“parental home, in relation to a student, means a home where the student is living with a parent”.

“programme has the meaning set out in regulation 2A”.

“step-parent, in relation to a student, means a person—

• “(a) who is not the student's father or mother, or a person acting in place of a parent of the student; but

• “(b) who is married to, or in a civil union or in a de facto relationship with, the mother or father of the student or a person acting in place of the parent of the student”.

“2A Meaning of programme

• “(1) In these regulations, programme means,—

  • “(a) in relation to a secondary school, a full-time course:

  • “(b) in relation to a tertiary provider, any aggregate of courses, classes, and work required for the completion of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other qualification awarded by that provider.

  “(2) Despite subclause (1)(b), a programme does not include a degree, diploma, certificate, or other qualification that is listed at level 8 or above on the Qualifications Framework.

  “(3) Subclause (2) does not apply to a Bachelor Honours degree described in the Qualifications Framework.

  “(4) In this regulation, Qualifications Framework means the framework referred to in section 248 of the Education Act 1989.”

• “(4) For the purposes of this regulation,—

  “outgoings include—

  • “(a) local authority rates charged by a local authority (including water rates, regardless of how the rates are calculated):

  • “(b) mortgage payments (where there is a mortgage on the property):

  • “(c) house insurance premiums, excluding contents insurance (where the house is insured):

  • “(d) essential repairs and maintenance

  “parental home, in relation to a student, means—

  • “(a) a home where the student is living with a parent; or

  • “(b) a home (not being a home to which paragraph (a) applies) provided or maintained by a parent of the student unless, in the opinion of the chief executive, that student—

    • “(i) is paying the market rent for the area of the home occupied by the student; or

    • “(ii) has responsibility for the payment of the outgoings payable for the area of the home occupied by the student.

• “(4A) For the purposes of paragraph (b) of the definition of parental home in subclause (4), the area of the home occupied by the student is the part of the premises comprising the home that the student occupies with his or her spouse (if any) and supported children (if any).”

• “(2) An allowance continued by regulation 3(a) to (c) may be paid to every student enrolled, or intending to enrol, in a recognised course of study that is less than a full-time course, who would otherwise be eligible for such an allowance, if either of the following paragraphs applies:

  • “(a) the chief executive has, on the advice of a tertiary provider or the principal of the appropriate secondary school, approved a course of study that is less than a full-time course for that student for that year—

    • “(i) because of that student's illness; or

    • “(ii) for any cause that is, in the opinion of the chief executive, a sufficient cause that is outside that student's control; or

    • “(iii) where the chief executive considers such a course to be in that student's academic best interests:

  • “(b) in the opinion of the chief executive, the student—

    • “(i) will, on completing that course, complete a recognised programme; and

    • “(ii) is taking a course, or combination of courses, that constitutes more than half of a full-time course.

• “(2A) For the purposes of subclause (2)(a)(iii), academic best interests, in relation to a student, means that the student would be likely to fail, for academic reasons, if he or she undertook a full-time course but would be likely to pass more than half of the course if he or she studied part-time.”

• “(7A) For the purposes of subclause (7), special circumstances do not exist merely because a person has been affected by an amendment to these regulations.”