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SCOTTISH STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


2006 No. 333

EDUCATION

The Education (Student Loans for Tuition Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2006

  Made 7th June 2006 
  Laid before the Scottish Parliament 8th June 2006 
  Coming into force 1st July 2006 


ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS


PART I

GENERAL
1. Citation and commencement
2. Interpretation

PART II

ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATIONS
3. Eligible students
4. Designated courses
5. Applications for loans
6. Transfers of eligibility
7. Termination of eligibility
8. Information

PART III

LOANS
9. Maximum amounts of loans

PART IV

PAYMENTS
10. Payment of loans

PART V

INTEREST AND INSOLVENCY
11. Interest
12. Insolvency

  SCHEDULE 1 — ELIGIBLE STUDENTS

  SCHEDULE 2 — DESIGNATED COURSE

The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 73(f), 73B and 74(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980[
1]and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Regulations:



PART I

GENERAL

Citation and commencement
     1. These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Student Loans for Tuition Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and shall come into force on 1st July 2006.

Interpretation
    
2. —(1) In these Regulations–

in each case the relevant date being in the year of commencement of the appropriate academic year of the course;

    (2) For the purposes of these Regulations a person who is resident in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man as a result of having moved from another of those areas for the purpose of undertaking–

shall be considered to be ordinarily resident in the place from which he or she moved.

    (3) For the purposes of paragraphs 1(a) and 8(b) of Schedule 1, a person shall be treated as ordinarily resident in Scotland on the first day of the first academic year of the course if the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that he or she was not actually resident only because that person, or his or her spouse or civil partner, or either of his or her parents, his or her guardian or any other person having parental responsibility for him or her, or any person having care of him or her when he or she is a child, or in the case of a dependant relative in the ascending line, his or her child or child's spouse or civil partner, was temporarily employed outside Scotland.

    (4) For the purposes of paragraphs 1(b), 2(1)(b), 3(1)(b), 4(1)(d), 8(c) and 9(b) of Schedule 1, a person shall be treated as having been ordinarily resident in the area specified and for the period specified in those paragraphs if the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the person was not actually ordinarily resident in the relevant area for the specified period only because that person, or his or her spouse or civil partner, or either of his or her parents, his or her guardian or any other person having parental responsibility for him or her, or any person having care of him or her when he or she is a child, or, in the case of a dependant relative in the ascending line, his or her child or child's spouse or civil partner, was for the time being temporarily employed outside the relevant area.

    (5) For the purposes of paragraph 1(a) of Schedule 1 and subject to paragraph (6), a person shall not be treated as being ordinarily resident in Scotland on the first day of the first academic year of the course if the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that his or her residence there on that day is in any sense attributable to, or connected with, any period of residence in Scotland within 3 years immediately preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course as respects any part of which its purpose was wholly or mainly that of receiving full-time education.

    (6) Paragraph (5) shall not apply to a person who has acquired settled status in the United Kingdom under the Immigration Act 1971 as a result of residence for full-time education which has led to a right of permanent residence arising under Directive 2004/38.

    (7) For the purposes of paragraph 1(b) of Schedule 1, a person shall not be treated as having been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands for the three year period, if the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that he or she was resident there for any part of that period wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education, unless–

    (8) For the purposes of these Regulations an area which–



PART II

ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATIONS

Eligible students
     3. —(1) The Scottish Ministers may pay a loan, in accordance with the provisions of section 73(f) of the Act and these Regulations, to or in respect of an eligible student.

    (2) Subject to and in accordance with these Regulations a person shall be eligible for a loan for tuition fees in connection with his or her undertaking a designated course if the person–

    (3) Notwithstanding that he or she satisfies the requirements specified in paragraph (2) a person shall not be eligible for a loan if–

    (4) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(c) "loan" means a loan made under the Act, the Education (Student Loans) Act 1990, the Education (Student Loans) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990, the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998, the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 or under any regulations made under any of the foregoing.

    (5) A person in respect of whom the first day of the first academic year of the course is on or after 1st September 2006 shall not, at any one time, be eligible for support for more than one designated course.

Designated courses
    
4. —(1) A course shall be designated for the purposes of regulation 3(2) if it is–

    (2) For the purposes of this regulation a sandwich course is a course, other than a course for the initial training of teachers referred to in paragraph 4 of Schedule 2, consisting of alternate periods of full-time study in an institution and periods of work experience so organised that, taking the course as a whole, the student attends the periods of full-time study for an average of not less than 18 weeks in each year; and for the purposes of calculating his or her attendance the course shall be treated as beginning with the first period of full-time study and ending with the last such period.

    (3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), where periods of both full-time study and work experience occur within any week of the course, the days of full-time study shall be aggregated with any weeks of full-time study in determining the number of weeks of full-time study in each year.

    (4) For the purposes of these Regulations "periods of work experience" means–

    (5) For the purposes of these Regulations a course is provided by an institution if it provides the teaching and supervision which comprise the course, whether or not it has entered into an agreement with the student to provide the course.

    (6) For the purposes of paragraph (1) a university and any constituent college or institution in the nature of a college of a university shall be regarded as maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds if either the university or the constituent college or institution is so maintained or assisted.

    (7) For the purposes of paragraph (1) an institution shall not be regarded as maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds by reason only that it receives public funds from the governing body of a higher education institution in accordance with section 65(3A) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992[
15].

    (8) For the purposes of these Regulations a course, the standard of which is not higher than a first degree course, which leads to a qualification as a medical doctor, a dentist, a veterinary surgeon, an architect, a landscape architect, a landscape designer, a landscape manager, a town planner or a town and country planner, shall be considered to be a single course for a first degree or for an equivalent qualification notwithstanding that the course may lead to another degree or qualification being conferred before the degree or equivalent qualification, and notwithstanding that part of the course may be optional.

    (9) For the purposes of regulation 3(2) the Scottish Ministers may designate courses of higher education which are not designated under paragraph (1).

Applications for loans
     5. —(1) A student shall apply for a loan, not exceeding the maximum amount applicable in his or her case, in connection with his or her undertaking a designated course by completing and submitting to the Scottish Ministers an application in such form as the Scottish Ministers may require.

    (2) The maximum amount applicable in his or her case shall be the maximum amount of tuition fee charged to the student for the current academic year of the designated course which the student is undertaking.

    (3) The completed application shall include such information as the Scottish Ministers require, including the following particulars:–

    (4) The completed application shall also include a declaration, either in writing or electronically, by the student that–

    (5) The application form must reach the Scottish Ministers by the date they determine from time to time (and different dates may be determined by them in respect of loans for different courses) unless the Scottish Ministers consider that, having regard to the circumstances of the particular case, the time limit should be relaxed in which case the application must reach the Scottish Ministers not later than the date they specify.

    (6) A student shall demonstrate his or her eligibility for a loan by providing such evidence as the Scottish Ministers may require.

    (7) The Scottish Ministers may take such steps to make such inquiries as they consider necessary to determine whether the student is eligible for a loan.

    (8) If the Scottish Ministers determine that a student is eligible for a loan they shall notify him or her of that fact and thenceforth the student shall be an "eligible student" for the purposes of these Regulations.

    (9) Where an eligible student who has submitted an application for a loan in accordance with paragraph (1) has not applied for the maximum amount of loan to which he or she is entitled in relation to an academic year under the preceding paragraphs he or she may apply to borrow an additional amount, which when added to the amount already applied for shall not exceed the maximum applicable in his or her case.

    (10) An application under paragraph (9) shall be made by completing and submitting to the Scottish Ministers an application in such form as they may require not later than the date the Scottish Ministers determine from time to time and shall contain a declaration signed by the student, either in writing or electronically, in the terms set out in paragraph (4).

Transfers of eligibility
    
6. —(1) An eligible student may request that the Scottish Ministers transfer his or her eligibility in any case where–

    (2) The Scottish Ministers, on being satisfied of the matters referred to in paragraph (1) and that the second course is a designated course, shall transfer the eligible student's eligibility, and thenceforth the eligible student shall for all purposes be an eligible student in connection with his or her undertaking the second course, whether or not he or she might have been eligible for a loan if he or she had applied under regulation 5.

    (3) An eligible student's eligibility for a loan may not be transferred after it has expired or been terminated under regulation 7.

    (4) An eligible student who transfers his or her eligibility under this regulation after the Scottish Ministers have assessed his or her loan in connection with the academic year of the course from which he or she is transferring but before he or she completes that year may not, in connection with the academic year of the course to which he or she transfers, apply for another loan of a kind that he or she has already applied for under these Regulations in connection with the academic year of the course from which he or she is transferring.

Termination of eligibility
    
7. —(1) Subject to paragraph (2) an eligible student shall cease to be eligible for a loan on the expiry of the period ordinarily required for the completion of the course, and accordingly he or she shall then cease to be an "eligible student".

    (2) The Scottish Ministers may before or after an eligible student ceases to be an eligible student under paragraph (1) determine that he or she shall continue to be eligible for a loan for such further period after the expiry of the period referred to in that paragraph as they specify, and accordingly he or she shall be, or be considered to have been, an "eligible student" throughout that further period until its expiry.

    (3) Where an eligible student has withdrawn from a course in circumstances where the Scottish Ministers have not transferred or will not transfer his or her eligibility to another course under regulation 6, or has abandoned or been expelled from his or her course, the Scottish Ministers shall determine that he or she is no longer eligible for a loan, and on such determination he or she shall then cease to be an "eligible student".

    (4) Where an eligible student has shown himself or herself by his or her conduct to be unfitted to receive a loan the Scottish Ministers may determine that he or she is no longer eligible for a loan, and on such determination he or she shall then cease to be an "eligible student".

Information
    
8. —(1) Every applicant and every eligible student shall as soon as reasonably practicable after he or she is 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–

    (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–



PART III

LOANS

Maximum amounts of loans
    
9. The maximum amount of loan in respect of each academic year shall not exceed an amount determined from time to time by the Scottish Ministers and shall, in any event, not exceed the maximum amount of tuition fee charged to the student for the current academic year of the designated course which the student is undertaking.



PART IV

PAYMENTS

Payment of loans
    
10. The Scottish Ministers may pay loans for which an eligible student has applied under these Regulations at such times and in such number of instalments (which need not be of equal amounts) as they consider appropriate.



PART V

INTEREST AND INSOLVENCY

Interest
    
11. —(1) Subject to paragraph (2), loans made in each twelve month period commencing on 1st August shall bear interest at a rate which will result in an annual percentage rate of charge determined in accordance with the Consumer Credit (Total Charge for Credit) Regulations 1980[16]equal to the percentage by which the retail prices all items index published by the Office for National Statistics for the month of March immediately preceding the commencement of that period has increased compared with that for the previous March.

    (2) If the rate referred to in paragraph (1) exceeds the rate for the time being specified for the purposes of any exemption conferred by virtue of section 16(5)(b) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974[17]loans shall bear interest at the rate so specified.

    (3) Interest shall be calculated daily on the principal outstanding, and shall be added to the principal monthly.

Insolvency
     12. Where after the date of sequestration of an eligible student's estate, he or she receives, or is entitled to receive, sums by way of loan–


NICOL STEPHEN
A member of the Scottish Executive

St Andrew's House, Edinburgh
7th June 2006



SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 3(2)(a)


ELIGIBLE STUDENTS


     1. A person who–

     2. —(1) A person who–

    (2) Sub-paragraph (1)(c) does not apply where the person applying for support falls within sub-paragraph (1)(a)(iii) or (iv).

     3. —(1) A person who–

    (2) Sub-paragraph (1)(c) not apply where the person applying for support is a family member of a person falling within paragraph 2(1)(a)(iii) or (iv).

     4. —(1) A person who–

    (2) For the purposes of this paragraph, a person has utilised a right of residence if he or she–

     5. A person who–

     6. A person who–

     7. A person who–

     8. A person who–

     9. A person who–



SCHEDULE 2
Regulation 4(1)(a)


DESIGNATED COURSE


     1. A first degree course other than a course referred to in paragraph 4.

     2. A course for the Diploma of Higher Education.

     3. A course for the Higher National Diploma or Higher National Certificate of the Business &Technician Education Council.

     4. A course for the initial training for teachers, including such a course leading to a first degree.

     5. A course for the further training of teachers or youth and community workers.

     6. A course in preparation for a professional examination of a standard higher than that of–

not being a course for entry to which a first degree (or equivalent qualification) is normally required.

     7. A course providing education (whether or not in preparation for an examination) the standard of which is–

and for entry to which a first degree (or equivalent qualification) is not normally required.



EXPLANATORY NOTE

This note is not part of the Regulations


These Regulations provide for loans for tuition fees for eligible students attending designated courses provided by an institution located in the UK but outside Scotland ("an RUK institution"). The Regulations apply to loans payable for an academic year starting on or after 1st September 2006 (regulation 3(2)(b)).

Students are eligible for the loan under these Regulations if they fall within one of the eligibility categories laid down in Schedule 1. The majority of eligible students will be eligible due to their ordinary residence in Scotland on the first day of the first academic year of the course if they are additionally settled in the United Kingdom for the purposes of the Immigration Act 1971 and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for 3 years preceding the first academic year of the course. (Schedule 1, paragraph 1).

However, subject to certain residence conditions, students may also be eligible if they are an EEA migrant worker or self-employed person, an EEA frontier worker or frontier self-employed person, a Swiss employed or self-employed person or a Swiss frontier worker or frontier self-employed person (Schedule 1, paragraph 2) and certain family members of such persons (Schedule 1, paragraph 3).

Additionally, a person who is settled in the United Kingdom and has exercised free movement rights in order to reside in the EEA and/or Switzerland may qualify for a loan if ordinarily resident in Scotland on the first day of the first academic year of the course (Schedule 1, paragraph 4).

Finally, the following categories of person may be eligible for a loan, subject to satisfying certain residence conditions; refugees, persons with rights to enter or remain in the UK, persons with temporary protection, EU nationals and children of Swiss nationals (Schedule 1, paragraphs 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively).

To be eligible students must also start their course on or after 1st September 2006 and not be gap year students, end-on course students (these are students who continue from one course on to another course where the first course can be seen as an integral part of the second course e.g. foundation degree courses leading on to a degree), or transferring students (i.e. students who have started an original course prior to 1st September 2006 and who are commencing a designated course after 1st September 2006 only as a result of transferring their course). In addition students must not be in breach of any obligation to repay any type of student loan, must not by their conduct be unfitted to receive a loan and must not already hold a first degree (regulation 3).

Courses which are designated courses for the purposes of these Regulations include full-time courses for a first degree, a Diploma of Higher Education, a Higher National Diploma or Higher National Certificate, the initial training of teachers or youth or community workers, certain professional examinations and certain other courses of education which are of a standard not higher than that of a first degree course. In each case such courses must be provided on a full-time or sandwich course basis, must be of at least one academic year's duration and must be provided by an RUK institution which is maintained by public funds (regulation 4).

The Scottish Ministers may designate other courses (regulation 4(9)).

Students must apply for a loan in accordance with Regulation 5. The maximum amount of loan shall be the maximum amount of tuition fee charged to the student for the current academic year of a designated course which the student is undertaking (regulation 5(2)). As part of the application a student must make a declaration in relation to the information given to Scottish Ministers and their obligation to repay the loan (regulation 5(4)).

In certain circumstances a student who changes the course which they are studying can request that Scottish Ministers transfer their eligibility for a loan. However a student's eligibility for a loan cannot be transferred after it has expired or been terminated and an application for a loan for tuition fees can only be made once in any one academic year (regulation 6).

An eligible student shall no longer be eligible for a loan in the following circumstances. When the period ordinarily required for the completion of the course expires (although Scottish Ministers can make exceptions under regulation 7(2)), where an eligible student withdraws from a course and does not transfer to another course, where an eligible student has abandoned or been expelled from a course and where the eligible student shows himself or herself to be unfitted to receive a loan due to conduct.

Students are under an obligation to provide specified information to Scottish Ministers (regulation 8).

Provision is made for interest which the loans will bear. In accordance with section 73B(6) and (7) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 the prescribed rate of interest is no higher than that which the Scottish Ministers are satisfied is required to maintain the value in real terms of the outstanding amount of loans and does not exceed the rate specified for the purposes of exemption of certain consumer credit agreements conferred by virtue of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (regulation 11).

Student loans paid or payable after the commencement of the sequestration of a student's estate shall not form part of his or her estate, and accordingly cannot be claimed by his trustee. The student will not be discharged from liability to repay loan repayments after a sequestration when he or she is discharged under or by virtue of section 54 or 75(4) of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 (regulation 12).


Notes:

[1] 1980 c.44. Section 73(f) was amended to permit the Secretary of State to pay loans by section 29(1) of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c.30) ("the 1998 Act"). Section 73B was inserted by section 29(2) of the 1998 Act. The functions of the Secretary of State were transferred to the Scottish Ministers by virtue of section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998 (c.46).back

[2] O.J. No. L 158, 30.04.04, p.77.back

[3] Cmnd 2073.back

[4] Cmnd 2183.back

[5] S.S.I. 1999/1131, as amended by S.S.I. 2001/229, 2004/469, 2005/217, 314, 545 and 572.back

[6] Cmnd 9171.back

[7] Cmnd 3906 (Out of print; photocopies are available, free of charge, from the Student Support Division, Department for Education and Employment, Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington DL3 9BG or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, Gyleview House, 3 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9HH).back

[8] S.S.I. 2000/110, as amended by S.S.I. 2000/200, 2001/227 and 2005/314.back

[9] 1990 c.6, repealed by the 1998 Act Schedule 4.back

[10] S.I. 1990/1506 (N.I. 11) amended by S.I. 1996/1274 (N.I. 1), 1996/1918 (N.I. 15) and1998/258 (N.I. 1).back

[11] 1998 c.30 as amended by the Learnings and Skills Act 2000 (c.21), section 146 and Schedule 11; the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (c.1), Schedule 6; the Finance Act 2003 (c.14), section 147 and the Higher Education Act 2004 (c.8), sections 42 and 43 and Schedule 7.back

[12] S.I. 1998/1760 (N.I. 14).back

[13] Cm 5639.back

[14] HC 395: relevant amending instrument is HC 194.back

[15] 1992 c.13; section 65(3A) was inserted by section 27 of the 1998 Act .back

[16] S.I. 1980/51, amended by S.I. 1983/1562, 1989/596 and 1999/3177.back

[17] 1974 c.39.back

[18] 1985 c.66; section 32 was amended by the Child Support Act 1991 (c.48), Schedule 5, paragraph 6, the Pensions Act 1995 (c.26), Schedule 3, paragraph 14 and the Civil Partnership Act (c.33), Schedule 28(3), paragraph 34.back

[19] 1971 c.77; section 33(2A) was inserted by paragraph 7 of Schedule 4 to the British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61).back

[20] O.J. No. L 257, 19.10.68, p.2 (O.J./S.E. 1968(II) p.475), amended by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2434/92 (O.J. No. L 245, 26.8.92, p.1).back



ISBN 0 11 070696 X


 © Crown copyright 2006

Prepared 23 June 2006


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