National Assembly for Wales
P-03-081 - Amendment to the Assembly Learning Grants and Loans Regulations: Regulations Relating to Previous Study
Petition Received: 06 November 2007
Lead Petitioner: Mr Deri Burgess
Number of Petitioners: 16
Petition Wording:
Background:Currently, the Student Support Regulations prohibit mature students who already hold an honours degree from applying for a student loan for living expenses. There is, however, and exemption from this rule for students studying for a degree which ultimately leads to qualification as a medical doctor, dentist, veterinary surgeon, architect, landscape architect, landscape designer, landscape manager, town planner or town and country planner.
No facility exists for any mature student for the provision of student loans to pay for fees.
We, the undersigned, call upon the National Assembly for Wales to extend the aforementioned exemption to include any undergraduate degree course which is a mandatory legal prerequisite for qualification and registration in a given profession. Examples of such courses include:
- BSc/Op for registration as an Optometrist
- MPharmacy for registration as a Pharmacist
We strongly urge the National Assembly for Wales to implement these changes as a matter of priority, retrospectively enacting these changes if permissible.
The motivation for this petition is to ensure that mature students, particularly those from less affluent backgrounds, are not excluded from admittance into professions which are not included in the current regulations, and which have no other route of registration.
In addition, we would ask that the National Assembly for Wales give due consideration to the possibility of the provision of student loans for part-payment of fees for such qualifications.
Petition Status: Open
Petitions Committee Consideration:
- 6 December 2007
Link to the transcript of the meeting on 6 December 2007
- 10 April 2008
Link to the transcript of the meeting on 10 April 2008
- 22 May 2008
Link to the transcript of the meeting on 22 May 2008
- 2 October 2008
Link to the transcript of the meeting on 2 October 2008
- 27 January 2009
Link to the transcript of the meeting on 27 January 2009
- 31 March 2009
Link to the transcript of the meeting on 31 March 2009
- 5 May 2009
