These Regulations further amend the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (S.R. 2009 No.373) (“the 2009 Regulations”). The 2009 Regulations provide for financial support for students taking designated higher education courses in respect of an academic year beginning on or after 1st September 2010.

These Regulations make minor policy and technical changes to the 2009 Regulations and these changes are set out in the paragraphs below. These Regulations also, by regulation 9 and the Schedule, set out the increased payment rates for fee loans, grants for fees and fee contribution loans for full-time courses and sandwich courses which apply from 1st September 2018. They also set out the increased payment rates for fee loans for part-time and distance learning courses from 1st September 2018.

Regulation 3 amends regulation 107 of the 2009 Regulations to provide further clarification on the designation of full-time distance learning courses for the purpose of student financial support.

Regulations 4 and 5 amend regulations 109 and 112 of the 2009 Regulations so that a person in the armed forces or a family member of such a person may still qualify for support for a full-time distance learning course if on the first day of the first academic year of the course they are undertaking it outside Northern Ireland but within the United Kingdom.

Regulation 6 amends regulation 124 of the 2009 Regulations to provide further clarification on the designation of part-time distance learning courses for the purpose of student financial support.

Regulation 7 amends regulation 126 of the 2009 Regulations so that a person in the armed forces or a family member of such a person may still qualify for support for a part-time distance learning course if on the first day of the first academic year of the course they are undertaking it outside Northern Ireland but within the United Kingdom.

Regulation 8 amends regulation 149 of the 2009 Regulations. Firstly it amends previous study rules to prevent a student who has already had a postgraduate loan paid from public funds in the United Kingdom obtaining another loan under these Regulations, unless that student has compelling personal reasons. The second amendment to Regulation 149 ensures a person in the armed forces or a family member of such a person may still qualify for support for a postgraduate distance learning course if on the first day of the course they are undertaking it outside Northern Ireland but within the United Kingdom.