The Education (Student Support) (No.2) (Amendment) and Education (Student Loan) (Repayment) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

“Overpayment of grants and allowances”.

37.  In regulation 135 (Conversion of status)—

(a) in paragraph (2) for “twice”, substitute “four times”;

(b) after paragraph (4), insert—

“(4A) This paragraph makes provision for fee loan and part-time fee loan where a student (“A”) transfers under paragraph (1) –

(a) no payment in respect of any fee loan must be made in respect of any instalment period beginning after the date on which A became an eligible part-time student;

(b) any fee loan to which A was entitled under Part 4 immediately before A became an eligible part-time student is ignored in determining the amount of part-time fee loan to which A may be entitled in respect of that year under this Part;

(c) where the designated part-time course into which A transfers continues in the same quarter of the same academic year of the designated course from which A transferred, the maximum amount of part-time fee loan to which A would, apart from this regulation, be entitled to borrow in connection with undertaking a designated part-time course in respect of that academic year is reduced by one third where A became an eligible part-time student in the second quarter of the academic year and by two thirds where A became such a student in a later quarter of the academic year; and

(d) where the academic year of the designated part-time course into which A transfers begins on a later date than the academic year of the designated course from which A is transferring, the maximum amount of part-time fee loan to which A would be entitled to borrow in respect of that academic year, provided that A qualifies for a part-time fee loan in respect of that year, is the lesser of –

(i) £3,022.50; and

(ii) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year,

minus any grant paid under regulation 126(1)(a) in connection with that year.”;

(c) in paragraph (6), for “twice”, substitute “four times”;

(d) in paragraph (7), after “paragraph (5)”, insert “into the same academic year”;

(e) in paragraph (9)—

(i) after “paragraph (5)”, insert “into the same academic year”;—

(ii) in sub-paragraph (b), substitute the full stop with a semi-colon and add “and”; and

(iii) after sub-paragraph (b), add—

“(c) may not apply for a part-time fee loan under regulation 126(1)(aa) if the student has already applied for a distance learning fee loan under regulation 109(1)(aa) in respect of the academic year from which the student transfers.”;

(f) in paragraph (10) after “paragraph (5)”, insert “into the same academic year”; and

(g) after paragraph (10) insert—

“(10A) Paragraphs (7), (9) and (10) do not apply where the academic year of the designated part-time course into which the student (“A”) transfers under paragraph (5) begins on a later date than the academic year of the course from which A is transferring.

(10B) Where paragraph (10A) applies—

(a) the maximum amount of part-time fee loan to which A would be entitled to borrow in respect of that academic year, provided that A qualifies for a part-time fee loan in respect of that year, is the lesser of—

(i) £3,022.50; and

(ii) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year,

minus any grant paid under regulation 126(1)(a) in connection with that year;

(b) A may apply for a grant under regulation 126(1)(b) in respect of that year; and

(c) A may apply for a grant under regulation 130 in respect of that year.”;

(h) after paragraph (12), insert—

“(12A) This paragraph makes provision for part-time fee loan and fee loan where a student (“A”) transfers under paragraph (11)—

(a) no payment in respect of any part-time fee loan must be made in respect of any instalment period beginning after the date on which A became an eligible student;

(b) where the designated course into which A transfers continues in the same quarter of the same academic year of the designated part-time course from which A transferred, the maximum amount of fee loan to which A would, apart from this regulation, be entitled to borrow in connection with that academic year of the designated course is reduced by one third where A became an eligible student in the second quarter of the academic year and by two thirds where A became such a student in a later quarter of the academic year;

(c) where the academic year of the designated course into which A transfers begins on a later date than the academic year of the designated part-time course from which A is transferring, the maximum amount of fee loan to which A would be entitled to borrow in respect of that academic year, provided that A qualifies for a fee loan in respect of that year, is the lesser of—

(i) the amount specified in regulation 25(1)(a), (2)(a), (2A)(a) or (2B)(a) as the case may be; and

(ii) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year.”;

(i) in paragraph (14) after “paragraph (13)”, insert “into the same academic year”;

(j) in paragraph (16)—

(i) after “paragraph (13)”, insert “into the same academic year”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (b) substitute the full stop with a semi-colon and add “and”; and

(iii) after sub-paragraph (b), add—

“(c) may not apply for a distance learning fee loan under regulation 109(1)(aa) if the student has already applied for a part-time fee loan under regulation 126(1)(aa) in respect of the academic year from which the student transfers.”;

(k) in paragraph (17) after “paragraph (13)”, insert “into the same academic year”; and

(l) after paragraph (17) add—

“(18) Paragraphs (14), (16) and (17) do not apply where the academic year of the designated distance learning course into which the student (“A”) transfers under paragraph (13) begins on a later date than the academic year of the course from which A is transferring.

(19) Where paragraph (18) applies—

(a) the maximum amount of distance learning fee loan to which A would be entitled to borrow in respect of that academic year, provided that A qualifies for a distance learning fee loan in respect of that year is the lesser of—

(i) £3,022.50; and

(ii) the fees payable by the student in connection with that year,

minus any grant paid under regulation 109(1)(a) in connection with that year;

(b) A may apply for a grant under regulation 109(1)(b) in respect of that year; and

(c) A may apply for a grant under regulation 112 in respect of that year.”.