The Education (Postgraduate Master's Degree Loans) Regulations 2016

CHAPTER 1 U.K.

Interpretation U.K.

2.—(1) For the purposes of Part 1—

“the 1998 Act” means the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998;

[F1 “the 2017 Act” means the Higher Education and Research Act 2017;]

[F2 “the 2020 Citizens’ Rights Regulations” means the Citizens’ Rights (Application Deadline and Temporary Protection) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020;]

“academic authority” means, in relation to an institution, the governing body or other body having the functions of a governing body and includes a person acting with the authority of that body;

“academic year” means the period of twelve months beginning on 1st January, 1st April, 1st July or 1st September of the calendar year in which the academic year of the course in question begins according to whether that academic year begins on or after 1st January and before 1st April, on or after 1st April and before 1st July, on or after 1st July and before 1st August or on or after 1st August and on or before 31st December, respectively;

“authority-funded” means—

(a)

F3 ...

(b)

in relation to educational institutions in Wales, maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales;

(c)

in relation to educational institutions in Scotland, maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from the Scottish Funding Council; and

(d)

in relation to educational institutions in Northern Ireland, maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland or the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland;

“course” means a taught programme of study, a programme of research, or a combination of both, and which may include one or more periods of work experience, and which leads, on successful completion, to the award of a postgraduate master's degree;

“designated course” means a course designated under regulation 4 or by the Secretary of State under regulation 4(6);

“Directive 2004/38” means Directive 2004/38 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29th April 2004 M1 on the rights of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely in the territory of the Member States;

“distance learning course” means a course on which a student undertaking the course is not required to be in attendance by the institution providing the course, where “required to be in attendance” is not satisfied by a requirement imposed by the institution to attend any institution—

(a)

for the purposes of registration or enrolment or any examination;

(b)

on a weekend or during any vacation; or

(c)

on an occasional basis during the week;

“electronic signature” is so much of anything in electronic form as—

(a)

is incorporated into or otherwise logically associated with any electronic communication or electronic data; and

(b)

purports to be so incorporated or associated for the purpose of being used in establishing the authenticity of the communication or data, the integrity of the communication or data, or both;

“eligible prisoner” means a prisoner—

(a)

who begins a designated course on or after 1st August 2017;

(b)

who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in the United Kingdom;

(c)

has been authorised by the prison Governor or Director or other appropriate authority to study the designated course; and

(d)

whose earliest release date is within 4 years of the first day of the first academic year of the designated course.

“eligible student” has the meaning given in regulation 3;

[F4 “English higher education provider” has the meaning given by section 83(1) of the 2017 Act;]

“equivalent or higher qualification” means a qualification determined in accordance with paragraph (2) to be an equivalent or higher qualification;

“EU national” means a national of a Member State of the EU;

“fees” has the meaning given in [F5 section 85(2) of the 2017 Act];

“full-time equivalent” means a full-time course leading to a postgraduate master's degree in the same subject as the part-time course in question;

[F6 “grace period” has the meaning given by regulation 3 of the 2020 Citizens’ Rights Regulations;]

“healthcare bursary” means a bursary or award of similar description under section 63 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 M2 or Article 44 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 M3 ;

“information” includes documents;

[F7 “institution” in relation to England includes an English higher education provider;]

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

[F8 “Northern Irish designated master’s degree course” has the meaning given in paragraph (1A);]

[F9 “OfS” means the Office for Students, as established by section 1(1) of the 2017 Act;]

“period of eligibility” has the meaning given in regulation 5 in relation to an eligible student;

“periods of work experience” means—

(a)

periods of industrial, professional or commercial experience associated with the designated course at an institution, but at a place outside that institution;

(b)

periods during which a student is employed and residing in a country whose language is one that the student is studying for that student's designated course (provided that the period of residence in that country is a requirement of that student's course and the study of one or more modern languages accounts for not less than one half of the total time spent studying on the course);

[F10 “person granted Calais leave” means a person who—

(a)

has extant leave to remain in the United Kingdom under paragraph 352J, 352K, 352L or 352T (Calais leave and “leave in line” granted by virtue of being a dependent child of a person granted Calais leave) of the immigration rules, as defined in section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971; and

(b)

has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands since the person was first granted such leave;]

“person granted humanitarian protection” means a person—

(a)

who, on the grounds of humanitarian protection, has been granted leave to remain under the immigration rules as defined in section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 M4 ;

(b)

whose leave to remain is extant, or in respect of whose leave to remain an appeal is pending (within section 104 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 M5 ; and

(c)

who has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the period since the person was granted such leave to remain;

[F11 “person granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner” means a person—

(a)

granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom under any of the following provisions of the immigration rules, as defined in section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971—

(i)

paragraph 288, as a person in relation to whom the requirements in paragraph 287(b) of those rules are met (bereaved partners);

(ii)

paragraph 295N, as a person in relation to whom the requirements in paragraph 295M of those rules are met (bereaved partners);

(iii)

paragraph D-BPILR.1.1 of Appendix FM (bereaved partners); or

(iv)

paragraph 36 of Appendix Armed Forces (bereaved partner of a member of HM Forces); and

(b)

who has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands since the person was granted such leave;]

[F12 “person granted indefinite leave to remain as a victim of domestic violence or domestic abuse” means a person—

(a)

granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom under any of the following provisions of the immigration rules, as defined in section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971—

(i)

paragraph 289B (victims of domestic violence);

(ii)

paragraph D-DVILR.1.1. of Appendix FM (victims of domestic abuse); or

(iii)

paragraph 40 of Appendix Armed Forces (victims of domestic violence: partners of members of the armed forces); and

(b)

who has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands since the person was granted such leave;]

[F13 “person granted section 67 leave” means a person who—

(a)

has extant leave to remain as a person granted leave under paragraph 352ZG of the immigration rules, having been relocated to the United Kingdom pursuant to arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, or a dependent child of such a person who has been granted “leave in line” under paragraph 352ZO of those rules; and

(b)

has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the three-year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course;]

[F14 “person granted stateless leave” means a person who—

(a)

has extant leave to remain as a stateless person under the immigration rules (within the meaning given in section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971); and

(b)

has been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands throughout the period since the person was granted such leave.]

[F15 “person with protected rights” means—

(a)

a person within the personal scope of the citizens’ rights provisions who—

(i)

has leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom granted by virtue of residence scheme immigration rules;

(ii)

is an Irish citizen who, pursuant to section 3ZA of the Immigration Act 1971, does not require leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom;

(iii)

is a relevant person for the purposes of regulation 3 of the 2020 Citizens’ Rights Regulations where the grace period has not ended; or

(iv)

is an applicant for the purposes of regulation 4 of the 2020 Citizens’ Rights Regulations where the relevant period has not expired; or

(b)

a family member of a relevant person of Northern Ireland for the purposes of residence scheme immigration rules, where that family member has leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom granted by virtue of residence scheme immigration rules;]

“postgraduate master's degree loan” [F16 means a loan made by the Secretary of State pursuant to these Regulations, and includes the interest accrued on the loan, and any penalties or charges incurred in connection with it, except for any interest, penalties or charges payable under Part 3 or 4 of the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009;]

“prisoner” includes a person detained in a young offender institution;

“private institution” means an institution which is not publicly funded;

“public funds” means moneys provided by Parliament or by a government authority outside the United Kingdom;

“publicly funded”, unless otherwise indicated, means maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds and related expressions are to be interpreted accordingly;

“refugee” means a person who is recognised by Her Majesty's government as a refugee within the meaning of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28th July 1951 M6 as extended by the Protocol thereto which entered into force on 4th October 1967 M7 ;

[F17 “register” means the register established and maintained by the OfS under section 3 of the 2017 Act;]

[F18 “ registered provider” in relation to an institution means an English higher education provider which is registered in the register and “unregistered provider” is to be construed accordingly;]

[F19 “relevant period” has the meaning given by regulation 4 of the 2020 Citizens’ Rights Regulations;]

[F19 “relevant person of Northern Ireland” has the meaning given by residence scheme immigration rules;]

[F19 “residence scheme immigration rules” has the meaning given by section 17(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020;]

F20 ...

[F21 “Scottish designated master’s degree course” has the meaning given in paragraph (1A);]

“student loans legislation” means the student support regulations, the Education (Student Loans) Act 1990 M8 , the Education (Student Loans) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990 M9 , the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 M10 and regulations made under those Acts or that Order, the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 M11 and regulations made under that Order or the 1998 Act and regulations made under that Act;

“student support regulations” means the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 M12 ;

[F22 “Swiss citizens’ rights agreement” has the meaning given by section 39(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020;]

“Turkish worker” means a Turkish national who—

(a)

is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands; and

(b)

is, or has been, lawfully employed in the United Kingdom;

[F23 “Welsh designated master’s degree course” has the meaning given in paragraph (1A).]

[F24 (1A) In these Regulations—

“Northern Irish designated master’s degree course” means a postgraduate master’s degree course substantially provided in Northern Ireland and designated under regulation 152(8) of the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 for the purposes of regulation 149 of those Regulations and Article 3 of the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998;

“Scottish designated master’s degree course” means a postgraduate master’s degree course substantially provided in Scotland—

(a)

determined as designated under regulation 4(9) of the Education (Student Loans) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 for the purposes of regulation 3(2) of those Regulations;

(b)

designated under regulation 152(8) of the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 for the purposes of regulation 149 of those Regulations and Article 3 of the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998; and

(c)

either—

(i)

designated under regulation 4(6) of the Education (Postgraduate Master’s Degree Loans) (Wales) Regulations 2017 for the purposes of regulation 3 of those Regulations and section 22 of the 1998 Act; or

(ii)

specified to be treated as a designated course under regulation 8(1) of the Education (Student Support) (Postgraduate Master’s Degrees) (Wales) Regulations 2019, for the purposes of those Regulations;

“Welsh designated master’s degree course” means a postgraduate master’s degree course substantially provided in Wales—

(a)

designated under regulation 4(6) of the Education (Postgraduate Master’s Degree Loans) (Wales) Regulations 2017 for the purposes of regulation 3 of those Regulations and section 22 of the 1998 Act; or

(b)

specified to be treated as a designated course under regulation 8(1) of the Education (Student Support) (Postgraduate Master’s Degrees) (Wales) Regulations 2019, for the purposes of those Regulations.

(1B) For the purposes of paragraph (1A)—

(a) a course is substantially provided in Northern Ireland if at least half of the teaching and supervision which comprise the course is provided in Northern Ireland;

(b) a course is substantially provided in Scotland if at least half of the teaching and supervision which comprise the course is provided in Scotland;

(c) a course is substantially provided in Wales if at least half of the teaching and supervision which comprise the course is provided in Wales.]

(2) The Secretary of State may determine that a qualification is an equivalent or higher qualification if—

(a) an eligible student holds a higher education qualification from any institution whether or not in the United Kingdom; and

(b) the qualification referred to in sub-paragraph (a) is a postgraduate master's degree from an institution in the United Kingdom or is of an academic level which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, is equivalent to or higher than a qualification to which the designated course leads.

[F25 (3) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person is within the personal scope of the citizens’ rights provisions if that person falls within—

(a) Article 10 (personal scope) of the EU withdrawal agreement;

(b) Article 9 (personal scope) of the EEA EFTA separation agreement (as defined in section 39(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020); or

(c) Article 10 (personal scope) of the Swiss citizens’ rights agreement.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(a)

F2 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.3.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/127), regs. 1(1), 53(a)(i)

F3 Words in reg. 2(1) omitted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(b)

F4 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(c)

F5 Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(d)

F6 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.3.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/127), regs. 1(1), 53(a)(ii)

F7 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(e)

F8 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 4(2)(a)(i)(aa)

F9 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(f)

F10 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(3)(b) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 3(5)(a)

F11 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(4)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1203), regs. 1(2), 15(2)

F12 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(3)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(a)

F13 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(g)

F14 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/137), regs. 1(2), 14(1)

F15 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.3.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/127), regs. 1(1), 53(a)(iii)

F16 Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (11.6.2018) by The Education (Postgraduate Doctoral Degree Loans and the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) (No. 2) etc.) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/599), regs. 1(1), 59

F17 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(h)

F18 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 41(i)

F19 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.3.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/127), regs. 1(1), 53(a)(iv)

F20 Words in reg. 2(1) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1181), regs. 1(3), 25

F21 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 4(2)(a)(i)(bb)

F22 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.3.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/127), regs. 1(1), 53(a)(v)

F23 Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 4(2)(a)(i)(cc)

F24 Reg. 2(1A)(1B) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 4(2)(a)(ii)

F25 Reg. 2(3) inserted (1.3.2021) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/127), regs. 1(1), 53(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 OJ L158, 30.4.2004, p77-123.

M2 1968 c.46, as amended by 1973 (c.32), 1977 (c.49), 1978 (c.29), 1985 (c.51), 1988 (c.49), 1994 (c.39), 1995 (c.17), 1997 (c.46), 1999 (c.8), 2001 (c.15), 2002 (c.17), 2003 (c.43), 2004 (c.31), 2006 (c.43), S.I. 1996/1008, S.I. 2002/2202, S.I. 2002/2469, S.I. 2004/288, S.I. 2004/957, S.I.2006/1056 and S.I. 2007/961.

M3 S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14), to which there have been amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

M4 1971 c.77.

M5 2001 c.41; section 104 was amended by the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004 (c.19), section 26 and Schedule 2 and the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (c.13), section 9).

M6 Cmnd. 9171.

M7 Cmnd. 3906 (out of print).

M8 1990 c.6; Repealed by the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c.30), Schedule 4.

M9 S.I. 1990/1506 (N.I. 11); amended by S.I. 1996/274 (N.I. 1), Article 43 and Schedule 5 Part II, S.I. 1996/1918 (N.I. 15), Article 3 and the Schedule and S.I. 1998/258 (N.I. 1), Articles 3 to 6 and revoked, with savings, by SR (NI) 1998 No 306.

M10 1980 c44.

M11 S.I. 1998/1760 (N.I. 14), to which there have been amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

M12 S.I. 2011/1986; amended by S.I. 2012/1653, S.I. 2013/235, S.I.2013/630, S.I.2013/1728, S.I.2013/3106, S.I.2014/1766, S.I.2014/2013, S.I. 2014/2765, S.I.2015/1951, S.I. 2016/27, S.I. 2016/584.