| (1) | If it will contribute to the performance of the work of the Service, the National Commissioner may grant any financial or other assistance for any study, training or research where— |
| (a) | he or she has requested an employee to undertake such study, training or research; or |
| (b) | the employee has requested such assistance. |
| (2) | The National Commissioner may grant any financial or other assistance for part-time or full-time activities at either local or international institutions. He or she may also grant assistance for studies and training through training interventions, such as short courses, congresses, symposia, seminars, conferences, workshops, lectures and study tours. |
| (3) | The National Commissioner may— |
| (a) | grant bursaries for higher education and training to both serving and prospective employees, but may allocate bursaries for general education and further education and training only to serving employees; and |
| (b) | not require contractual service in recompense for assistance received where an employee receives assistance for general education or further education and training. |
| (4) | The National Commissioner may defray any expenses associated with study, research or training, but need not cover the full expenses. |
| (5) | A serving employee must retain his or her salary, which shall count as part of the financial assistance from the Service, during any study, research or training. |
| (6) | Subject to the Treasury Regulations, the National Commissioner may waive the whole or any part of study debts. |
| (7) | Where the National Commissioner provides a bursary for higher education to an employee or prospective employee— |
| (a) | the bursary holder must enter into a contract with the Service in terms of which he or she— |
| (i) | in the case of a bursary holder who undertakes full-time study, will redeem the bursary by serving the Service on the basis of one year for each year of study, or any part thereof; or |
| (ii) | in the case of a bursary holder who undertakes part-time study will redeem the bursary by serving the Service for at least one year after attaining the relevant qualification; and |
| (b) | a bursary holder who undertakes full-time study, must commence serving the Service after he or she has met all the requirements for the attainment of the relevant qualification. |
| (8) | An employee who fails to complete the relevant qualification must redeem any obligation in terms of the contract either through service or repayment of the bursary amount plus interest at a rate determined by the Minister of Finance in terms of section 80(1)(b) of the Public Finance Management Act. |
| (9) | In the case of an employee who studies or undergoes training for short periods, the National Commissioner may, as a precondition for providing assistance, require the employee to enter into a contract with the Service in terms of which he or she will serve the Service for a commensurable period. |
| (10) | For the purpose of this regulation— |
"further education and training"
means further education and training as defined in section 1 of the Further Education and Training Act, 2006 (Act No. 16 of 2006);
"general education"
means the compulsory school attendance phase as referred to in section 3 of the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act No. 84 of 1996); and
"higher education"
means higher education as defined in section 1 of the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997).
