Prospective

PART IISELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATIONS

InformationS

9.—(1) Every applicant and every eligible student shall as soon as reasonably practicable after being requested to do so provide the Scottish Ministers with such information as they consider necessary for the exercise of their functions under these Regulations.

(2) Every applicant and every eligible student shall forthwith inform the Scottish Ministers if any of the following occurs, and provide them with particulars–

(a)they withdraw from, abandon or are expelled from their course;

(b)they transfer to another course, at the same or a different institution, whether or not the new course is a designated course;

(c)they cease to undertake their course and do not intend to, or are not permitted to, return for the remainder of the academic year;

(d)they are absent from their course for more than 60 days due to illness, or are absent from their course for any period for any other reason;

(e)the month for the start or completion of the course changes; or

(f)their home or term time address, email address, contact details for persons described in regulation 5(2)(c), bank account or telephone number changes.

(3) If the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that an eligible student has wilfully failed to comply with any requirement to provide information, or has provided information that the student knows to be false in a material particular, or has recklessly provided information which is false in a material particular, they may determine that the student shall–

(a)no longer be eligible for any loan; or

(b)not be eligible for such a particular loan or particular amount of loan as they consider appropriate in the circumstances.

(4) The Scottish Ministers may at any time require an applicant or eligible student to enter into an agreement to repay a loan by a particular method.

(5) The Scottish Ministers may at any time request from an applicant or eligible student sight of their valid national identity card, their valid passport issued by the state of which they are a national or their birth certificate.

(6) The Scottish Ministers may at any time verify with the Department for Work and Pensions the United Kingdom national insurance number that an applicant or eligible student has provided or may check with the Department for Work and Pensions whether that applicant or eligible student has such a number with a view to obtaining it if that applicant or eligible student does.

(7) Where the Scottish Ministers have requested information or documents under this regulation, they may withhold any payment of a loan until the applicant or eligible student provides what has been requested or provides a satisfactory explanation for not complying with the request.

(8) Where the Scottish Ministers have requested an agreement as to the method of repayment under this regulation, they may withhold any payment of a loan until the applicant or eligible student provides what has been requested.