PART 4E+WFEE LOANS

Availability of fee loans to eligible students - generalE+W

14.  When assessing an application for a fee loan in respect of a designated further education course, the Secretary of State must determine the standard entitlement.

Commencement Information

I1Reg. 14 in force at 1.9.2012, see reg. 1(1)

Standard entitlement of eligible studentsE+W

[F115.(1) The standard entitlement of an eligible student for all designated further education courses is a maximum of four loans, but paragraphs (4) to (7) apply where the course in question is an AS Level, A Level or an Access to HE Diploma.

(2) A student taking more than one designated further education course at any one time may qualify for a loan for each course.

(3) In addition to the standard entitlement, if the Secretary of State determines that the eligible student is repeating a further education course because of compelling personal reasons, an eligible student can qualify for further fee loans in respect of any period or periods of repeat study.

(4) An eligible student who wishes to fund one or more AS Levels or A Levels from their standard entitlement may use only one loan to do so.

(5) The maximum number of AS Levels and A levels which can be funded under paragraph (4) is eight, no more than four of which may be AS levels.

(6) A student may fund a combination of A levels and AS levels under paragraph (4), provided that the number of subjects covered by that combination of courses does not exceed four.

(7) An eligible student may use only one loan from their standard entitlement to fund an Access to HE Diploma.]

[F2Amount of the fee loanE+W

16.(1) The amount of a fee loan in respect of a further education course beginning before 1st August 2015 must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)the maximum level of public funding in connection with that further education course, or

(b)the amount which the institution is charging the eligible student for the further education course.

(2) The amount of a fee loan in respect of a further education course beginning [F3in the period beginning on 1st August 2015 and ending on 31st July 2016] must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)the maximum loan amount available in connection with that further education course as contained in the document published by the Skills Funding Agency on 5th February 2015 entitled “Funding rates for 24+ Advanced Learning Loans designated qualifications 2015 to 2016, Version 1” , or

(b)the amount which the institution is charging the eligible student for the further education course.]

[F4(3) The amount of a fee loan in respect of a further education course beginning in the period beginning on 1st August 2016 and ending on 31st July 2017 must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)the maximum loan amount available in connection with that further education course as contained in the document published by the Skills Funding Agency on 17th February 2016 entitled “Maximum Loan Amounts for Advanced Learner Loans designated qualifications 2016 to 2017, Version 1”, or

(b)the amount which the institution is charging the eligible student for the further education course.]

[F5(4) The amount of a fee loan in respect of a further education course beginning in the period beginning on 1st August 2017 and ending on 31st July 2018 must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)the maximum loan amount available in connection with that further education course determined in accordance with Schedule 3, or

(b)the amount which the institution is charging the eligible student for the further education course.]

[F6(5) The amount of a fee loan in respect of a further education course beginning on or after 1st August 2018 must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)the maximum loan amount available in connection with that further education course determined in accordance with Schedule 3, or

(b)the amount which the institution is charging the eligible student for the further education course.]

17.  A fee loan must be for an amount no less than £300.

Commencement Information

I2Reg. 17 in force at 1.9.2012, see reg. 1(1)

Amount of fee loan for transferring studentsE+W

18.—(1) If a student’s status as an eligible student is transferred from one further education course to another under regulation 8 or 9 and the circumstances in paragraph (2) apply, the student may apply to the Secretary of State to borrow an additional amount by way of a fee loan in respect of the further education course to which that student transfers.

(2) The circumstances are that the fees payable in respect of the further education course to which the student transfers exceed the fees payable in respect of the course from which the student is transferring.

(3) If a student’s status as an eligible student is transferred from one course to another under these Regulations and the circumstances in paragraph (4) apply, the student shall apply to the Secretary of State to reduce the amount of fee loan applied for in respect of the course to which the eligible student has transferred.

(4) The circumstances are that the fees payable in respect of the course to which the student transfers are lower than the fees payable in respect of the course from which the student is transferring.

Commencement Information

I3Reg. 18 in force at 1.9.2012, see reg. 1(1)