Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Applications for financial support

6.—(1) A person shall apply for support in connection with his attendance on a course by completing and submitting to the Department an application (“a support application”) in such form as it may require, but which shall include a declaration signed by the student that—

(a)the particulars given in the form are correct to the best of his knowledge and belief;

(b)he will notify the Department of any change in them which might affect his eligibility for support; and

(c)he will if required to do so repay to the Department any amount paid to him which, for whatever reason, exceeds the amount of support to which he is entitled under these Regulations.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), a support application must reach the Department not later than four months after the first day of the course to which it relates.

(3) Where—

(a)the course to which a support application relates becomes a designated course after the first day of the course, the application must reach the Department not later than four months after the date on which the course was designated;

(b)the student making an application under paragraph (1) (“the applicant”), or his spouse or parent, is recognised as a refugee or has been granted leave to enter or remain as mentioned in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 after the first day of the course, his application must reach the Department not later than four months after the date of recognition or the date leave was granted respectively;

(c)the applicant is not a student mentioned in paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 on the first day of the course but as a result of the accession of the State of which he is a national to the European Community he becomes such a student, his application must reach the Department not later than 4 months after the date of the accession;

(d)the Department considers that having regard to the circumstances of the particular case the time limit should be relaxed, the support application in question must reach the Department not later than such date as it specifies.

(4) An applicant shall demonstrate his eligibility for support by providing such evidence as the Department may require.

(5) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (4) an applicant shall produce—

(a)if he was born in the United Kingdom, a certificate issued by the appropriate authority showing the place and date of his birth; or

(b)if he was born outside the United Kingdom, a valid passport, unless he is a refugee or does not hold one, and in any event a letter or other document issued by a responsible person which contains particulars of his date, place and country of birth and his full name on birth.

(6) The Department may take such steps and make such inquiries as it considers necessary to determine whether an applicant is eligible for support.

(7) If the Department considers that an applicant is eligible for support it shall notify him of that fact, and thenceforth the student shall be an “eligible student” for the purpose of these Regulations.

(8) An eligible student shall demonstrate his eligibility for a particular grant or loan under these Regulations, and the amount of such grant or loan to which he is entitled, by providing such evidence as the Department may require, and the Department may take such steps and make such inquiries as it considers necessary to determine whether the eligible student is eligible for a particular grant or loan and the amount to which he is entitled.

(9) If the Department considers that an eligible student is eligible for a particular grant or loan it shall notify him of than fact and the amount to which the Department considers he is entitled.