Explanatory note
Northern Ireland
(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
The Education (Student Loans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 (“the principal Regulations”) govern student loans made under the Education (Student Loans) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990, which are mortgage style repayment loans. It is the intention that after 1st September 1998 such loans will be made primarily to students who started their courses before that date, and certain other students. New style loans repayable through the tax system will be made to students starting courses after that date.
These Regulations, which come into operation on 1st August 1998, amend the principal Regulations as follows:—
a reference to a course provided by St. Martin’s College, Lancaster, has been removed, as it is no longer offered (regulation 2(a)).
Provision has been made to ensure that the eligibility of students who transfer from one course to another before completing the first course is determined by reference to the date of the beginning of the first course rather than the second course (regulation 2(b)). For example, an eligible student who was under 50 before starting his first course will continue to be eligible for a loan even if he transfers to another course at another institution after reaching the age of 50.
The maximum amounts which may be lent in relation to an academic year have been increased in line with inflation (regulation 2(c)).