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

S.R. 2026/135 · made 2 July 2026 · revised to 1 September 2026

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.

Made under: Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949 (Section 5A)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/agriculture-student-fees-amendment-regulations-northern-ireland-2026/pdf/nisr_20260135_en.pdf; NI Explanatory Memorandum https://openlegislation.uk/agriculture-student-fees-amendment-regulations-northern-ireland-2026/pdf/nisrem_20260135_en_001.pdf

## Introductory text

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 Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 5A(1) and (2) of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949, makes the following Regulations.

## Part 1: GENERAL

## 1 Citation and commencement

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

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

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

## Part 2: AMENDMENT TO STUDENT FEE FRAMEWORKS

## 3 Amendment to Part 3 (student fee frameworks)

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.”.

## Part 3: AMENDMENT TO STUDENT CATEGORIES

## 4 Amendments to Part 4 (student categories)

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.”.

## Part 4: AMENDMENT TO STUDENT FEE AMOUNTS

## 5 Amendment to Schedule 1 (student fee amounts)

In Schedule 1 (student fee amounts), substitute the table as follows—
“
Column 1
Column 2 (£)
FC1
1,285
FC2
2,745
FC3
2,745
FC4
1,375
FC5
4,985
FC6
985
FC7
1,970
FC8
2,955
FC9
955
FC10
1,285
FC11
9,790
FC12
9,790
FC13
4,895
FC14
9,790
FC15
3,265
FC16
6,530
FC17
9,790
FC18
955
FC19
1,960
FC20
1,960
FC21
955
FC22
9,790
FC23
9,790
FC24
4,895
FC25
3,265
FC26
6,530
FC27
9,790
FC28
10,190
FC29
10,190
FC30
1,285
FC31
955
FC32
955
FC33
955
FC34
955
”

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

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

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/135 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/agriculture-student-fees-amendment-regulations-northern-ireland-2026
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.