The Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2018

Support reduced for other periods of absence

94.—(1) This regulation applies to an eligible student—

(a) to whom a grant (other than disabled student’s grant) or maintenance loan is payable in respect of an academic year, and

(b) who stops undertaking the present course for any period during the academic year (referred to in this regulation as being absent).

(2) Where this regulation applies, the amount of the grant or maintenance loan payable is reduced in accordance with the following formula—

Where—

• A is the amount of grant or maintenance loan payable;

• dY is the number of days in the academic year in question;

• dAbs is the number of days during the year that the eligible student is absent from the present course.

(3) But the Welsh Ministers may determine that the reduction is not to be made if they think it appropriate in the circumstances, having regard in particular to—

(a) the reasons for the eligible student’s absence,

(b) the length of absence, and

(c) any financial hardship that may be caused by reducing the amount of grant or loan payable.

(4) An eligible student is not to be treated as absent for the purposes of this regulation in the following circumstances—

(a) the absence is due to illness and is for a period not exceeding 60 days;

(b) where the present course is a compressed degree course, any part of the academic year during which the student is not required to attend the institution;

(c) where the student has a disability but is unable to attend the institution for a reason relating to that disability;

(d) where the student is on a period of study or work placement in an Erasmus year;

(e) the absence is because the eligible student becomes a prisoner (see regulation 93).