# The Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

S.R. 2026/56 · made 19 March 2026 · revised to 10 April 2026

These Regulations amend legislation which makes provision about, or in connection with, student finance. Those Regulations being amended are the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 “the 2009 Regulations”, and the Education (Student Support, etc.) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 “the 2025 Regulations”.

Made under: The Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 (Article 3, Article 8)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/education-student-support-amendment-regulations-northern-ireland-2026/pdf/nisr_20260056_en.pdf; NI Explanatory Memorandum https://openlegislation.uk/education-student-support-amendment-regulations-northern-ireland-2026/pdf/nisrem_20260056_en_001.pdf

## Introductory text

Education
Made 19th March 2026
Coming into operation in accordance with regulation 1(2) and (3)
The Department for the Economy, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 3 and 8(4) of the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 makes the following Regulations.

## 1 Citation, commencement and application

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026.
(2) These Regulations come into operation on 10th April 2026.
(3) The provisions of these Regulations specified in paragraph (4) apply only in relation to the provision of support in relation to a new academic year, whether or not anything done under these Regulations is done before, on or after 1st August 2026.
(4) The provisions mentioned in paragraph (3) are—
(a) regulations 3 (amendments to disabled students allowances);
(b) regulation 7 (amendments to the payment rates for student support) and the Schedule (new payment rates for student support).
(5) In these Regulations—
“new academic year” means an academic year which begins on or after 1st August 2026: and
“academic year” has the meaning given by regulation 2 of the Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.

## 2 Amendments to the Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Regulations 3 to 7 amend the Education (Student Support) (No.2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.

## 3 Amendments to disabled students’ allowances

(1) In regulation 41(1), after “attendance on”, insert “or undertaking of”;
(2) In the following provisions (which set maximum expenditure other than for travel), for “£25,000” substitute “£27,500” —
(a) regulation 42(2)(a) (disabled students’ allowance);
(b) regulation 112(6)(a) (disabled distance learning students’ allowance);
(c) regulation 130(5)(a) (disabled part-time students’ allowance); and
(d) regulation 146(2)(a) (support for postgraduate students with disabilities).

## 4 Amendment to omit references to Scottish healthcare allowance

(1) In regulation 2(1)—
(i) in the definition of “bursary year”, omit “or a Scottish healthcare allowance”,
(ii) omit the definition of “Scottish healthcare allowance”;
(2) in regulation 46(3)(c), omit “or Scottish healthcare allowance”;
(3) in regulation 63(2)(c), omit “or a Scottish healthcare allowance”.

## 5 Amendment to omit Regional Health and Social Care Board

Omit regulation 39(6)(e)(i).

## 6 Amendment to special support grant

In regulation 59, after the previously omitted paragraph (6), insert—
“(7) A current system student does not qualify for a special support grant if the current course is a graduate entry course.”.

## 7 Amendments to the payment rates for student support

The Schedule to these Regulations has effect to substitute the figure in the third column of the table for the figure in the second column where that figure appears in the provision of the 2009 Regulations set out in the first column.

## 8 Amendment to the Education (Student Support, etc.) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

Regulation 22 of the Education (Student Support, etc.) (Amendment No.2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 is revoked.

## Signature

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for the Economy on 19 March 2026.
L.S.
Graham Miller
A senior officer of the Department for the Economy

## 

NEW PAYMENT RATES FOR STUDENT SUPPORT
Provision in the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009
Existing figure
New figure
Regulation 25
25(1)(a)
£9,535
£9,790
25(2)(a)
£4,765
£4,895
25(2A)(a)
£4,855
£4,985
25(2B)(a)
£2,410
£2,475
25(13)(a)
£9,535
£9,790
25(11)(a)
£1,430
£1,465
25(14)(a)
£11,440
£11,750
25(14)(b)
£4,855
£4,985
Regulation 58
58(1)(a)
£1,738
£1,785
58(1)(b)
£3,475
£3,569
58(1)(c)
£3,475
£3,569
58(2)(a)
£1,738
£1,785
58(2)(b)
£1,738
£1,785
£9.09
£8.86
58(2)(c)
£659
£678
58(3)(a)
£3,475
£3,569
58(3)(b)
£3,475
£3,569
£4.55
£4.43
58(3)(c)
£1,318
£1,354
58(4)(a)
£1,738
£1,785
58(4)(b)
£1,738
£1,785
£9.09
£8.86
£19.00
£18.50
58(5)(a)
£3,475
£3,569
58(5)(b)
£3,475
£3,569
£4.55
£4.43
58(5)(c)
£1,318
£1,354
£9.50
£9.25
Regulation 60
60(1)(a)
£1,738
£1,785
60(1)(b)
£3,475
£3,569
60(1)(c)
£3,475
£3,569
60(2)(a)
£1,738
£1,785
60(2)(b)
£1,738
£1,785
£9.09
£8.86
60(2)(c)
£659
£678
60(3)(a)
£3,475
£3,569
60(3)(b)
£3,475
£3,569
£4.55
£4.43
60(3)(c)
£1,318
£1,354
60(4)(a)
£1,738
£1,785
60(4)(b)
£1,738
£1,785
£9.09
£8.86
£19.00
£18.50
60(5)(a)
£3,475
£3,569
60(5)(b)
£3,475
£3,569
£4.55
£4.43
60(5)(c)
£1,318
£1,354
£9.50
£9.25
Regulation 66
66(2)(i)
£6,300
£6,471
66(2)(ii)
£11,391
£11,699
66(2)(iii)
£9,694
£9,956
66 (2)(iv)
£8,132
£8,352
66(3)(i)
£5,696
£5,850
66(3)(ii)
£10,366
£10,646
66(3)(iii)
£8,426
£8,654
66(3)(iv)
£7,527
£7,731
Regulation 67
67(2)(a)
£6,300
£6,471
67(2)(b)
£11,391
£11,699
67(2)(c)
£9,694
£9,956
67(2)(d)
£8,132
£8,352
67(3)(a)
£5,696
£5,850
67(3)(b)
£10,366
£10,646
67(3)(c)
£8,426
£8,654
67(3)(d)
£7,527
£7,731
Regulation 69
69(1)(a)(i)
£2,991
£3,072
69(1)(a)(ii)
£5,595
£5,747
69(1)(a)(iii)
£3,982
£4,090
69(1)(b)(i)
£2,991
£3,072
69(1)(b)(ii)
£5,595
£5,747
69(1)(b)(iii)
£4,763
£4,892
69(1)(b)(iv)
£3,982
£4,090
69(1)(c)(i)
£4,725
£4,853
69(1)(c)(ii)
£8,543
£8,774
69(1)(c)(iii)
£7,271
£7,468
69(1)(c)(iv)
£6,099
£6,264
69(2)(a)(i)
£2,268
£2,330
69(2)(a)(ii)
£4,284
£4,400
69(2)(a)(iii)
£3,108
£3,192
69(2)(b)(i)
£2,268
£2,330
69(2)(b)(ii)
£4,284
£4,400
69(2)(b)(iii)
£3,478
£3,572
69(2)(b)(iv)
£3,108
£3,192
69(2)(c)(i)
£4,272
£4,388
69(2)(c)(ii)
£7,775
£7,985
69(2)(c)(iii)
£6,320
£6,491
69(2)(c)(iv)
£5,645
£5,798
69(3)(a)
£659
£678
69(3)(b)
£1,318
£1,354
Regulation 70
70(5)(i)
£93
£96
70(5)(ii)
£183
£188
70(5)(iii)
£197
£203
70(5)(iv)
£142
£146
70(6)(a)
£55
£96
70(6)(b)
£84
£146
Regulation 91
91(1)(a)
£4,725
£4,853
91(1)(b)
£8,543
£8,774
91(1)(c)
£7,271
£7,468
91(1)(d)
£6,099
£6,264
91(2)(a)
£4,272
£4,388
91(2)(b)
£7,775
£7,985
91(2)(c)
£6,320
£6,491
91(2)(d)
£5,645
£5,798
Regulation 110A
110A(1)(a)
£3,641.25
£3,738.75
Regulation 117
117(4)(d)(i)
£3,641.25
£3,738.75
Regulation 127A
127A(1)(a)
£3,641.25
£3,738.75
Regulation 135
135(4A)(d)(i)
£3,641.25
£3,738.75
135(10B)(a)(i)
£3,641.25
£3,738.75
135(19)(a)(i)
£3,641.25
£3,738.75
Schedule 5
3(3)
£1,153
£1,185
5(2)(c)
£1,153
£1,185
7(1)(c)
£1,153
£1,185
9(1)(a)
£5.71
£5.55
9(2)
£2,848
£2,925
9(4)
£2,848
£2,925

## Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend legislation which makes provision about, or in connection with, student finance. Those Regulations being amended are the Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 “the 2009 Regulations”, and the Education (Student Support, etc.) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 “the 2025 Regulations”.
These Regulations come into force on 10 April 2026, unless otherwise specified.
Regulation 3 allows for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) to be available to ‘exam/assessment only’ students and uplifts the maximum level of DSA support available to eligible students in the 2009 Regulations, from £25,000 to £27,500 annually.
Regulations 4 and 5 omit redundant references in the 2009 Regulations.
Regulation 6 inserts a previously omitted paragraph to ensure students studying graduate entry courses are not eligible for special support grant, aligning with arrangements for maintenance grant.
Regulation 7 plus the Schedule amend the 2009 Regulations to update the payment rates for student support for an academic year which begins on or after 1st August 2026.
Regulation 8 makes technical amendments to correct the 2025 Regulations.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/56 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/education-student-support-amendment-regulations-northern-ireland-2026
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.