Part 1: Skills and Education for Work Chapter 3: Lifelong Learning Section 15: Support for lifelong learning
This section inserts new section 28A into the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 ("THEA 1998") to make modifications to Chapter 1 of Part II of THEA 1998 which allows for financial provision for higher and further education.
	Section 22 subsection (1) of THEA 1998 provides the Secretary of State with a wide regulation-making power to make regulations authorising or requiring him to make grants or loans for any prescribed purposes to eligible students in connection with their undertaking higher or further education courses designated by or under regulations. Section 22 subsection (2)(a) to (k) then provides a non-exhaustive list of the matters which regulations made under section 22 may provide in particular.
	Section 28 provides that "higher education courses" and "further education courses" have the meaning given by regulations made under section 22.
	This section inserts new section 28A after section 28 of THEA 1998. New inserted section 28A modifies sections 22, 23 and 28 of THEA 1998 as follows:
Subsection (1)(a) modifies section 22(1) of THEA 1998 to have effect as if to insert specific reference to modules of higher education and further education courses.
Subsection (1)(b) modifies subsections (2) to (3) and (4B) of section 22 of THEA 1998 so that references to "a higher education course or a further education course" have effect as if to include specific references to modules of a higher education course or further education course. Subsection (2) makes the equivalent modification to the reference in section 23(1)(b) to courses and subsection (3) makes the equivalent modifications to the references in section 28(2) to "courses".
Subsection (1)(c) modifies subsection (2) of section 22 of THEA 1998 to have effect as if to insert a new paragraph (ba) which makes specific provision for regulations made under section 22 to prescribe or provide for the determination of an overall maximum ("lifetime limit") that may be available to learners over their lifetime.
Subsection (1)(d) modifies subsection (2) of section 22 of THEA 1998 to have effect as if there were inserted new paragraph (ca), allowing regulations to provide for two or more modules to be treated as a single module for a purpose of the regulations. A module or course will be funded only if it is designated.
Subsection (1)(e) modifies section 22 of THEA 1998 to have effect that after subsection (2) there were inserted new subsections (2ZA) and (2ZB). New subsection (2ZA) enables the Secretary of State to define the meaning of "module" in relation to a higher or further education course in regulations and provides some examples of what the definition may include. New subsection (2ZB) makes clear that the Secretary of State’s powers to prescribe maximum amounts in relation to loans or payments (as provided for under section 22(2)(b) of THEA 1998) can be provided for otherwise than in relation to an academic year.
Subsection (1)(f) modifies section 22 of THEA 1998 to have effect that after subsection (2A) there were inserted new subsection (2B). This makes it clear that a lifetime limit in relation to a person provided for in subsection (2)(ba) may be amended by the Secretary of State.
Subsection (2) provides that section 23 of THEA 1998, in so far as it relates to the Secretary of State’s regulation making powers under section 22, has effect as if a reference in subsection (1)(b) to courses included a reference to modules of higher or further education courses.
Subsection (3) provides that in subsection (2) of section 28 of THEA 1998 references to courses shall include modules, in so far as it confers a power exercisable by the Secretary of State.
	Subsection (2) has the effect that the references to "alternative payments" which are to be treated as inserted by new section 28A(1) will not have effect until section 86 subsection (2) of HERA 2017 come into force.