OpenLegislation

The Agriculture (Student Fees) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

S.R. 2026/135 · Made 2 July 2026 · Extends to Northern Ireland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 1 September 2026.

Regulations laid before the Assembly in accordance with section 42(2) of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949

Agriculture

Made 2nd July 2026

Coming into operation 1st September 2026

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairsf1, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 5A(1) and (2) of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949f2, makes the following Regulations.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

The Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland was renamed as the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, see the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 c.36 section 7(3); renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, see the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999/283 (N.I.), Article 3(4); renamed as the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, see Departments (Northern Ireland) Act 2016 c.5 (N.I.), section 1(2)

f2

1949 c.2 (N.I.). Section 5A(1) and (2) was inserted by Article 42(1) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1915 (N.I. 11))

Contents

  1. Part 1: GENERAL
  2. 1Citation and commencement
  3. 2Amendment of The Agriculture (Student Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023
  4. Part 2: AMENDMENT TO STUDENT FEE FRAMEWORKS
  5. 3Amendment to Part 3 (student fee frameworks)
  6. Part 3: AMENDMENT TO STUDENT CATEGORIES
  7. 4Amendments to Part 4 (student categories)
  8. Part 4: AMENDMENT TO STUDENT FEE AMOUNTS
  9. 5Amendment to Schedule 1 (student fee amounts)
  10. 6Amendment of The Agriculture (Student Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
  11. Signature
  12. Explanatory note

1Citation and commencementI1

These Regulations may be cited as the Agriculture (Student Fees) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 and shall come into operation on 1st September 2026.

2Amendment of The Agriculture (Student Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023I1

The Agriculture (Student Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023f1 are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 5.

3Amendment to Part 3 (student fee frameworks)I1

In Part 3 (student fee frameworks), for regulation 9 (2022 legacy fee framework), substitute—

“9.

“2022 legacy fee framework” means the fee framework that is applied to a student undertaking a higher education course where—

(a)

the course start date of their current course is before 1st September 2022;

(b)

they are continuing on their current course after 1st September 2022; and

(c)

they will begin the final academic year of their current course on or before 1st April 2027.”.

4Amendments to Part 4 (student categories)I1

In Part 4 (student categories)—

(a)

in paragraph (c) of regulation 10 (home students), after “Categories)”, insert “of Schedule 2”; and

(b)

for regulation 12 (international students), substitute—

“12.

A person is to be treated as an “international student” where—

(a)

the course start date is on or after 1st September 2021, they—

(i)

are a qualifying person that falls within Part 4 (EU and Other States Categories) of Schedule 2;

(ii)

do not fall within Part 5 (EU and Other States Special Categories) of Schedule 2; and

(iii)

are required to obtain a student visa to study in the United Kingdom for a higher education course lasting six months or more; or

(b)

they are not a qualifying person.”.

5Amendment to Schedule 1 (student fee amounts)I1

In Schedule 1 (student fee amounts), substitute the table as follows—

“

Column 1Column 2 (£)
FC11,285
FC22,745
FC32,745
FC41,375
FC54,985
FC6985
FC71,970
FC82,955
FC9955
FC101,285
FC119,790
FC129,790
FC134,895
FC149,790
FC153,265
FC166,530
FC179,790
FC18955
FC191,960
FC201,960
FC21955
FC229,790
FC239,790
FC244,895
FC253,265
FC266,530
FC279,790
FC2810,190
FC2910,190
FC301,285
FC31955
FC32955
FC33955
FC34955

”

6Amendment of The Agriculture (Student Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025I1

Regulation 4 of The Agriculture (Student Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025f1 is revoked.

Signature

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on 2nd July 2026.

L.S.

Mark McLean

A senior officer of the

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 5 of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949 (“the Act”) enables the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (“the Department”) to provide instruction in agriculture and related matters. Section 5A, empowers the Department to set fees for education and instruction.

These Regulations amend The Agriculture (Student Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 (S.R. 2023 No. 98) (“the 2023 Regulations”).

Part 1 (General) regulation 1 refers to the citation and commencement of these amendment regulations.

Part 2 (Amendment to Student Fee Frameworks) regulation 3 amends the meaning of the “2022 legacy fee framework” at regulation 9 of the 2023 Regulations to provide an additional final year for students who commenced their current higher education course prior to 1st September 2022 and who have suspended their studies with the opportunity to complete their current course for the final time under the 2022 legacy fee framework in the 2026/27 academic year.

Part 3 (Amendments to Student Categories) regulation 4 amends sub-paragraph (c) in regulation 10 of the 2023 Regulations that provides a more accurate meaning of “home student” to ensure it properly references Schedule 2 to the 2023 Regulations. It further provides a more accurate classification of international students for fee purposes by amending regulation 12 of the 2023 Regulations with new wording.

Part 4 (Amendment to Student Fee Amounts) regulation 5 replaces the student fee amounts table in Schedule 1 to the 2023 Regulations with the student fee amounts that come into effect from the 2026/27 academic year (commencing from 1st September 2026). The revised student fee amounts table incorporates a 2.7% inflationary uplift and corrects errors in the student fee amounts of £1,340 at FC3, £3,085 at FC15 and FC25, £6,165 at FC16 and FC26, and £9,250 at FC17 and FC27 that were inserted by The Agriculture (Student Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (“the 2025 Regulations”).

Regulation 6 revokes regulation 4 of the 2025 Regulations that substituted the new student fee amounts table in Schedule 1 to the 2023 Regulations prescribing the student fee amounts for the 2025/26 academic year at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).