Regulation 4 Designated courses

United Kingdom

(1)

Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), a course is a designated course for the purposes of section 22(1) of the 1998 Act and regulation 3 if it is—

(a)

a F1full postgraduate master's degree course which falls within paragraph (2);

F2(b)

one of the following—

(i)

wholly provided by a registered provider F3... in England;

(ii)

wholly provided by an authority-funded institution in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales;

(iii)

provided by a registered provider on behalf of an authority-funded institution in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales;

(iv)

provided by F4... a publicly funded institution situated in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales on behalf of an authority-funded institution in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales;

(v)

provided by a registered provider in England in conjunction with an institution which is situated outside the United Kingdom F5, except where the institution which is situated outside the United Kingdom provides that course on behalf of the registered provider in England; F6...

(vi)

provided by an authority-funded institution in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales in conjunction with an institution which is situated outside the United Kingdom;

F7(vii)

provided by a registered provider or unregistered provider on behalf of a registered provider in England, where the course start date is before 1st September 2028; or

(viii)

provided by a qualifying franchised provider (or multiple qualifying franchised providers), on behalf of a registered provider in England, where the course start date is on or after 1st September 2028;

(c)

substantially provided in the United Kingdom; and

(d)

a postgraduate master's degree course which—

(i)

leads to an award granted or to be granted by a body falling within section 214(2)F8(za), (zb), (a) or (b) of the Education Reform Act 1988 M1; and

(ii)

the teaching and supervision which comprise the course has been approved by that body.

F9(1A)

For the purposes of section 22 of the 1998 Act and regulation 3(1), a course is a designated course if it—

(a)

is a Northern Irish designated master’s degree course, a Scottish designated master’s degree course or a Welsh designated master’s degree course;

(b)

is a full postgraduate master’s degree course; and

(c)

falls within paragraph (2).

(2)

For the purpose of F10paragraphs (1)(a) and (1A), the postgraduate master's degree course must be one of the following—

(a)

a full-time course of one or two academic year's duration;

(b)

a part-time course which it is ordinarily possible to complete in no more than twice the period ordinarily required to complete its one or two academic year full-time equivalent; or

(c)

a part-time course that does not have a full-time equivalent and which it is ordinarily possible to complete in up to three academic years.

(3)

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) and (c)—

(a)

a course is provided by an institution if it provides the teaching and supervision which comprise the course, whether or not the institution has entered into an agreement with the student to provide the course;

(b)

a course is substantially provided in the United Kingdom where at least half of the teaching and supervision which comprise the course is provided in the United Kingdom;

(c)

a university and any constituent college or institution in the nature of a college of a university is to be regarded as authority-funded if either the university or the constituent college or institution is authority-funded;

(d)

an institution is not to be regarded as publicly funded or authority-funded 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 M2; and

(e)

a course is not to be regarded as provided on behalf of an authority-funded educational institution where a part of the course is provided by a private institution F11in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, or by a private institution which is an unregistered provider in England.

(4)

The designated course may, but need not, be a distance learning course.

F12(4ZA)

In paragraphs (1)(a) and (1A), “full postgraduate master’s degree course” means a course which, independent of a student’s previous experience or any module or other unit of work, credit, credit point or equivalent measurement of study taken or awarded in respect of another course, leads to a master’s degree.

F13(4A)

A course is not a designated course if its designation has been revoked or is suspended under paragraph (7).

F14(5)

A course cannot be a designated course for the purposes of regulation 3 if it is recognised as a designated course for the purposes of regulation 5 (designated courses) or 139 (designated part-time courses) of F15the 2011 Student Support Regulations, regulation 4 (designated courses) of the Education (Postgraduate Doctoral Degree Loans and the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) (No. 2) etc.) Regulations 2018 F16, or regulation 10 (designation of courses) or 11 (designation of modules) of the 2026 Student Support Regulations.

(6)

For the purposes of section 22 of the 1998 Act M3 and regulation 3(1), the Secretary of State may designate courses of higher education which are not designated under paragraph (1) F17or (1A).

(7)

The Secretary of State may revoke or suspend the designation of a course which is designated under F18this regulation.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Word in reg. 4(1)(a) inserted (13.2.2020) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 12(1)(b)(i)
F2: Reg. 4(1)(b) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(4)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 42(2)
F3: Words in reg. 4(1)(b)(i) omitted (25.6.2026) by virtue of The Education (Student Support for Postgraduate Provision) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/581), regs. 1(2), 9(a) (with regs. 13, 14)
F4: Words in reg. 4(1)(b)(iv) omitted (25.6.2026) by virtue of The Education (Student Support for Postgraduate Provision) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/581), regs. 1(2), 9(b) (with regs. 13, 14)
F5: Words in reg. 4(1)(b)(v) inserted (25.6.2026) by The Education (Student Support for Postgraduate Provision) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/581), regs. 1(2), 9(c) (with regs. 13, 14)
F6: Word in reg. 4(1)(b)(v) omitted (25.6.2026) by virtue of The Education (Student Support for Postgraduate Provision) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/581), regs. 1(2), 9(d) (with regs. 13, 14)
F7: Reg. 4(1)(b)(vii)(viii) inserted (25.6.2026) by The Education (Student Support for Postgraduate Provision) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/581), regs. 1(2), 9(e) (with regs. 13, 14)
F8: Words in reg. 4(1)(d) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 42(3)
F9: Reg. 4(1A) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 4(2)(b)(i)
F10: Words in reg. 4(2) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 4(2)(b)(ii)
F11: Words in reg. 4(3)(e) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 42(4)
F12: Reg. 4(4ZA) inserted (13.2.2020) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 12(1)(b)(ii)
F13: Reg. 4(4A) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 42(5)
F14: Reg. 4(5) substituted (11.6.2018) by The Education (Postgraduate Doctoral Degree Loans and the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) (No. 2) etc.) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/599), regs. 1(1), 61
F15: Words in reg. 4(5) substituted (1.9.2026) by The Lifelong Learning (Student Support) (Amendment of Fees and Awards etc.) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/858), regs. 1(1)(b), 92(4)(a) (with reg. 1(2))
F16: Words in reg. 4(5) inserted (1.9.2026) by The Lifelong Learning (Student Support) (Amendment of Fees and Awards etc.) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/858), regs. 1(1)(b), 92(4)(b) (with reg. 1(2))
F17: Words in reg. 4(6) inserted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(a) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/48), regs. 1(1), 4(2)(b)(iii)
F18: Words in reg. 4(7) substituted (with application in accordance with reg. 1(2)(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Education (Student Fees, Awards and Support etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/142), regs. 1(1), 42(6)

Marginal citations

M1: 1988 c.40; s214(2)(a) was amended by 1992 (c.13).
M2: 1992 c.13; section 65(3A) was inserted by the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c.30), section 27.
M3: 1998 c.30.