The Agriculture (Student Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023

PART 1 N.I. GENERAL

Citation and commencement N.I.

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Agriculture (Student Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 and shall come into operation on 1st September 2023.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 1 in operation at 1.9.2023, see reg. 1

Interpretation N.I.

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“2022 legacy fee framework” has the meaning assigned by regulation 9;

“academic year” has the meaning assigned by paragraph (3);

“accreditation of prior learning scheme” means a scheme operated by CAFRE that permits learning completed by a student to be subsequently credited against a new qualification and which may give the student exemption from taking part of the qualification in question;

“Bachelor’s degree course” means a higher education course for a Bachelor’s degree, level 6 on the FHEQ;

“CAFRE” means the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise;

“certificate in higher education course” means a higher education course for a certificate in higher education, level 4 on the FHEQ;

“the course start date” means the day on which the first term of the first academic year of a course actually begins;

“credit points” means points awarded to a student upon successful completion of each module of the higher education course;

“current course” means the higher education course in respect of which a student is enrolled;

“current fee framework” has the meaning assigned by regulation 8;

“Department” means the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs;

“extended foundation degree course” means a foundation degree course that includes a period of work placement of one year;

“fee code” means the fee code associated with a student that relates to the fee amount to be charged;

“fees” has the meaning assigned by paragraph (2);

“FHEQ” means the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications of Degree-Awarding Bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland;

“foundation degree course” means a higher education course for a foundation degree, level 5 on the FHEQ;

“full-time equivalent” means a full-time higher education course leading to the same qualification as the part-time higher education course in question;

“full-time higher education course” has the meaning assigned by regulation 5;

“full-time student” means a student undertaking a full-time higher education course;

“Great Britain” means England, Scotland and Wales;

“higher education course” has the meaning assigned by regulation 4;

“home student” has the meaning assigned by regulation 10;

“international student” has the meaning assigned by regulation 12;

“intensity of study” has the meaning assigned by regulation 13;

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

“Master’s degree course” means a higher education course for a Master’s degree, level 7 on the FHEQ;

“ordinarily resident” has the meaning assigned by paragraph 2 of Schedule 2;

“overseas institutions” means an institution other than one in Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Gibraltar or the Islands;

“part-time higher education course” has the meaning assigned by regulation 6;

“part-time student” means a student undertaking a part-time higher education course;

“period of work placement” means a period of industrial, professional or commercial experience undertaken by a student that is associated with the higher education course;

“postgraduate certificate course” means a higher education course for a postgraduate certificate, level 7 on the FHEQ;

“postgraduate diploma course” means a higher education course for a postgraduate diploma, level 7 on the FHEQ;

“qualifying person” means a person who falls within Schedule 2;

“student category” means the category in which a student will fall within in accordance with these Regulations of Home Student, Student from Great Britain or International Student as the case may be;

“sandwich higher education course” has the meaning assigned by regulation 7;

“student” means a person undertaking a higher education course;

“student from Great Britain” has the meaning assigned by regulation 11.

(2) In these Regulations “fees”, in relation to undertaking a higher education course, means fees in respect of, or otherwise in connection with, undertaking the higher education course, including admission, registration, tuition and graduation fees but excluding—

(a) fees payable to the Department for awarding or accrediting any qualification where the Department does not provide the whole or part of the course;

(b) fees payable for board or lodging;

(c) fees payable for attending any graduation or other ceremony; and

(d) fees payable for resubmission of coursework and/or resitting of examinations.

(3) For the purpose of these Regulations, “academic year” is the period of twelve months beginning with 1st January, 1st April, 1st July or 1st September of the calendar year in which the academic year of the higher education course in question begins, according to whether that academic year begins—

(a) on or after 1st January and before 1st April;

(b) on or after 1st April and before 1st July;

(c) on or after 1st July and before 1st August; or

(d) on or after 1st August and on or before 31st December.

Commencement Information

I2 Reg. 2 in operation at 1.9.2023, see reg. 1

Revocation N.I.

3.  The Agriculture (Student fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022(1) are revoked.

Commencement Information

I3 Reg. 3 in operation at 1.9.2023, see reg. 1

(1)

S.R. 2022 No. 199