# The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009, Regulation 15: Timing of repayments for specified student loans and notification of repayments for all student loans

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(A1) In this regulation—
(a) paragraphs (1) to (2D) relate to the timing of repayments for a plan 1 loan, plan 2 loan, plan 3 loan or plan 5 non-LLE loan;
(b) paragraphs (3) to (10) relate to the notification of repayments for a student loan.
(1) A borrower may repay all or any part of a plan 1 loan, plan 2 loan, plan 3 loan or plan 5 non-LLE loan to the Authority or loan purchaser at any time, by making direct payments to the Authority.
(2) Subject to paragraphs (2A) and (2B), the borrower is not required to repay any part of a plan 1 loan, plan 2 loan or plan 5 non-LLE loan before the start of the following tax year commencing on 6 April after the borrower ceases to be eligible for financial support under an enactment cited in regulation 3A, 3B or 3E, whether by reason of having completed that course or otherwise.
(2ZA) The borrower is not required to repay –
(a) any part of a postgraduate master's degree loan, before the start of the following tax year commencing on 6 April after the borrower ceases to be eligible for a postgraduate master’s degree loan, whether by reason of having completed that course or otherwise;
(b) any part of a postgraduate doctoral degree loan, until the earlier of—
(i) the start of the following tax year commencing on 6 April after the borrower ceases to be eligible for a postgraduate doctoral degree loan, whether by reason of having completed that course or otherwise; or
(ii) the start of the following tax year commencing on 6 April after the fourth anniversary of the course start date.
(2ZB) In paragraph (2ZA)—
“postgraduate doctoral degree loan” means a plan 3 loan paid under an enactment cited in table 3 or 4 of regulation 3C;
“postgraduate master’s degree loan” means a plan 3 loan paid under an enactment cited in table 1 or 2 of regulation 3C.
(2A) ... Where a borrower takes out a plan 2 loan or plan 5 non-LLE loan in relation to a part-time course, the borrower is not required to repay any part of that loan until the earlier of—
(a) the start of the following tax year commencing on 6 April after the borrower ceases to be eligible for financial support under an enactment cited in regulation 3B or 3E, whether by reason of having completed that course or otherwise; or
(b) the start of the following tax year commencing on 6 April after the fourth anniversary of the course start date.
(2B) ... A borrower who takes out a plan 2 loan or plan 5 non-LLE loan and who changes their mode of study between full-time and part-time study is required to repay—
(a) where there is a change from a full-time course to a part-time course, in accordance with paragraph (2A);
(b) where there is a change from a part-time course to a full-time course before the requirement to repay under paragraph (2A) applies, in accordance with paragraph (2);
(c) where there is a change from a part-time course to a full-time course and the requirement to repay under paragraph (2A) applies, in accordance with paragraph (2A).
(2BA) Despite paragraphs (2), (2A) and (2B), a borrower is not required to repay any part of a plan 5 loan on or before 5th April 2026.
(2BB) Omit paragraph (2BA) and this paragraph on 6th April 2026.
(2C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(2D) For the purposes of paragraphs (2), (2A) and (2B), an original course and a top-up course are treated as one course where—
(a) “original course” means an eligible course which, disregarding any intervening vacation, a student attended immediately before a top-up course; and
(b) “top-up course” means—
(i) a full-time honours degree course the student begins, disregarding any intervening vacation, immediately after ceasing to attend a full-time original course for which the person achieved a qualification, or
(ii) a part-time honours degree course the student begins, disregarding any intervening vacation, immediately after ceasing to attend a part-time original course for which the person achieved a qualification.
(3) Subject to paragraphs (7) and (8), the Authority must notify the borrower and HMRC of—
(a) the first or, as the case may be, next tax year in respect of which the borrower may be required to make repayments under Part 3;
(b) the date on and after which a borrower may be required to make repayments by deductions from earnings under Part 4;
(c) where the borrower has given the Authority notification in accordance with regulation 16(3), the tax year in respect of which the borrower will cease to be required to make repayments under Part 3;
(d) the tax year in which the borrower will cease to be required to make repayments under Part 3 because of the occurrence of a relevant event; and
(e) the date on and after which a borrower will cease to be required to make repayments by way of deduction from earnings under Part 4 because of the occurrence of a relevant event.
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(d), a “relevant event” occurs when—
(a) the loan has been repaid in full to or via the Authority;
(b) an amount sufficient to repay the balance owing to the Authority or loan purchaser is likely to be received by HMRC under Part 4 or by the Authority directly from overseas borrowers by 30 April in the tax year immediately following the tax year in which the notice is issued;
(c) the loan has been cancelled; or
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(e), a ‘relevant event’ occurs when—
(a) the loan has been repaid in full to or via the Authority;
(b) an amount sufficient to repay in full the balance owing to the Authority or loan purchaser is likely to be received by HMRC under Parts 3 and 4 and by the Authority directly from overseas borrowers by the date given in the notice;
(c) the loan has been cancelled;
(d) the borrower has notified the Authority in accordance with regulation 16(3);
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(f) the borrower has undertaken to repay the loan in full after the date given in the notice in accordance with regulation 18 and meets the criteria of that regulation.
(6) The Authority must not issue a notice under paragraph (3)(d) after the end of the calendar year during which the tax year specified in the notice ends.
(7) Where the Authority has notified a borrower and HMRC that repayments under Parts 3 and 4 must no longer be made but at a later date it appears to the Authority that the student loan ... has not been fully repaid, then a further notice may be given in accordance with paragraph (3).
(8) No notice need be given under paragraph (3)(a) or (b) if the borrower’s loan does not exceed £120.
(9) Any notice which the Authority is required to give to HMRC pursuant to this regulation may be given in respect of one or more than one borrower, and in respect of each borrower, the Authority must provide the particulars required in paragraph (3).
(10) Any notice given by the Authority pursuant to the Education (Student Loan) (Repayment) Regulations 2000 prior to the coming into force of these Regulations is to be treated as having been given pursuant to these Regulations.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/470/regulation/15 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/education-student-loans-repayment-regulations-2009/regulation-15
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.