Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Maximum amounts of loans

18.—(1) Subject to the following paragraphs the amount of loan under this Part for living costs in respect of each academic year shall not exceed—

(a)for a student who resides at his parent’s home while attending the course, £2,875;

(b)for a student who does not—

(i)if he attends a course provided at the University of London or at an institution within the area comprising the City of London and the Metropolitan Police District, £4,480;

(ii)if he attends for a period of at least 8 weeks and as a necessary part of his course an overseas institution in a high cost country, £4,440 or in a higher cost country, £5,275;

(iii)otherwise £3,635.

(2) Subject to the following paragraphs the amount of loan under this Part for living costs in respect of an academic year which is the final year of a course other than an accelerated course shall not exceed—

(a)for a student who resides at his parent’s home while attending the course, £2,510;

(b)for a student who does not—

(i)if he attends a course at the University of London or at an institution within the area comprising the City of London and the Metropolitan Police District, £3,885;

(ii)if he attends for a period of a least 8 weeks and as a necessary part of his course an overseas institution in a high cost country, £3,865 or in a higher cost country, £4,590;

(iii)otherwise £3,150.

(3) Where an eligible student resides at his parent’s home and the Department is satisfied that in all the circumstances his parents by reason of age, incapacity or otherwise cannot reasonably be expected to support him and that it would be appropriate for the amounts referred to in paragraphs (1)(b) or (2)(b) to apply, the student shall be treated for the purpose of this regulation as if he were not residing at his parent’s home.

(4) Where an eligible student does not reside at his parent’s home but the Department is satisfied that in all the circumstances he could conveniently attend the course from his parent’s home and that it would be appropriate for the amounts referred to in paragraphs (1)(a) or (2)(a) to apply, the student shall be treated for the purpose of this regulation as if he were residing at his parent’s home.

(5) Where an eligible student is a member of a religious order who resides in a house of his order he shall be treated for the purpose of this regulation as if he were residing at his parent’s home.

(6) Where an eligible student—

(a)resides at his parent’s home for part of the period of attendance during an academic year and resides elsewhere for the remaining part of that period, or is treated as residing at his parent’s home or elsewhere under paragraphs (3) to (5) for part of that period; or

(b)attends a course at the University of London or at an institution within the area comprising the City of London and the Metropolitan Police District or at an overseas institution, for part of an academic year and a course at another institution for another part,

the Department shall determine which of the rates referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall apply for each of the three quarters of the academic year in respect of which instalments of loans are payable under regulation 24(2) by reference to the student’s circumstances during the relevant quarter.

(7) Where the Department has, in any case, determined the applicable rate for each quarter under paragraph (6) the maximum amount of loan for living costs payable under this Part for any such quarter shall be one-third of the maximum amount at that rate for the academic year in question, and the maximum amount for the academic year shall be the aggregate of the three amounts so determined.

(8) Where an eligible student is eligible for loan for living costs in respect of an academic year under regulation 17(3)(a) he shall only be eligible for loan in respect of such of the three quarters of the year in respect of which instalments of loan are paid under regulation 24(2) as begin after the events referred to in regulation 17(3)(a) and, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), the maximum loan for each such quarter shall be one-third of the amount for the academic year in question and the maximum amount for that academic year shall be the aggregate of the maximum amounts in respect of each such quarter.

(9) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) to (8) where a postgraduate course of initial training for teachers is of only one academic year’s duration that year shall not be treated as a final year.

(10) Where an eligible student has, in an academic year, attended the course to which a loan under this Part relates for a period of 30 weeks 3 days and attends for a further period in that year the amounts referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be increased for each week or part week of such attendance—

(a)for a student who resides or is treated as residing at his parent’s home, by £44;

(b)for a student who does not—

(i)if he attends a course provided by the University of London or by an institution within the area comprising the City of London and the Metropolitan Police District, by £84;

(ii)if he attends for at least 8 weeks and as a necessary part of his course at an overseas institution and the further period of attendance is required at the overseas institution, if the overseas institution is in a high cost country, by £91, if the overseas institution is in a higher cost country, by £118; or

(iii)otherwise by £63.

(11) Where an eligible student attends a course at the University of Ulster during the summer vacation and the Department is satisfied that the course is one which is included under the university’s summer teaching scheme, the amounts referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be increased for each week or part week of such attendance—

(i)for a student who resides or is treated as residing at his parent’s home, by £44;

(ii)otherwise by £63.

(12) Where an eligible student attends a course to which a loan under this Part relates for a period of not less than 45 weeks in any continuous period of 52 weeks the amounts referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be increased or further increased for each week during the 52 week period during which he did not attend by the amounts referred to in paragraph (10).

(13) Where in relation to an academic year an eligible student is not eligible for a grant for living costs by virtue of regulation 12(3) or (4) he shall be eligible for a loan for living costs under this regulation but in paragraphs (1) and (2) there shall be substituted for any amounts in column one the amount specified opposite thereto in column two.