The Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Eligible part-time students

85.—(1) An eligible part-time student qualifies for support in connection with his undertaking a designated part-time course subject to and in accordance with this Part.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), a person is an eligible part-time student in connection with a designated part-time course if the Department has determined in connection with that course that the person falls within one of the categories set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1.

(3) A person is not an eligible part-time student if—

(a) there has been made to him or paid to him in connection with the part-time course—

(i) a bursary or award of similar description under Article 44 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 or section 63 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 whether or not the amount of such bursary is calculated by reference to his income;

(ii) any allowance under the Nursing and Midwifery Student Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 1992(1); or

(iii) a Scottish healthcare allowance whether or not the amount of such allowance is calculated by reference to his income;

(b) he is in breach of any obligation to repay any loan;

(c) he has reached the age of 18 and has not ratified any agreement for a loan made with him when he was under the age of 18;

(d) he has, in the opinion of the Department, shown himself by his conduct to be unfitted to receive support; or

(e) subject to paragraph (4), he is a prisoner serving a custodial sentence.

(4) Paragraph (3)(e) does not apply in respect of an academic year during which the student enters prison to serve a custodial sentence or is released from prison having served such a sentence.

(5) For the purposes of paragraphs (3)(b) and (c), “loan” means a loan made under the student loans legislation.

(6) In a case where the agreement for a loan is subject to the law of Scotland, paragraph (3)(c) only applies if the agreement was made—

(a) before 25th September 1991; and

(b) with the concurrence of the borrower’s curator or at a time when he had no curator.

(7) Despite paragraphs (2) and (3), a person is an eligible part-time student for the purposes of this Part if he satisfies the conditions in paragraph (8) or (9).

(8) The conditions in this paragraph are—

(a) the person qualified as an eligible part-time student in connection with an earlier academic year of the current designated part-time course pursuant to regulations made by the Department under Article 3 of the Order; and

(b) the person’s status as an eligible part-time student has not terminated.

(9) The conditions in this paragraph are—

(a) the Department has previously determined that the person is—

(i) an eligible student in connection with a designated course; or

(ii) an eligible part-time student in connection with a designated part-time course other than the current designated part-time course;

(b) the person’s status as an eligible student or as an eligible part-time student in connection with the course referred to in sub-paragraph (a) has been converted or transferred from that course to the current designated part-time course as a result of one or more conversions or transfers in accordance with regulations made by the Department under Article 3 of the Order; and

(c) the person’s status as an eligible part-time student has not terminated.

(10) An eligible part-time student may not, at any one time, qualify for support for—

(a) more than one designated part-time course;

(b) a designated part-time course and a designated course;

(c) a designated part-time course and a designated postgraduate course.

(11) Where one of the events listed in paragraph (13) occurs in the course of an academic year—

(a) a student may qualify for a grant in respect of fees in respect of that academic year in accordance with this Part provided that the relevant event occurred within the first three months of the academic year; and

(b) a grant in respect of fees is not available in respect of any academic year beginning before the academic year in which the relevant event occurred.

(12) Where one of the events listed in sub-paragraphs (a), (b), (e), (f), (g) or (h) of paragraph (13) occurs in the course of an academic year—

(a) a student may qualify for a grant for books, travel and other expenditure in respect of that academic year in accordance with this Part; and

(b) a grant for books, travel and other expenditure is not available in respect of any academic year beginning before the academic year in which the relevant event occurred.

(13) The events are—

(a) the student’s course becomes a designated part-time course;

(b) the student, his spouse, his civil partner or his parent is recognised as a refugee or becomes a person with leave to enter or remain (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1);

(c) a state accedes to the European Community where the student is a national of that state or a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1) of a national of that state;

(d) the student becomes a family member (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1) of an EC national;

(e) the state of which the student is a national accedes to the European Community where the student has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the three year-period immediately preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course;

(f) the student acquires the right of permanent residence (as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 1);

(g) the student becomes a person described in paragraph 6(1)(a) of Schedule 1; or

(h) the student becomes the child of a Swiss national.

(1)

S.I. 1992/580, amended by S.S.I. 2002/423 and S.S.I. 2003/401.