# The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009, Regulation 120: Support for distance learning courses


(1) For the purposes of this regulation, the support available is—
(a) a grant in respect of fees not exceeding the lesser of the following amounts—
(i) £1,230; and
(ii) the “actual fees”, being the amount of fees charged to the student in respect of an academic year of the designated distance learning course; and
(b) a grant not exceeding £265 for books, travel and other expenditure in connection with the designated distance learning course.
(2) An eligible distance learning student does not qualify for support under paragraph (1)(b) if the only paragraph in Part 2 of Schedule 1 into which the student falls is paragraph 9.
(3) An eligible distance learning student does not qualify for support under this regulation if—
(a) the student is a disabled student; and
(b) there has been bestowed on, or paid to the student in connection with the designated distance learning course a healthcare bursary the amount of which is calculated by reference to the student’s income.
(4) An eligible distance learning student does not qualify for support under this regulation unless the Secretary of State considers that the student is undertaking the designated distance learning course in England.
(5) An eligible distance learning student does not qualify for support under this regulation if the student has undertaken one or more distance learning courses for eight academic years in aggregate and the student has received in respect of each of those academic years a loan or a grant of the kind described in paragraph (6).
(6) The loans and grants are—
(a) a loan, a grant in respect of fees or a grant for books, travel and other expenditure each made in respect of an academic year of a distance learning course pursuant to regulations made under section 22 of the 1998 Act;
(b) a loan, a grant in respect of fees or a grant for books, travel and other expenditure each made in respect of an academic year of a distance learning course by the Department for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland) pursuant to regulations made under Articles 3 and 8(4) of the Education (Student Support) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998; or
(c) a loan in respect of an academic year of a distance learning course made pursuant to regulations made under sections 73(f), 73B and 74(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.
(7) An eligible distance learning student does not qualify for support under this regulation if—
(a) the distance learning course leads to an equivalent or lower qualification where the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009; or
(b) the student holds an honours degree from an educational institution in the United Kingdom where—
(i) the current course began before 1st September 2009; or
(ii) the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009 where the student transfers to the current course pursuant to regulation 8 from a distance learning course which began before 1st September 2009.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/1555/regulation/120 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/education-student-support-regulations-2009/regulation-120
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.