The Education (Postgraduate Doctoral Degree Loans and the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) (No. 2) etc.) Regulations 2018

Period of eligibility E+W

5.—(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 3.

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

(3) Subject to the following paragraphs and regulation 3, 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—

(a) the eligible student (“A”) withdraws from A's designated course in circumstances where the Secretary of State is not obliged under regulation 6 to transfer A's status as an eligible student to another course; or

(b) A 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 a postgraduate doctoral degree loan.

(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 a postgraduate doctoral degree loan;

(c) treat any postgraduate doctoral degree loan paid to the student as an overpayment which may be recovered under regulation 17.

(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.