The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011

[F1 Qualifying conditions for the loan for living costs E+W

157B.— (1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, an eligible part-time student qualifies for a loan for living costs in connection with the student’s attendance on a designated part-time course (“the relevant course”) if—

(a) the student—

(i) begins the relevant course on or after 1st August 2018;

(ii) transfers on or after 1st August 2018 from a designated course to the relevant course; or

(iii) transfers to the relevant course from a designated part-time course which the eligible part-time student started on or after 1st August 2018; and

(b) the student—

(i) is under the age of 60 on the relevant date; or

(ii) where the student transfers to the relevant course from a course described in sub-paragraph (a)(ii) or (iii) (“the first course”), was under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of the first course.

(2) An eligible part-time student does not qualify for a loan for living costs in connection with a designated part-time course if—

[F2 (a) the only paragraph or paragraphs in Part 2 of Schedule 1 into which the student falls is one or more of [F3 paragraphs 2A, 3(1)(d)(ii), 6A(1)(c)(ii), 7A(1)(b)(ii), 9, 9A, 9BA, 9BB, 9C, 9D, 10, 10ZA, 11A(c)(ii) and 12A(d)(ii).]

(b) the student is a prisoner; or

(c) the course is a distance learning course unless the student is treated as being in attendance on the designated part-time course under regulation 157M.

(3) An eligible part-time student does not qualify for a loan for living costs in respect of a designated part-time course if the intensity of study during the academic year for which the loan is claimed is less than 25 per cent of the course’s full-time equivalent.

(4) An eligible part-time student does not qualify for a loan for living costs if the student—

(a) has undertaken one or more part-time courses for sixteen academic years in aggregate; and

(b) was eligible to apply for a fee loan under regulation 144 or a loan or grant of the kind described in regulation [F4 144(5A)] in respect of each of those academic years.

(5) Subject to paragraphs (6) to (13) an eligible part-time student does not qualify for a loan for living costs in connection with a current part-time course which leads to an equivalent or lower qualification.

(6) Paragraph (5) does not apply if—

(a) the current part-time course—

(i) is a course in—

(aa) [F5 engineering and technology or computing] (or a combination of those subjects); or

[F6 (ab) agriculture, food and related studies, biological and sport sciences, F7 ... [F8 geography, earth] and environmental studies, mathematical sciences, medicine and dentistry, physical sciences, psychology, subjects allied to medicine or veterinary sciences (or a combination of those subjects); and]

(ii) leads to an honours degree; and

(b) the student begins the current part-time course on or after 1st August 2018.

[F9 (6A) Paragraph 5 does not apply in respect of an academic year of the current part-time course which begins on or after 1st August 2019, where—

(a) the course—

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

(ii) leads to an award mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a), (f), (g) or (h) of paragraph (2A) of regulation 139; and

(b) the student begins the course on or after 1st August 2018.]

(7) Paragraph (5) does not apply if—

(a) the current part-time course—

(i) is a pre-registration course in an allied health profession subject, midwifery, nursing, nursing and social work or operating department practice;

(ii) leads to—

(aa) an ordinary degree or an honours degree;

(ab) in respect of a course in a dental profession subject, an ordinary degree, an honours degree, a diploma or a foundation degree; or

(ac) in respect of a course in operating department practice, an ordinary degree, an honours degree or a diploma; and

(b) the student begins the current part-time course on or after 1st August 2018.

(8) Paragraph (5) does not apply where the Secretary of State determines that the following conditions are satisfied—

(a) the student has provided all information required by the Secretary of State in relation to qualifications held by the student;

(b) that information is accurate; and

(c) the Secretary of State has provided written notification that the student qualifies for a loan for living costs in connection with [F10 —

(i) the first academic year of [F11 the current part-time course] , where the determination by the Secretary of State is made before the first day of the first academic year of [F11 the current part-time course];

(ii) the academic year of [F11 the current part-time course] during which the determination by the Secretary of State is made; or

(iii) an academic year of [F11 the current part-time course] in respect of which the determination of the Secretary of State is made, which the student has completed before the making of that determination].

(9) Where paragraph (8) applies, the student qualifies for a loan for living costs in accordance with paragraphs (10) to (13).

(10) If the Secretary of State makes the determination before the first day of the first academic year of the current part-time course, then the student qualifies for a loan for living costs in respect of the first academic year of the current part-time course.

(11) If the Secretary of State makes the determination on or after the first day of the first academic year of the current part-time course, then the student qualifies for a loan for living costs in respect of—

(a) the academic year of the current part-time course during which the Secretary of State makes the determination; and

(b) any academic year of the current part-time course which the student has completed prior to the Secretary of State making the determination.

(12) Paragraphs (10) and (11) do not apply if the Secretary of State considers that there are exceptional circumstances.

(13) Where the Secretary of State considers that there are exceptional circumstances, the Secretary of State may determine that the student should qualify for a loan for living costs in respect of one or more academic years of the current part-time course, as appropriate, whether or not the student has completed those academic years prior to the Secretary of State making the determination.

(14) In paragraph (1)(b)(i), the “relevant date” means the first day of the first academic year of the relevant course.]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Pt. 11B inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(b) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Support) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/472), reg. 1(2)(a), Sch. 1

F2 Reg. 157B(2)(a) substituted (1.3.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/127), regs. 1(1), 21

F3 Words in reg. 157B(2)(a) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(3)(d) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1348), regs. 1(1), 11(8)

F4 Word in reg. 157B(4)(b) substituted (26.11.2020) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1203), regs. 1(2), 4(5)

F5 Words in reg. 157B(6)(a)(i)(aa) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 29(2)(a)

F6 Reg. 157B(6)(a)(i)(ab) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 29(2)(b)

F7 Words in reg. 157B(6)(a)(i)(ab) omitted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(b) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 8(1)(b)(i)

F8 Words in reg. 157B(6)(a)(i)(ab) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(b) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 8(1)(b)(ii)

F9 Reg. 157B(6A) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 29(3)

F10 Reg. 157B(8)(c)(i)-(iii) substituted for words in reg. 157B(8)(c) (23.12.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1348), regs. 1(1), 8(1)

F11 Words in reg. 157B(8)(c) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 2(4)(e) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/85), regs. 1, 10(2)