Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Education (Student Loans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 (the “1998 Regulations”). The 1998 Regulations, made under the Education (Student Loans) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990, govern mortgage style repayment loans. These loans are, for the most part, only available to students who started their courses before 1st August 1998.

Regulation 4 increases the maximum amounts that may be lent to students in relation to an academic year in line with inflation.

Regulation 5 and Schedule 2 to the Regulations amend the 1998 Regulations so as to enable persons who form civil partnerships and who are attending courses covered by the 1998 Regulations to be considered eligible for mortgage style repayment loans. Regulation 6 provides that these modifications do not take effect whilst section 1 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004(c. 36) is not in force.

These Regulations also revoke the Education (Student Loans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004. They also revoke in part the Education (Student Loans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, the Education (Student Loans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999, the Education (Student Loans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, the Education (Student Loans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and the Education (Student Loans) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.