student” is a student who is to be taken—

to have begun the designated course on the same date as the eligible student in question;

not to be excused any part of the course;

not to repeat any part of the course; and

not to be absent from the course other than during vacations;

“statutory award” means any award bestowed, grant paid or other support provided by virtue of the 1998 Act or the 1962 Act, or any comparable award, grant or other support in respect of undertaking a course which is paid out of public funds;

“student loans legislation” means the Education (Student Loans) Act 1990 , the Education (Student Loans) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990 , the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and regulations made under those Acts or that Order, the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 and regulations made under that Order or the 1998 Act and regulations made under that Act;

“support” means financial support by way of grant or loan made by the Secretary of State pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act;

“transitional award” means an award made under the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1998 other than an old award;

“Turkish worker” means a Turkish national who—

is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands; and

is, or has been, lawfully employed in the United Kingdom;

“type 1 teacher training student” means a current system student on a course for the initial training of teachers (other than a course for a first degree) whose periods of full-time attendance (including attendance for the purpose of teaching practice) in the academic year in respect of which the student is applying for support are in aggregate at least 6 weeks but less than 10 weeks where the course—

began before 1st September 2010; or

begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers which began before 1st September 2010;

“type 2 teacher training student” means a current system student on a course for the initial training of teachers (other than a course for a first degree) whose periods of full-time attendance (including attendance for the purpose of teaching practice) in the academic year in respect of which the student is applying for support are in aggregate 10 weeks or more where the course—

began before 1st September 2010; or

begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers which began before 1st September 2010; and

“type 3 teacher training student” means a current system student on a course for a first degree for the initial training of teachers whose periods of full-time attendance (including attendance for the purpose of teaching practice) in the academic year in respect of which the student is applying for support are in aggregate at least 6 weeks but less than 10 weeks where the course—-

began before 1st September 2010; or

begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers which began before 1st September 2010.

(2) The Secretary of State may determine that a course is a compressed degree course if, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, that course is—

(a) a course for a first degree (other than a foundation degree);

(b) a full-time course designated under regulation 6(1); and

(c) of two academic years’ duration.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), “eligible student” has the meaning given in regulation 5.

(4) For the purposes of the college fee loan, references to an eligible student in regulations 7, 8, 9 and Schedule 3 include a person treated as an eligible student by virtue of regulation 90.

(5) The Secretary of State may determine that a qualification is an equivalent or lower qualification if—

(a) an eligible student holds a higher education qualification from any institution whether or not in the United Kingdom; and

(b) the qualification referred to in sub-paragraph (a) is of an academic level which is equivalent to or higher than a qualification to which the current course leads.

(6) In these Regulations, a person is a “gap year student” in relation to a course provided by or on behalf of an institution that was publicly funded as at 1st August 2005 if the person meets the conditions in paragraph (7) or (9).

(7) The conditions are—

(a) the person had on or before 1st August 2005 received an offer, whether conditional on obtaining specified qualifications or not, of a place on the current course or a similar course; and

(b) the first academic year of the current course began on or after 1st September 2006 but before 1st September 2007.

(8) In paragraph (7), a course (the “original course”) is similar to the current course if—

(a) it appears to the academic authority of the institution providing the current course that the subject-matter of the course is in whole or in part the same as the subject-matter of the original course; and

(b) except where the original course is no longer being provided, the current course is provided by the institution which was to have provided the original course.

(9) The conditions are—

(a) the person had received an offer of a place on a designated course (whether or not at the same institution as the current course) the first academic year of which began before 1st September 2006;

(b) the person was unable to take up the offer because a specified qualification or grade was not awarded to them;

(c) the person appealed against the decision not to award them the qualification or grade;

(d) the appeal was allowed after the last date on which they could have taken up the offer;

(e) as a result, the person was offered a place on the current course; and

(f) the first academic year of the current course began on or after 1st September 2006 but before 1st September 2007.

(10) In these Regulations—

(a) a course is a “sandwich course” if—

(i) it is not a course for the initial training of teachers;

(ii) it consists of alternate periods of full-time study in an institution and periods of work experience; and

(iii) taking the course as a whole, the student attends the periods of full-time study for an average of not less than 18 weeks in each year;

(b) in calculating the student’s attendance for the purposes of sub-paragraph (a), the course is to be treated as beginning with the first period of full-time study and ending with the last such period; and

(c) for the purposes of sub-paragraph (a), where periods of full-time study and work experience alternate within any week of the course, the days of full-time study are aggregated with each other and with any weeks of full-time study in determining the number of weeks of full-time study in each year.

(11) In these Regulations, the “specified designated course” means the current course subject to paragraphs (12) and (13).

(12) Where the student’s status as an eligible student has been transferred to the current course as a result of one or more transfers of that status by the Secretary of State from a course (the “initial course”) in connection with which the Secretary of State determined the student to be an eligible student pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act, the specified designated course is the initial course.

(13) Where the current course is an end-on course, the specified designated course is the course in relation to which the current course is an end-on course (the “preceding course”). Where the preceding course is itself an end-on course, the specified designated course is the course in relation to which the preceding course is an end-on course.

Section 3 Amendment of the Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations 2008

The 2008 (No.2) Regulations are amended in accordance with Schedule 5.

Section 4 Revocation, savings and transitional provisions

(1) The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2008 (Amendment) Regulations 2009 and regulations 93 and 94 of the 2008 (No. 2) Regulations are revoked on 1st September 2009.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the following regulations are revoked on 1st September 2010–

(a) the 2008 (No.2) Regulations;

(b) the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2008 ;

(c) the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2008 .

(3) Paragraph (3) of regulation 4 of the 2008 (No.2) Regulations continues to apply.

(4) The 2008 (No. 2) Regulations continue to apply to the provision of support to students in relation to an academic year which begins on or after 1st September 2009 but before 1st September 2010.

(5) Despite any other provision in these Regulations where a person—

(a) attends a course in respect of which a transitional award was made; or

(b) had received no award under the 1962 Act in respect of the course but a transitional award would have been bestowed had the person applied for an award under the 1962 Act and the person’s resources had not exceeded the person’s requirements,

the person is an old system student for the purposes of Parts 4 and 5 in connection with the course, or in connection with any subsequent course to which the award (either bestowed or which would have been bestowed under the 1962 Act) would have been transferred if transitional awards provided for payments after the first year of a course, but unless paragraph (6) applies the person qualifies for support by way of loan for living costs under Part 6 only if the person is an eligible student under these Regulations and if the person satisfies the qualifying conditions for an old system student in Part 6.

(6) Despite any other provision in these Regulations, where any person received or was eligible to receive a loan in relation to an academic year of a course under the 1998 Regulations the person is an old system student for the purposes of Part 6 in connection with the course, or any subsequent designated course which (disregarding any intervening vacation) the person begins immediately after ceasing that course, but unless paragraph (5) applies the person qualifies for fee support under Chapters 4 and 5 of Part 4 and grants for living and other costs under Part 5 only if the person is an eligible student under these Regulations and if the person satisfies the relevant qualifying conditions for an old system student in Parts 4 and 5.

Section 5 Eligible students

(1) An eligible student qualifies for support in connection with a designated course subject to and in accordance with these Regulations.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), a person is an eligible student in connection with a designated course if in assessing that person’s application for support the Secretary of State determines that the person falls within one of the categories set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1.

(3) A person (“A”) is not an eligible student if—

(a) an old award has been bestowed on A in respect of A’s attendance on the course;

(b) A is eligible for a loan in relation to an academic year of the course under the Education (Student Loans) Act 1990 or the Education (Student Loans) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990;

(c) there has been bestowed on, or paid to, A in connection with the course—

(i) a healthcare bursary the amount of which is not calculated by reference to A’s income; or

(ii) any allowance under the Nursing and Midwifery Student Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2007 ;

(d) A is in breach of any obligation to repay any loan;

(e) A has reached the age of 18 and has not ratified any agreement for a loan made with A when A was under the age of 18; or

(f) A has, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, shown by A’s conduct that A is unfitted to receive support.

(4) For the purposes of paragraphs (3)(d) and (3)(e), “loan” means a loan made under any provision of the student loans legislation.

(5) In a case where the agreement for a loan is subject to the law of Scotland, paragraph (3)(e) only applies if the agreement was made—

(a) before 25th September 1991; and

(b) with the concurrence of the borrower’s curator or at a time when the borrower had no curator.

(6) An eligible student in respect of whom the first academic year of the specified designated course begins on or after 1st September 2000 does not, at any one time, qualify for support for—

(a) more than one designated course;

(b) a designated course and a designated distance learning course;

(c) a designated course and a designated part-time course;

(d) a designated course and a designated postgraduate course.

(7) Subject to paragraphs (11) to (13), if a person satisfies the conditions in paragraph (8), (9) or (10)—

(a) paragraphs (2) and (3) do not apply to that person and

(b) that person is an eligible student for the purposes of these Regulations.

(8) The conditions are—

(a) the person qualified as an eligible student in connection with an earlier academic year of the current course pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act;

(b) the person was not ordinarily resident in Wales on the first day of the first academic year of the current course; and

(c) the person’s status as an eligible student has not terminated.

(9) The conditions are—

(a) the current course is an end-on course (other than one of the kind referred to in paragraph (c) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2) which the person begins on or after 1st September 2006;

(b) the person qualified as an eligible student in connection with the course in relation to which the current course is an end-on course;

(c) the period of eligibility in respect of the course referred to in sub-paragraph (b) ceased only on the grounds that the student had completed the course; and

(d) the person was not ordinarily resident in Wales on the first day of the first academic year of the course referred to in sub-paragraph (b).

(10) The conditions are—

(a) the Secretary of State has previously determined that the person is—

(i) an eligible part-time student in connection with a designated part-time course;

(ii) an eligible distance learning student in connection with a designated distance learning course; or

(iii) an eligible student in connection with a designated course other than the current course;

(b) the person’s status as an eligible part-time student, as an eligible distance learning student or as an eligible student in connection with the course referred to in sub-paragraph (a) has been converted or transferred from that course to the current course as a result of one or more conversions or transfers in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act;

(c) the person was not ordinarily resident in Wales on the first day of the first academic year of the course referred to in sub-paragraph (a); and

(d) the person’s status as an eligible student has not terminated.

(11) Where—

(a) the Secretary of State determined that, by virtue of being a refugee or the spouse, civil partner, child or step-child of a refugee, a person (“A”) was—

(i) an eligible student in connection with an application for support for an earlier year of the current course, an application for support for a course in relation to which the current course is an end-on course or an application for support in connection with a designated part-time course, designated distance learning course or other designated course from which A’s status as an eligible part-time student, eligible distance learning student or eligible student has been transferred to the current course; or

(ii) a qualifying student in connection with an application for support for an earlier year of the qualifying course or other qualifying course from which A’s status as a qualifying student has been transferred to the qualifying course in respect of which the student is applying for support; and

(b) as at the day before the academic year in respect of which A is applying for support begins, the refugee status of A or of A’s spouse, civil partner, parent or step-parent, as the case may be, has expired and no further leave to remain has been granted and no appeal is pending (within the meaning of section 104 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002),

A’s status as an eligible or qualifying student terminates immediately before the first day of the academic year in respect of which A is applying for support.

(12) Where—

(a) the Secretary of State determined that, by virtue of being a person with leave to enter or remain or the spouse, civil partner, child or step-child of such a person, a person (“A”) was—

(i) an eligible student in connection with an application for support for an earlier year of the current course, an application for support for a course in relation to which the current course is an end-on course or an application for support in connection with a designated part-time course, designated distance learning course or other designated course from which A’s status as an eligible part-time student, eligible distance learning student or eligible student has been transferred to the current course; or

(ii) a qualifying student in connection with an application for support for an earlier year of the qualifying course or other qualifying course from which A’s status as a qualifying student has been transferred to the qualifying course in respect of which the student is applying for support; and

(b) as at the day before the academic year in respect of which A is applying for support begins, the period for which the person with leave to enter or remain is allowed to stay in the United Kingdom has expired and no further leave to remain has been granted and no appeal is pending (within the meaning of section 104 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002),

A’s status as an eligible or qualifying student terminates immediately before the first day of the academic year in respect of which A is applying for support.

(13) Paragraphs (11) and (12) do not apply where A began the course in connection with which the Secretary of State determined that A was an eligible part-time student, an eligible student or a qualifying student, as the case may be, before 1st September 2007.

Section 6 Designated courses

(1) Subject to paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5), a course is a designated course for the purposes of section 22(1) of the 1998 Act and regulation 5 if it is—

(a) mentioned in Schedule 2;

(b) one of the following—

(i) a full-time course;

(ii) a sandwich course; or

(iii) a course for the initial training of teachers;

(c) not a designated distance learning course;

(d) of at least—

(i) one academic year’s duration; or

(ii) six weeks’ duration in the case of a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers; and

(e) wholly provided by a publicly funded educational institution or institutions in the United Kingdom or provided by such an institution or institutions in conjunction with an institution or institutions outside the United Kingdom.

(2) A course falling within paragraph 7 or 8 of Schedule 2 is not a designated course where the governing body of a maintained school or Academy has arranged for the provision of such a course to a pupil of the school or Academy.

(3) A course that is taken as part of an employment-based teacher training scheme is not a designated course.

(4) A first degree course is not a designated course where—

(a) it leads to the award of a professional qualification;

(b) a first degree (or equivalent qualification) would normally be required for entry to a course leading to the award of that professional qualification; and

(c) the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009.

(5) Paragraph (1)(c) does not apply where the person applying for support in connection with the course is—

(a) a disabled student; and

(b) undertaking that course in the United Kingdom but not in attendance because the person is unable to attend for a reason which relates to that person’s disability.

(6) For the purposes of paragraph (1)—

(a) a course is provided by an institution if it provides the teaching and supervision which comprise the course, whether or not the institution has entered into an agreement with the student to provide the course;

(b) a university and any constituent college or institution in the nature of a college of a university is to be regarded as publicly funded if either the university or the constituent college or institution is publicly funded; and

(c) an institution is not to be regarded as publicly funded by reason only that it receives public funds from the governing body of a higher education institution in accordance with section 65(3A) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 .

(7) Subject to paragraph (4), a course to which this paragraph applies is considered to be a single course for a first degree or for an equivalent qualification even if—

(a) the course leads to another degree or qualification being conferred before the degree or equivalent qualification; and

(b) part of the course is optional.

(8) Paragraph (7) applies to a course the standard of which is not higher than a first degree which leads to a qualification as a medical doctor, dentist, veterinary surgeon, architect, landscape architect, landscape designer, landscape manager, town planner or town and country planner.

(9) For the purposes of section 22 of the 1998 Act and regulation 5(1) the Secretary of State may designate courses of higher education which are not designated under paragraph (1).

Section 7 Period of eligibility

(1) A student’s status as an eligible student is retained in connection with a designated course until the status terminates in accordance with this regulation or regulation 5.

(2) The period for which an eligible student retains that status is the “period of eligibility”.

(3) Subject to the following paragraphs and regulation 5, the period of eligibility terminates at the end of the academic year in which the student completes the designated course.

(4) The period of eligibility terminates when the eligible student (“A”)—

(a) withdraws from A’s designated course in circumstances where the Secretary of State has not transferred or converted or will not transfer or convert A’s status as an eligible student under regulation 8,128 or 146; or

(b) abandons or is expelled from A’s designated course.

(5) the Secretary of State may terminate the period of eligibility where A has shown by A’s conduct that A is unfitted to receive support.

(6) If the Secretary of State is satisfied that an eligible student has failed to comply with any requirement to provide information under these Regulations or has provided information which is inaccurate in a material particular, the Secretary of State may take such of the following actions as the Secretary of State considers appropriate in the circumstances—

(a) terminate the period of eligibility;

(b) determine that the student no longer qualifies for any particular support or particular amount of support;

(c) treat any support paid to the student as an overpayment which may be recovered under Chapter 5 of Part 9.

(7) Where the period of eligibility terminates before the end of the academic year in which the student completes the designated course, the Secretary of State may, at any time, renew the period of eligibility for such period as the Secretary of State determines.

Section 8 Transfer of status

(1) Where an eligible student “A” transfers to another course, the Secretary of State must transfer A’s status as an eligible student to that course where—

(a) he receives a request from the eligible student to do so;

(b) he is satisfied that one or more of the grounds for transfer in paragraph (2) applies; and

(c) the period of eligibility has not terminated.

(2) The grounds for transfer are—

(a) on the recommendation of the academic authority A ceases one course and starts to—

(i) attend another designated course at the institution;

(ii) undertake another compressed degree course at the institution; or

(iii) undertake a compressed degree course at the institution;

(b) A starts to—

(i) attend a designated course at another institution; or

(ii) undertake a compressed degree course at another institution;

(c) after starting a course for the Certificate in Education, A is, on or before the completion of that course, admitted to a designated course for the degree (including an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education either at the same institution or at another institution;

(d) after starting a course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education, A is, on or before the completion of that course, admitted to a designated course for the honours degree of Bachelor of Education either at the same institution or at another institution; or

(e) after starting a course for a first degree (other than an honours degree) A is, before the completion of that course, admitted to a designated course for an honours degree in the same subject or subjects at the institution.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), where A transfers under paragraph (1), A is entitled to receive in connection with the academic year of the course to which A transfers the remainder of the support assessed by the Secretary of State in respect of the academic year of the course from which A transfers.

(4) The Secretary of State may re-assess the amount of support payable after the transfer.

(5) Where A transfers under paragraph (1) after the Secretary of State has assessed A’s support in connection with the academic year of the course from which A is transferring but before A completes that year, A may not, in connection with the academic year of the course to which A transfers, apply for another grant or loan of a kind that A has already applied for under these Regulations in connection with the academic year of the course from which A is transferring unless otherwise provided.

Section 9 Applications for support

(1) A person (the “applicant”) must apply for support in connection with each academic year of a designated course by completing and submitting to the Secretary of State an application in such form and accompanied by such documentation as the Secretary of State may require.

(2) The Secretary of State may take such steps and make such inquiries as the Secretary of State considers necessary to determine whether the applicant is an eligible student, whether the applicant qualifies for support and the amount of support payable, if any.

(3) The Secretary of State must notify the applicant of whether the applicant qualifies for support and, if so, the amount of support payable in respect of the academic year, if any.

Section 10 Time limits

(1) The general rule is that the application must reach the Secretary of State no later than the end of the ninth month of the academic year in respect of which it is submitted.

(2) The general rule does not apply where—

(a) one of the events listed in regulation 18 occurs after the first day of the academic year in respect of which the applicant is applying for support, in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State within a period of nine months beginning with the day on which the relevant event occurred;

(b) the applicant is making a separate application for a fee loan, a fee contribution loan, a loan for living costs or a college fee loan or is applying for an additional amount of fee loan under regulation 24(4) or (10), an additional amount of fee contribution loan under regulation 35(5), an additional amount of loan for living costs under regulation 86(3) or an additional amount of college fee loan under regulation 94 in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State not later than one month before the end of the academic year to which the application relates;

(c) the applicant is applying to borrow an additional amount of fee contribution loan under regulation 35(3), an additional amount of loan for living costs or an additional amount of long courses loan under regulation 86(1), in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State not later than one month before the end of the academic year to which the application relates or within a period of one month beginning with the day on which the applicant receives notice of the increased maximum amount, whichever is the later;

(d) the applicant is applying for the disabled students’ allowance, in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State as soon as is reasonably practicable; or

(e) the Secretary of State considers that having regard to the circumstances of the particular case the time limit should be relaxed, in which case the application must reach the Secretary of State not later than such date as the Secretary of State specifies.

Section 11 Information

Schedule 3 deals with the provision of information.

Section 12 Requirement to enter into a contract for a loan

To receive a loan a student must enter into a contract with the Secretary of State.

Section 13 Previous course

(1) Subject to the exceptions in paragraphs (4), (5) and (6), a “previous course” is–

(a) where the current course began before 1st September 2009, any full-time higher education course, a course for the initial training of teachers or a course designated under regulation 6(9), which the student attended or, in the case of a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course, undertook before the current course and which meets one or both of the conditions in paragraph (2);

(b) where the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009–

(i) a lower level qualification achieved following a full-time or part-time higher education course, a course for the initial training of teachers or a course designated under regulation 6(9), which the student attended or, in the case of a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course, undertook before the current course;

(ii) a full-time higher education course, a course for the initial training of teachers or a course designated under regulation 6(9), which the student attended, or in the case of a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course, undertook before the current course where the student studied but did not achieve a qualification and which meets one or both of the conditions in paragraph (3); or

(iii) a full-time higher education course, a course for the initial training of teachers or a course designated under regulation 6(9), which the student attended or, in the case of a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course, undertook before the current course where—

(aa) the course meets one or both of the conditions in paragraph (2); and

(bb) the student’s status as an eligible student has been transferred to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a designated course which began before 1st September 2009.

(2) The conditions are—

(a) the course was provided by an institution in the United Kingdom which was publicly funded for some or all of the academic years during which the student attended or undertook the course; or

(b) any scholarship, exhibition, bursary, grant, allowance or award of any description which was paid in respect of the student’s attending or, in the case of a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course, undertaking the course to defray fees was from public funds or funds attributable to public funds.

(3) The conditions are—

(a) the course was provided at a publicly funded institution whether or not in the United Kingdom for some or all of the academic years during which the student attended or undertook the course; or

(b) any scholarship, exhibition, bursary, grant, allowance or award of any description which was paid in respect of the student’s attending or, in the case of a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course, undertaking the course to defray fees was from public funds or funds attributable to public funds.

(4) A course which would otherwise be a previous course will not be treated as such if—

(a) the current course is a course for the initial training of teachers;

(b) the duration of the current course does not exceed two years where the current course is—

(i) a full-time course; or

(ii) a part-time course (the duration of which being expressed as its full-time equivalent) and either the current course—

(aa) began before 1st September 2010; or

(bb) begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers beginning before 1st September 2010); and

(c) the student is not a qualified teacher.

(5) A course for the Certificate in Education which would otherwise be a previous course will not be treated as such if—

(a) the current course is a course for the degree (including an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education; and

(b) the student transferred to the current course from the course for the Certificate in Education before the completion of that course or began the current course on completion of the course for the Certificate in Education.

(6) A course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education will not be treated as a previous course if—

(a) the current course is a course for the honours degree of Bachelor of Education; and

(b) the student transferred to the current course from the course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education before the completion of that course or began the current course on completion of the course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education.

(7) Subject to paragraphs (8), (9) and (10), for the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 22 and 29—

(a) each academic year that the student completed on a previous course is counted; and

(b) an academic year of a previous course that the student began or ceased to attend part of the way through the year is counted as one academic year on a previous course.

(8) For the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 22 and 29 where the student began the current course before 1st September 2009, an academic year of a previous course is not to be counted as a year spent on a previous course if—

(a) the student did not qualify for fee support for that year other than because the academic year was a bursary year or an Erasmus year; and

(b) the student qualified for fee support for some but not all of the other academic years of that previous course.

(9) For the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 22 and 29, an academic year of a previous course is not to be counted as a year spent on a previous course if it was a year of repeat study that the student was taking for compelling personal reasons or a year in relation to which the student qualified for fee support because the student had failed to complete a previous course for compelling personal reasons.

(10) For the purpose of determining PC in the formulae in regulations 22 and 29, where a student (“A”) transfers from an academic year of one designated course to an academic year of another designated course before the Secretary of State considers that A has completed the year from which A is transferring, the time spent by A during the academic year in which the transfer takes place on the course from which A is transferring is not counted as a year spent on a previous course.

(11) A student (“A”) who undertook a previous course but was not in attendance because A was unable to attend for a reason which related to A’s disability is only treated as having been in attendance on the previous course in respect of periods of study beginning on or after 1st September 2006.

Section 14 Miscellaneous

(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), an eligible student does not qualify for fee support under this Part if—

(a) the student has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom, where—

(i) the current course began before 1st September 2009; or

(ii) the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course which began before 1st September 2009; or

(b) the current course leads to an equivalent or lower qualification, where the student begins the course on or after 1st September 2009.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply where—

(a) the current course is a course for the initial training of teachers;

(b) the duration of the current course does not exceed two years where the current course is—

(i) a full-time course; or

(ii) a part-time course (the duration of which being expressed as its full-time equivalent) and either the current course—

(aa) began before 1st September 2010; or

(bb) begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers beginning before 1st September 2010); and

(c) the student is not a qualified teacher.

(3) Where the current course is considered to be a single course because of regulation 6(7) and (8) and it leads to a honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom being conferred on the eligible student before the final degree or equivalent qualification, the eligible student is not prevented from qualifying for fee support under this Part in respect of any part of the single course by virtue of having that honours degree.

(4) For the purposes of calculating the amount of fee support, an institution that provides courses designated by regulation 4 of the Education (Student Support) (Dance and Drama) Regulations 1999 is not to be regarded as publicly funded by reason only that it receives public funds from the governing body of a higher education institution in accordance with section 65(3A) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

(5) Where an institution allows an eligible student to study the content of one standard academic year of the designated course over two or more academic years, for the purpose of determining whether the student qualifies for fee support for those years, the last of such years of study is to be treated as a standard academic year and the preceding years of that kind are to be treated as years of repeat study other than for compelling personal reasons.

Section 15 Current system students

A current system student (“A”) qualifies for a fee loan in respect of the fees payable by A in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course in accordance with Chapter 3 of this Part.

Section 16 Old system students

(1) An old system student (“A”) qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of the fees payable by A in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course in accordance with Chapter 4 of this Part.

(2) A qualifies for a fee contribution loan in respect of the fees payable by A in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course in accordance with Chapter 5 of this Part.

Section 17 Students becoming eligible in the course of an academic year

Where one of the events listed in regulation 18 occurs in the course of an academic year—

(a) a student may qualify for fee support in accordance with this Part in respect of that academic year provided that the relevant event occurred within the first three months of the academic year; and

(b) fee support is not available in respect of any academic year beginning before the academic year in which the relevant event occurred.

Section 18 Events

The events are—

(a) the student’s course becomes a designated course;

(b) the student or the student’s spouse, civil partner or parent is recognised as a refugee or becomes a person with leave to enter or remain;

(c) a state accedes to the European Community where the student is a national of that state or a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1) of a national of that state;

(d) the student becomes a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1) of an EC national;

(e) the student acquires the right of permanent residence;

(f) the student becomes the child of a Turkish worker;

(g) the student becomes a person described in paragraph 6(1)(a) of Schedule 1; or

(h) the student becomes the child of a Swiss national.

Section 19 Students to be treated as in attendance on a course

(1) A student to whom this regulation applies is treated as if the student were in attendance on the designated course for the purpose of qualifying for fee support.

(2) This regulation applies to—

(a) a compressed degree student; or

(b) a disabled student who—

(i) is not a compressed degree student; and

(ii) is undertaking a designated course in the United Kingdom but is not in attendance because the student is unable to attend for a reason which relates to the student’s disability.

Section 20 Availability of fee loans to current system students - general

(1) A current system student does not qualify for a fee loan in respect of a designated course if—

(a) the designated course leads to an equivalent or lower qualification, the exemptions in regulation 14(2) or (3) do not apply and the student begins the course on or after 1st September 2009;

(b) the student has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom, the exemptions in regulation 14(2) or (3) do not apply and the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulations 8 on or after 1st September 2009 from a course beginning before 1st September 2009;

(c) the student has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom, the exemptions in regulation 14(2) or (3) do not apply and the student began the course before 1st September 2009; or

(d) the designated course is an old flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(2) A current system student does not qualify for a fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(3) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(4) The standard entitlement is calculated in accordance with regulation 21, 22 or 23.

(5) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must allocate a fee loan from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a fee loan has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(6) A current system student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Secretary of State allocates a fee loan to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(7) In addition to the standard entitlement, a current system student who falls within regulation 22 qualifies for a fee loan in respect of the first academic year that the student takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year if the student failed to complete the most recent previous course because of compelling personal reasons.

(8) Where a current system student qualifies for a fee loan under paragraph (7), the Secretary of State must not allocate a fee loan under paragraph (5) to the first academic year that the student takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(9) In addition to the standard entitlement, if the Secretary of State determines that the student is repeating an academic year of the designated course because of compelling personal reasons, a current system student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of the year of repeat study provided that the academic year that the student is repeating was a qualifying year of study and the year of repeat study is not a bursary year.

(10) A current system student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a year of repeat study which the student is taking other than for compelling personal reasons if—

(a) the academic year which the student is repeating was a qualifying year of study;

(b) the academic year of repeat study is not a bursary year; and

(c) when the academic year of repeat study is added to the number of any other academic years of repeat study that the student has already taken on the current course other than for compelling personal reasons, it does not exceed the number of additional years of support.

(11) In this regulation, the “number of additional years of support” is the number of years which make up the standard entitlement less the number of standard academic years (plus one where the student qualifies for a fee loan under paragraph (7)).

(12) The amount of the fee loan in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 24 and may be nil.

Section 21 Standard entitlement of current system students who have not studied on a previous course

The standard entitlement of a current system student who has not studied on a previous course is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course.

Section 22 Standard entitlement of current system students who have transferred from or otherwise studied on a previous course

(1) The standard entitlement of a current system student who has studied on a previous course and who does not fall within regulation 23 is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course

PC is the number of academic years that the student has spent on previous courses.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation, a “current system student who has studied on a previous course” includes a current system student whose status as an eligible student has been transferred to the current course as a result of one or more transfers of that status by the Secretary of State pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act from a designated course which—

(a) is a previous course; and

(b) the student began on or after 1st September 2006.

Section 23 Standard entitlement of current system students on end-on courses and certain degree courses

(1) Where the current course began before 1st September 2009, this regulation applies to—

(a) a current system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2;

(b) a current system student who—

(i) has completed a full-time course mentioned in paragraph 2 or 3 of Schedule 2;

(ii) is on a full-time first degree course (other than a first degree course for the initial training of teachers) that the student did not begin immediately after the course referred to in paragraph (i); and

(iii) has not taken a full-time first degree course after the course referred to in paragraph (i) and before the current course;

(c) a current system student who—

(i) has completed a full-time foundation degree course;

(ii) is on a full-time honours degree course that the student did not begin immediately after the course referred to in paragraph (i); and

(iii) has not taken a full-time first degree course after the course referred to in paragraph (i) and before the current course.

(2) Where the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009, this regulation applies to–

(a) a current system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (d) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2;

(b) a current system student who—

(i) has completed a full-time, part-time, full-time distance learning or compressed degree course and achieved a lower level qualification;

(ii) is on a full-time first degree course (other than a first degree course for the initial training of teachers) that the student did not begin immediately after the course referred to in paragraph (i); and

(iii) has not taken a full-time first degree course after the course referred to in paragraph (i) and before the current course.

(3) Regulations 21 and 22 do not apply to students to whom this regulation applies.

(4) The standard entitlement of a student to whom paragraph (1) applies is calculated as follows—

where

D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course

X is 1 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was less than three years and 2 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was three years

PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on the preliminary course excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

(5) The standard entitlement of a student to whom paragraph (2) applies is calculated as follows–-

where

D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course

X is –

where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was less than three years,

where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was three years,

where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was four years,

where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was five years, and

where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was six years

PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on the preliminary course excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

Section 24 Amount of the fee loan

(1) Unless one of the cases set out in paragraph (3) applies, the amount of a fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course must not exceed the lesser of—

(a) £3,290; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(2) In the cases set out in paragraph (3), the amount of a fee loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course must not exceed the lesser of—

(a) £1,640; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(3) The cases are—

(a) the final academic year of a designated course where that academic year is normally required to be completed after less than 15 weeks’ attendance;

(b) in respect of a sandwich course, an academic year—

(i) during which any periods of full-time study are in aggregate less than 10 weeks; or

(ii) if in respect of that academic year and any previous academic years of the course the aggregate of any one or more periods of attendance which are not periods of full-time study at the institution (disregarding intervening vacations) exceeds 30 weeks;

(c) in respect of a course for the initial training of teachers which—

(i) began before 1st September 2010; or

(ii) begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers beginning before 1st September 2010,

an academic year during which any periods of full-time study are in aggregate less than 10 weeks;

(d) in respect of a course provided in conjunction with an overseas institution, an academic year—

(i) during which any periods of full-time study at the institution in the United Kingdom are in aggregate less than 10 weeks; or

(ii) if in respect of that academic year and any previous academic years of the course the aggregate of any one or more periods of attendance which are not periods of full-time study at the institution in the United Kingdom (disregarding intervening vacations) exceeds 30 weeks.

(4) If a student’s status as an eligible student is transferred from one designated course to another under these Regulations and the circumstances in paragraph (5) apply, the student may apply to the Secretary of State to borrow an additional amount by way of a fee loan in respect of the academic year of the course to which that student transfers.

(5) The circumstances are—

(a) the fees payable in respect of the academic year of the course to which the current system student transfers exceed the fees payable in respect of the academic year of the course from which the student is transferring; and

(b) the academic year of the course to which the current system student transfers does not begin on a later date than the academic year of the course from which the student is transferring.

(6) If a student’s status as an eligible student is transferred from one designated course to another under these Regulations and the circumstances in paragraph (7) apply, the student may apply to the Secretary of State for another fee loan in respect of the academic year of the course to which the student transfers.

(7) The circumstances are that the academic year of the course to which the current system student transfers begins on a later date than the academic year of the course from which that student is transferring.

(8) Where the circumstances in paragraph (5) apply, the maximum additional amount that the current system student may borrow in respect of the academic year to which that student transfers, provided that the student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of that year, is determined by deducting the amount of any fee loan the student has taken out under these Regulations in respect of the academic year from which the student is transferring from the lesser of—

(a) £3,290 or, where one of the cases set out in paragraph (3) applies, £1,640; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in respect of the academic year to which the student is transferring.

(9) Where the circumstances in paragraph (7) apply, the maximum amount of fee loan that a current system student may borrow in respect of the academic year to which that student transfers provided that the student qualifies for a fee loan in respect of that year is the lesser of—

(a) £3,290 or, where one of the cases set out in paragraph (3) applies, £1,640; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(10) Where a current system student has applied for a fee loan of less than the maximum amount available in relation to an academic year, that student may apply to borrow an additional amount which when added to the amount already applied for does not exceed the relevant maximum applicable in that student’s case.

Section 25 Old system students who are continuing students

(1) This regulation applies to an old system student who began a designated course before 1st September 2006 and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2010 (a “continuing student”).

(2) A continuing student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of any academic year of the course that begins on or after 1st September 2010 where in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course that began before 1st September 2006 the Secretary of State determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act that the student did not qualify for fee support in respect of the designated course.

(3) A continuing student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of a designated course if the designated course is a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(4) A continuing student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(5) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course, the Secretary of State must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(6) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

SAY is the number of standard academic years of the designated course that begin after 31st August 2006,

X is the number of academic years of the designated course that begin after 31st August 2006 in respect of which the Secretary of State determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act that the student did not qualify for a grant for fees in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course that began before 1st September 2006.

(7) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the designated course, the Secretary of State must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(8) A continuing student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Secretary of State allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(9) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 31, 32 or 33 and may be nil.

Section 26 Old system students who are transferring students

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this regulation applies to an old system student who—

(a) began a designated course on or after 1st September 2006 and is continuing on that course after 31st August 2010; or

(b) begins a designated course on or after 1st September 2010,

and whose status as an eligible student has been transferred to the course as a result of one or more transfers of that status by the Secretary of State pursuant to regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act from a designated course that the student began before 1st September 2006 (a “transferring student”).

(2) This regulation does not apply where an eligible student has transferred from a course in relation to which that student was a gap year student to another designated course in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act.

(3) Where in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the relevant course, the Secretary of State determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act that the student did not qualify for fee support in respect of that course, a transferring student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of any academic year of the current course.

(4) In this regulation, the “relevant course” is the designated course that the student was taking as at 31st August 2006.

(5) A transferring student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of a designated course if the designated course is an old flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(6) A transferring student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(7) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(8) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows where the course began before 1st September 2007 and is not a course listed in paragraph (11)—

where

RAY is the number of standard academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006,

X is the number of academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006 in respect of which the Secretary of State determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act that the student did not qualify for a grant for fees in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the relevant course where that year began before 1st September 2006.

(9) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows where the course begins on or after 1st September 2007 and is not a course listed in paragraph (11)—

where

RAY is the number of standard academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006,

X is the number of academic years of the relevant course that remain after 31st August 2006 in respect of which the Secretary of State determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act that the student did not qualify for a grant for fees in the course of assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of the relevant course where that year began before 1st September 2006,

SS is the number of academic years of study that the student has taken from and including 1st September 2006 in respect of which the student qualified for fee support (excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons) or which were bursary years or Erasmus years.

(10) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows where the course is one listed in paragraph (11)—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the designated course.

(11) The courses are—

(a) a course for the degree (including an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education where the student has transferred to that course from a course for the Certificate in Education on or before the completion of the latter course;

(b) a course for the honours degree of Bachelor of Education where the student has transferred to that course from a course for the degree (other than an honours degree) of Bachelor of Education on or before the completion of the latter course.

(12) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(13) A transferring student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Secretary of State allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(14) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 31, 32 or 33 and may be nil.

Section 27 Old system students who are on end-on courses

(1) An old system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (a) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2 that the student began before 1st September 2006 qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of that course in accordance with regulation 25.

(2) An old system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (c) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2 qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of that course in accordance with regulation 25.

(3) Paragraphs (4) to (10) apply to—

(a) an old system student in respect of an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (a) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2 that the student—

(i) began on or after 1st September 2006 and is continuing on after 31st August 2010; or

(ii) begins on or after 1st September 2010;

(b) an old system student in respect of an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (b) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2.

(4) An old system student to whom this paragraph applies does not qualify for fee support in respect of a course mentioned in paragraph (3) if the student has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemptions in regulation 14(2) or (3) do not apply.

(5) An old system student to whom this paragraph applies does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a course mentioned in paragraph (3) that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(6) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a course mentioned in paragraph (3), the Secretary of State must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(7) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course,

X is 1 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was less than three years and 2 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was three years,

PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on the preliminary course excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

(8) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a course to which this paragraph applies, the Secretary of State must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(9) An old system student to whom this paragraph applies qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of a course to which this paragraph applies if the Secretary of State allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(10) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a course to which this paragraph applies is determined in accordance with regulation 31, 32 or 33 and may be nil.

Section 28 Old system students who are gap year students who have not studied on a previous course

(1) This regulation applies to an old system student who is a gap year student who has not studied on a previous course.

(2) A gap year student does not qualify for fee support in respect of a designated course if—

(a) the student has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemptions in regulation 14(2) or (3) do not apply; or

(b) the designated course is an old flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(3) A gap year student does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(4) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(5) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course.

(6) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(7) A gap year student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Secretary of State allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(8) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 31 or 32 and may be nil.

Section 29 Old system students who are gap year students who have studied on a previous course

(1) This regulation applies where—

(a) an old system student is a gap year student who has studied on a previous course;

(b) an old system student has transferred from a course in relation to which that student was a gap year student to another designated course in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 22 of the 1998 Act.

(2) An old system student to whom this regulation applies does not qualify for fee support in respect of a designated course if—

(a) the student has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemptions in regulation 14(2) or (3) do not apply; or

(b) the designated course is an old flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

(3) An old system student to whom this regulation applies does not qualify for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(4) When assessing an application for support in respect of an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must determine the “standard entitlement”.

(5) The standard entitlement is calculated as follows—

where

OD is the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course,

PC is the number of academic years that the student has spent on previous courses.

(6) When assessing an application for support in connection with an academic year of a designated course, the Secretary of State must allocate a grant for fees from the standard entitlement first to the final standard academic year of the course and then to each preceding standard academic year in turn until the standard entitlement is exhausted or a grant for fees has been allocated to each standard academic year of the course.

(7) An old system student to whom this regulation applies qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of a standard academic year of the designated course if the Secretary of State allocates a grant for fees to that year when assessing the application for support for that year.

(8) In addition to the standard entitlement, an old system student to whom this regulation applies qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of the first academic year that the student takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year if the student failed to complete the most recent previous course because of compelling personal reasons.

(9) Where an old system student to whom this regulation applies qualifies for a grant for fees under paragraph (8), the Secretary of State must not allocate a grant for fees under paragraph (6) to the first academic year that the student takes of the designated course that is not a bursary year or an Erasmus year.

(10) The amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is determined in accordance with regulation 31 or 32 where the eligible student falls within paragraph (1)(a) and in accordance with regulation 31, 32 or 33 where the eligible student falls within paragraph (1)(b) and in either case the amount may be nil.

Section 30 Availability of the grant for fees to old system students for years of repeat study

(1) In addition to the standard entitlement, if the Secretary of State determines that the student is repeating an academic year of the designated course because of compelling personal reasons, an old system student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of the year of repeat study provided that the academic year that the student is repeating was a qualifying year of study and the year of repeat study is not a bursary year.

(2) An old system student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course that is a year of repeat study which the student is taking other than for compelling personal reasons if—

(a) the academic year which the student is repeating was a qualifying year of study;

(b) the academic year of repeat study is not a bursary year; and

(c) when the academic year of repeat study is added to the number of any other academic years of repeat study that the student has already taken (after 31st August 2006) on the current course other than for compelling personal reasons, it does not exceed the number of additional years of support.

(3) In this regulation, the “number of additional years of support” is the number of years which make up the standard entitlement less the number of standard academic years (plus one where the student qualifies for a grant for fees under regulation 29(8)).

Section 31 Amount of the grant for fees for a course at a publicly funded institution

(1) Unless one of the cases set out in regulation 24(3) applies, the basic amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course at a publicly funded institution is the lesser of—

(a) £1,310; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(2) In the cases set out in regulation 24(3), the basic amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is the lesser of—

(a) £650; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(3) Where a contribution exceeding nil is calculated under Schedule 4, a deduction will be made from the basic amount of the grant for fees determined under paragraph (1) or (2) in accordance with regulation 99.

(4) Paragraphs (1) to (3) do not apply to designated courses at Heythrop College or at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

(5) In the case of a designated course at Heythrop College, the amount of grant for fees in respect of an academic year is the lesser of—

(a) £2,345; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(6) In the case of a designated course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the amount of grant for fees in respect of an academic year is the lesser of—

(a) £4,775; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

Section 32 Amount of the grant for fees for a course that is provided at a private institution on behalf of a publicly funded institution

(1) The basic amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year at a private institution is the lesser of £1,310 and the fees payable by the student in connection with that year if—

(a) the designated course began on or after 1st September 2001;

(b) the designated course is provided on behalf of a publicly funded institution; and

(c) none of the cases in regulation 24(3) applies.

(2) The basic amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year at a private institution is the lesser of £650 and the fees payable by the student in connection with that year if—

(a) the designated course began on or after 1st September 2001;

(b) the designated course is provided on behalf of a publicly funded institution; and

(c) one or more of the cases in regulation 24(3) applies.

(3) Where a contribution exceeding nil is calculated under Schedule 4, a deduction will be made from the basic amount of the grant for fees determined under paragraph (1) or (2) in accordance with regulation 99.

Section 33 Amount of the grant for fees for a course at a private institution

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year of a designated course at a private institution where regulation 32 does not apply is the lesser of—

(a) £1,225; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.

(2) In the case of a designated course at the University of Buckingham, the amount of the grant for fees in respect of an academic year is £3,110.

Section 34 Availability of fee contribution loans to old system students

An old system student qualifies for a fee contribution loan in respect of an academic year of a designated course if—

(a) the student qualifies for a grant for fees in respect of that year or would have qualified if the student had applied for the grant (even if the amount is or would have been nil); and

(b) the designated course is provided by or on behalf of an institution that was publicly funded as at 1st August 2005.

Section 35 Amount of the fee contribution loan

(1) Where an old system student applies for a grant for fees and a fee contribution loan, the amount of the fee contribution loan in respect of an academic year of the designated course is the amount for which the student applies not exceeding the difference between the basic amount of the grant determined under regulation 31 or 32 and the amount of the grant that is payable after the application of the contribution in accordance with regulation 99.

(2) Where the only fee support for which an old system student applies is a fee contribution loan, the maximum amount for which the student may apply in respect of an academic year is the lesser of—

(a) £1,310 or, if any of the cases set out in regulation 24(3) apply, £650; and

(b) the fees payable by the student in connection with the academic year.

(3) An old system student may apply to borrow an additional amount of fee contribution loan where—

(a) the Secretary of State determines that the maximum amount of fee contribution loan should be increased (including an increase from nil) as a result of a reassessment of the student’s contribution or otherwise; and

(b) the Secretary of State considers that the increase in the maximum amount does not result from the old system student—

(i) failing to provide information promptly which might affect the student’s ability to qualify for a grant for fees or fee contribution loan or the amount of grant for fees or fee contribution loan for which the student qualifies; or

(ii) providing information which is inaccurate in any material particular.

(4) The additional amount under paragraph (3) is an amount which when added to the amount already applied for does not exceed the increased maximum.

(5) Where an old system student (“A”) has applied for a fee contribution loan of less than the maximum amount to which A is entitled, A may apply to borrow an additional amount which, when added to the amount already applied for, does not exceed the relevant maximum applicable in A’s case.

Section 36 Current system students

The following grants are available to a current system student in connection with a designated course if the student meets the relevant qualifying conditions in this Part—

(a) disabled students’ allowance;

(b) grant for dependants;

(c) grant for travel;

(d) maintenance grant or special support grant.

Section 37 Old system students

The following grants are available to an old system student in connection with a designated course if the student meets the relevant qualifying conditions in this Part—

(a) disabled students’ allowance;

(b) grant for dependants;

(c) grant for travel;

(d) higher education grant.

Section 38 General qualifying conditions for grants for living and other costs

(1) An eligible student qualifies for a grant under this Part provided that the student—

(a) is not excluded from qualification by any of the following paragraphs; and

(b) satisfies the qualifying conditions for the particular grant for which the student is applying.

(2) An eligible student does not qualify for a grant under this Part if the only paragraph in Part 2 of Schedule 1 into which the student falls is paragraph 9.

(3) An eligible student does not qualify for a grant under this Part in respect of —

(a) an academic year which is a bursary year;

(b) an academic year of a course for the initial training of teachers which—

(i) began before 1st September 2010; or

(ii) begins on or after 1st September 2010 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a course for the initial training of teachers beginning before 1st September 2010,

during which the periods of full-time attendance, including attendance for the purpose of teaching practice, are in aggregate less than 6 weeks; or

(c) a flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers which is of less than one academic year’s duration.

(4) Paragraph (3)(b) does not apply for the purposes of the disabled students’ allowance.

(5) An eligible student does not qualify for a grant under this Part in respect of any academic year of a sandwich course where the periods of full-time study are in aggregate less than 10 weeks unless the periods of work experience constitute unpaid service.

(6) For the purposes of paragraph (5), “unpaid service” means—

(a) unpaid service in a hospital or in a public health service laboratory or with a primary care trust in the United Kingdom;

(b) unpaid service with a local authority in the United Kingdom acting in the exercise of its functions relating to the care of children and young persons, health or welfare or with a voluntary organisation providing facilities or carrying out activities of a like nature in the United Kingdom;

(c) unpaid service in the prison or probation and aftercare service in the United Kingdom;

(d) unpaid research in an institution in the United Kingdom or, in the case of a student attending an overseas institution as part of the student’s course, in an overseas institution; or

(e) unpaid service with—

(i) a Strategic Health Authority established pursuant to section 13 of the National Health Service Act 2006 or a Special Health Authority established pursuant to section 28 of that Act ;

(ii) a Local Health Board established pursuant to section 11 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 or a Special Health Authority established pursuant to section 22 of that Act ;

(iii) a Health Board or a Special Health Board constituted under section 2 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 ; or

(iv) a Health and Social Services Board established under Article 16 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 .

(7) Subject to paragraph (8), where one of the events listed in regulation 18(a), (b), (c), (e), (f), (g) or (h) occurs in the course of an academic year, a student may qualify for a particular grant in accordance with this Part in respect of all or part of that academic year but a student does not qualify for such a grant in respect of any academic year beginning before the academic year in which the relevant event occurred.

(8) Where the state of which the student is a national accedes to the European Community the student may qualify for a grant under this Part only if the student has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the three-year period immediately preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course.

(9) Subject to paragraph (10), an eligible student does not qualify for a grant under this Part if the student is a prisoner.

(10) Paragraph (9) does not apply in respect of disabled students’ allowance.

Section 39 Students who are treated as in attendance

(1) A student to whom this regulation applies is treated as being in attendance on the designated course for the purpose of qualifying for the following grants—

(a) disabled students’ allowance;

(b) grant for dependants;

(c) maintenance grant or special support grant;

(d) higher education grant.

(2) This regulation applies to—

(a) a compressed degree student;

(b) a disabled student who—

(i) is not a compressed degree student; and

(ii) is undertaking a designated course in the United Kingdom but is not in attendance because the student is unable to attend for a reason which relates to the student’s disability.

Section 40 Qualifying conditions for the disabled students’ allowance

An eligible student (“A”) qualifies for a grant to assist with the additional expenditure which the Secretary of State is satisfied that A is obliged to incur in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course by reason of a disability to which A is subject.

Section 41 Amount of the disabled students’ allowance

(1) Subject to the following paragraphs, the amount of the disabled students’ allowance is the amount that the Secretary of State considers appropriate in accordance with the student’s circumstances.

(2) Except where paragraph (4) applies, the amount of the disabled students’ allowance must not exceed—

(a) £20,520 in respect of an academic year for expenditure on a non-medical personal helper;

(b) £5,161 in respect of all the academic years during the period of eligibility for expenditure on major items of specialist equipment;

(c) the additional expenditure incurred—

(i) within the United Kingdom for the purpose of attending the institution;

(ii) within or outside the United Kingdom for the purpose of attending, as a part of the student’s course, any period of study at an overseas institution or for the purpose of attending the Institute;

(d) £1,724 in respect of an academic year for any other expenditure including expenditure incurred for the purposes referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) which exceeds the maxima specified in those sub-paragraphs.

(3) Where the eligible student has received payments to assist with expenditure on major items of specialist equipment in connection with the course by virtue of holding a transitional award, the maximum amount of grant under paragraph (2)(b) is reduced by the amount of those payments.

(4) The maximum amount under paragraphs (2)(a) and (d) is £15,390 and £1,293, respectively where—

(a) an eligible student attends a course for the initial training of teachers; and

(b) in any academic year of that course, the periods of full-time study and full-time teaching practice are in aggregate less than 6 weeks.

Section 42 Interpretation of Chapter 4

(1) In regulations 44 to 47—

(a) subject to sub-paragraph (n), “adult dependant” means, in relation to an eligible student, an adult person dependent on the student other than the student’s child, the student’s partner (including a spouse or civil partner from whom the Secretary of State considers the student is separated) or the student’s former partner;

(b) “child” in relation to an eligible student includes any child of the student’s partner who is dependent on the student and any child for whom the student has parental responsibility who is dependent on the student;

(c) “dependant” means, in relation to an eligible student, the student’s partner, the student’s dependent child or an adult dependant, who in each case is not an eligible student and does not hold a statutory award;

(d) “dependent” means wholly or mainly financially dependent;

(e) “dependent child” means, in relation to an eligible student, a child dependent on the student;

(f) “lone parent” means an eligible student who does not have a partner and who has a dependent child or dependent children;

(g) “net income” has the meaning given in paragraph (2);

(h) subject to sub-paragraphs (i), (j), (k), (l) and (m), “partner” means any of the following—

(i) the spouse of an eligible student;

(ii) the civil partner of an eligible student;

(iii) a person ordinarily living with an eligible student as if that person were the student’s spouse where an eligible student falls within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 4 and began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2000;

(iv) a person ordinarily living with an eligible student as if that person were the student’s civil partner where an eligible student falls within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 4 and began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2005;

(i) unless otherwise indicated, a person who would otherwise be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) is not to be treated as a partner if—

(i) in the opinion of the Secretary of State, that person and the eligible student are separated; or

(ii) the person is ordinarily living outside the United Kingdom and is not maintained by the eligible student;

(j) for the purposes of the definition of “adult dependant”, a person is to be treated as a partner if that person would be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) but for the fact that the eligible student with whom that person is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 4;

(k) for the purposes of the definitions of “child” and “lone parent”, a person is to be treated as a partner if that person would be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) but for the date on which the eligible student began the specified designated course or the fact that the eligible student with whom that person is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph 2(1)(a) of Schedule 4;

(l) for the purposes of regulation 45—

(i) sub-paragraph (i) does not apply; and

(ii) a person is to be treated as a partner if that person would be a partner under sub-paragraph (h) but for the fact that the eligible student with whom that person is ordinarily living does not fall within paragraph (2)(1)(a) of Schedule 4;

(m) for the purposes of determining whether a person is the former partner of an eligible student’s partner, “partner” in relation to an eligible student’s partner means—

(i) the spouse of an eligible student’s partner;

(ii) the civil partner of an eligible student’s partner;

(iii) where the eligible student began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2000, a person (“A”) ordinarily living with an eligible student’s partner (“B”) as if A were B’s spouse;

(iv) where the eligible student began the specified designated course on or after 1st September 2005, a person “A” ordinarily living with an eligible student’s partner “B” as if A were B’s civil partner;

(n) subject to sub-paragraph (o), for the purposes of the definitions of “adult dependant” and “dependent child”, the Secretary of State may treat an adult person or child as dependent on an eligible student if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the adult person or child—

(i) is not dependent on—

(aa) the eligible student; or

(bb) the student’s partner; but

(ii) is dependent on the eligible student and the student’s partner together;

(o) the Secretary of State must not treat an adult person (“A”) as dependent on an eligible student in accordance with sub-paragraph (n), if A is—

(i) the spouse or civil partner of the eligible student’s partner (including a spouse or civil partner from whom the Secretary of State considers the eligible student’s partner is separated); or

(ii) the former partner of the eligible student’s partner.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), a dependant’s net income is the dependant’s income from all sources for the academic year in question reduced by the amount of income tax and social security contributions payable in respect of it but disregarding—

(a) any pension, allowance, or other benefit paid by reason of a disability or incapacity to which the dependant is subject;

(b) child benefit payable under Part IX of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 ;

(c) any financial support payable to the dependant by a local authority in accordance with regulations made under sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 ;

(d) any guardian’s allowance to which the dependant is entitled under section 77 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992;

(e) in the case of a dependant with whom a child being looked after by a local authority is boarded out, any payment made to that dependant in pursuance of section 23 of the Children Act 1989 ;

(f) any payments made to the dependant under section 15 of and Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 in respect of a person who is not the dependant’s child or any assistance given by a local authority pursuant to section 24 of that Act ; and

(g) any child tax credit to which the dependant is entitled under Part I of the Tax Credits Act 2002 .

(3) Where an eligible student or the student’s partner makes any recurrent payments which were previously made by the student in pursuance of an obligation incurred before the first academic year of the student’s course, the partner’s net income is the net income calculated in accordance with paragraph (2) reduced by—

(a) an amount equal to the payments in question for the academic year, if in the opinion of the Secretary of State the obligation had been reasonably incurred; or

(b) such lesser amount, if any, as the Secretary of State considers appropriate if, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, a lesser obligation could reasonably have been incurred.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (2), where the dependant is a dependent child and payments are made to the eligible student towards the child’s maintenance, those payments are to be treated as the child’s income.

Section 43 General

(1) The grant for dependants consists of the following elements—

(a) adult dependants’ grant;

(b) childcare grant;

(c) parents’ learning allowance.

(2) The qualifying conditions for each element and the amounts payable are set out in regulations 44 to 47.

Section 44 Adult dependants’ grant

(1) An eligible student qualifies for an adult dependants’ grant in connection with the student’s attendance on a designated course in accordance with this regulation.

(2) The adult dependants’ grant is available in respect of one dependant of an eligible student who is either—

(a) the eligible student’s partner; or

(b) an adult dependant whose net income does not exceed £3,796.

(3) The amount of adult dependants’ grant payable in respect of an academic year is calculated in accordance with regulation 47, the basic amount being—

(a) £2,642; or

(b) where the person in respect of whom the eligible student is applying for adult dependants’ grant is ordinarily resident outside the United Kingdom, such amount not exceeding £2,642 as the Secretary of State considers reasonable in the circumstances.

Section 45 Childcare grant

(1) An eligible student (“A”) qualifies for a childcare grant in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course in accordance with this regulation.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the childcare grant is available in respect of an academic year in which A incurs prescribed childcare charges for—

(a) a dependent child who is under the age of 15 immediately before the beginning of the academic year; or

(b) a dependent child who has special educational needs within the meaning of section 312 of the Education Act 1996 and is under the age of 17 immediately before the beginning of the academic year.

(3) A does not qualify for a childcare grant if A or A’s partner has elected to receive the childcare element of the working tax credit under Part I of the Tax Credits Act 2002 .

(4) A does not qualify for a childcare grant if the prescribed childcare charges that A incurs for A’s child are paid or to be paid by A to A’s partner.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), the basic amount of childcare grant for each week is—

(a) for one dependent child, 85 per cent of the prescribed childcare charges, subject to a maximum amount of £148.75 per week; or

(b) for two or more dependent children, 85 per cent of the prescribed childcare charges, subject to a maximum amount of £255 per week

except that A does not qualify for any such grant in respect of each week falling within the period between the end of the course and the end of the academic year in which the course ends.

(6) For the purposes of calculating the basic amount of childcare grant—

(a) a week runs from Monday to Sunday; and

(b) where a week in respect of which prescribed childcare charges are incurred falls partly within and partly outside the academic year in respect of which childcare grant is payable under this regulation, the maximum weekly amount of grant is calculated by multiplying the relevant maximum weekly amount in paragraph (5) by the number of days of that week falling within the academic year and dividing the product by seven.

(7) In this regulation “prescribed childcare charges” means childcare charges of a description prescribed for the purposes of section 12 of the Tax Credits Act 2002 .

Section 46 Parents’ learning allowance

(1) An eligible student (“A”) qualifies in connection with A’s attendance on a designated course for the parents’ learning allowance if A has one or more dependants who are dependent children.

(2) The amount of parents’ learning allowance payable in respect of an academic year is calculated in accordance with regulation 47, the basic amount being £1,508.

Section 47 Calculations

(1) Subject to the following paragraphs, the amount payable in respect of a particular element of the grant for dependants for which the eligible student qualifies under regulations 44 to 46 is the amount of that element remaining after applying, until it is extinguished, an amount equal to A − B as follows and in the following order—

(a) to reduce the basic amount of the adult dependants’ grant where the eligible student qualifies for that element under regulation 44;

(b) to reduce the basic amount of the childcare grant for the academic year where the eligible student qualifies for that element under regulation 45; and

(c) to reduce the basic amount of the parents’ learning allowance where the eligible student qualifies for that element under regulation 46.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (4), (5) and (13), where B is greater than or equal to A , the basic amount of each element of the grant for dependants for which the eligible student qualifies is payable.

(3) Where A − B is equal to or exceeds the aggregate of the basic amounts of the elements of the grant for dependants for which the eligible student qualifies, the amount payable in respect of each element is nil.

(4) The amount of adult dependants’ grant calculated under paragraph (1) in respect of an adult dependant is reduced by one half where—

(a) the eligible student’s partner—

(i) is an eligible student; or

(ii) holds a statutory award; and

(b) account is taken of that partner’s dependants in calculating the amount of support for which that partner qualifies or the payment to which that partner is entitled under the statutory award.

(5) The amount of childcare grant calculated under paragraph (1) is reduced by one half where—

(a) the eligible student’s partner—

(i) is an eligible student; or

(ii) holds a statutory award; and

(b) account is taken of that partner’s dependants in calculating the amount of support for which that partner qualifies or the payment to which that partner is entitled under the statutory award.

(6) Where the amount of the parents’ learning allowance calculated under paragraph (1) is £0.01 or more but less than £50, the amount of parents’ learning allowance payable is £50.

(7) In this regulation—

A is the aggregate of the net income of each of the eligible student’s dependants; and

B is—

(a) £1,159 where the eligible student has no dependent child;

(b) £3,473 where the eligible student is not a lone parent and has one dependent child;

(c) £4,627 where the eligible student—

(i) is not a lone parent and has more than one dependent child; or

(ii) is a lone parent and has one dependent child;

(d) £5,792 where the eligible student is a lone parent and has more than one dependent child.

(8) Paragraphs (9) to (12) apply where, in the course of the academic year, any of the following occurs—

(a) there is a change in the number of the eligible student’s dependants;

(b) a person becomes or ceases to be a dependant of the eligible student;

(c) the eligible student becomes or ceases to be a lone parent;

(d) a student becomes eligible for support as a result of an event referred to in regulation 18.

(9) For the purposes of determining the respective values of A and B and whether adult dependants’ grant or parents’ learning allowance is payable, the Secretary of State must determine the following in relation to each relevant quarter by reference to the student’s circumstances in the relevant quarter—

(a) how many dependants the eligible student is to be treated as having;

(b) who those dependants are;

(c) whether the student is to be treated as a lone parent.

(10) The amount of grant for dependants for the academic year is the aggregate of the amounts of adult dependants’ grant and parents’ learning allowance calculated in respect of each relevant quarter under paragraph (11) and the amount of any childcare grant for the academic year.

(11) The amount of adult dependants’ grant and parents’ learning allowance in respect of a relevant quarter is one third of what that grant or allowance would be for the academic year if the student’s circumstances in the relevant quarter as determined under paragraph (9) applied for the duration of the academic year.

(12) In this regulation, a “relevant quarter” means—

(a) in the case of a person referred to in paragraph (8)(d), a quarter which begins after the relevant event occurs other than a quarter during which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, the longest of any vacation occurs;

(b) otherwise, a quarter other than the one quarter during which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, the longest of any vacation occurs.

(13) A deduction may be made in accordance with Part 8 from the amount payable in respect of a particular element of the grant for dependants calculated under this Part.

Section 48 Interpretation

For the purposes of this Chapter—

(a) any reference to expenditure incurred for the purpose of attending an institution or period of study—

(i) includes expenditure both before and after so attending; and

(ii) does not include any expenditure in respect of which a grant is payable under Chapter 3 of this Part;

(b) “qualifying quarter” means a quarter during which the eligible student attends as part of the student’s course an overseas institution or the Institute for at least half the period covered by that quarter.

Section 49 General

A grant for travel is available—

(a) to eligible students attending courses in medicine or dentistry in accordance with regulation 50;

(b) to eligible students attending an overseas institution or the Institute in accordance with regulation 52.

Section 50 Qualifying conditions for the grant for travel – courses in medicine and dentistry

A grant is available to an eligible student attending a course in medicine or dentistry (a necessary part of which is a period of study by way of clinical training) in respect of the reasonable expenditure which the student is obliged to incur in an academic year for the purpose of attending in connection with the student’s course any hospital or other premises in the United Kingdom (not comprised in the institution) at which facilities for clinical training are provided other than expenditure incurred for the purpose of residential study away from the institution.