113.—(1) A person (the “applicant”) must apply for support in connection with each academic year of a designated distance learning course by completing and submitting to the Department an application in such form as the Department may require.
(2) The application must be accompanied by—
(a)a declaration under regulation 114 completed by the academic authority; and
(b)such additional documentation as the Department may require.
(3) The Department may take such steps and make such inquiries as the Department considers necessary to determine whether the applicant is an eligible distance learning student, whether the applicant qualifies for support and the amount of support payable, if any.
(4) The Department must notify the applicant of whether the applicant qualifies for support and, if the applicant does qualify, the amount of support payable in respect of the academic year, if any.
(5) The general rule is that the application must reach the Department within a period of [F1nine] months beginning with the first day of the academic year of the course in respect of which it is submitted.
(6) The general rule does not apply where—
(a)one of the events listed in paragraph (4) of regulation 106 occurs after the first day of the academic year in respect of which the applicant is applying for support, in which case the application must reach the Department not later than the end of the [F2ninth] month beginning with the day on which the relevant event occurred;
[F3(aa)the applicant is applying for an additional amount of the distance learning fee loan under regulation 110A(3) or (9), in which case the application must reach the Department not later than one month before the end of the academic year to which the application relates;]
(b)the applicant is applying for the disabled distance learning students’ allowance, in which case the application must reach the Department as soon as is reasonably practicable; or
(c)the Department considers that having regard to the circumstances of the particular case the time limit should be relaxed, in which case the application must reach the Department not later than such date as it specifies.
Textual Amendments
F1Word in reg. 113(5) substituted (21.3.2012) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/62), regs. 1, 9
F2Word in reg. 113(6) substituted (21.3.2012) by The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/62), regs. 1, 10
F3Reg. 113(6)(aa) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending Rule) by The Education (Student Support) (No.2) (Amendment) and Education (Student Loan) (Repayment) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (S.R. 2017/7), regs. 1(1), 12
Commencement Information
I1Reg. 113 in operation at 17.12.2009, see reg. 1(1)