Higher Education Funding Act 1988

If a year to which this Chapter applies in which an institution provides a course of study is not divided into semesters for the purposes of the institution, the Minister may, after consulting the institution, determine that, subject to this section, that year is, in relation to that course of study at that institution, to be taken for the purposes of this Chapter to be divided into 2 semesters and specify the dates on which those semesters respectively start and end.

Where an institution provides a course or courses of study during a period that starts during or after the period that would, but for this subsection, be the last semester to end at the institution in a year to which this Chapter applies and ends before the period that would, but for this subsection, be the first semester at the institution in the next following year, the first‑mentioned period shall be taken for the purposes of this Chapter to be a separate semester for the purposes of the institution and to occur in that last‑mentioned year.

Where an institution provides a course or courses of study during a period that does not fully coincide with a period that is otherwise, for the purposes of this Chapter a semester for the purposes of the institution, that period is taken for the purposes of this Chapter (other than subsection (2)) to be a separate semester for the purposes of the institution.