Common coding queries

This page contains information and worked examples based on commonly raised queries related to reporting in the Aggregate Offshore Record. This material is designed to supplement the information available in the coding manual.

Contents

• Distance learning
• Collaborative provision
• Reporting instances which move between the UK and overseas
• Double counting in the Aggregate Offshore record

Distance learning

How should the COUNTRY field be recorded for distance learning students based overseas?

COUNTRY should reflect the country in which the student is studying. For distance learners despite the course being based at the UK institution, the student is undertaking the programme elsewhere. Therefore a student who is undertaking a distance learning programme whilst based overseas in Australia, COUNTRY would be coded as AU - Australia. Note that the UK is not a valid entry in this field.

How should distance learners be recorded in the Aggregate Offshore record?

The coding of each field is dependent on the programme. For example, a student who is studying as a distance learner, based in their home country of China, for a first degree in Social Theory would be coded as follow: 

In this example code H - 'Bachelors degrees with honours' is returned in LEVEL because the student is studying for a first degree. TYPE has been completed with code 3 'Registered at reporting institution - distance, flexible and distributed learning for UK HEI award where the location of the student is known to be overseas' because the student is registered with the institution and studying via distance learning for an award of the reporting institution. 

Would a student studying via distance learning at a UK HEI but based in Jersey be included in the return?

For the purposes of the Aggregate Offshore record, 'offshore' means outside of the UK and the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not part of the United Kingdom, therefore this student would be included in the Aggregate Offshore record.  

Collaborative provision

Students studying overseas as part of a collaborative programme should be included in the Aggregate Offshore record if they will spend less that 8 consecutive weeks in the UK as part of their studies.

For example, a student is registered at the UK HEI and is studying for a Diploma in Higher Education at a collaborative partner of the institution, based in Singapore. 

TYPE is completed with code 2 'Registered at reporting institution - studying overseas for UK HEI award other than at an overseas campus of reporting institution' as the student is registered with the reporting (UK) institution but this programme is being delivered by a collaborative partner overseas and not an overseas campus of the UK HEI.

Reporting instances which move between the UK and overseas

If it is known at the outset of the course that a student will spend at least 8 or more consecutive weeks in the UK as part of their programme they should be included in the Student Record from the start and will not appear in the Aggregate Offshore record.

For example, a student may be studying primarily overseas as part of a collaborative programme which is delivered jointly by the reporting institution and overseas institution. They may spend the majority of the time at the overseas institution but come to the UK for a term or so as part of this arrangement. In this case the student should appear on the Student record and Intance.EXCHANGE and Instance.LOCSDY should be coded appropriately to reflect the collaborative arrangement. 

If it is not known whether or not the student will come to the UK for the specified period of time they should be included on the Aggregate Offshore record throughout (if they do not come to the UK) or until the point at which they meet the criteria for inclusion in the Student record. At this point a full individualised record will be required, with a commencement date reflecting the start date of the instance overseas and not the point at which they came to the UK.

Where a student commences their studies in the UK and then for personal or other reasons decides to complete the instance overseas the student will need to remain on the Student record and should not at any point be returned in the Aggregate Offshore record. Once a record is returned on the Student record it will need to remain until the instance is closed to enable HIN linking. 

Double counting in the Aggregate Offshore record

Where a student is undertaking credits at two levels they should only be included once in the headcount reported through the Aggregate Offshore record. In these cases the highest level of study should be returned.

For example if a student is studying in Japan for credits at both level H and level M as a distance learner they should be recorded as follows:

The level would reflect the highest level of study undertaken and the student would only appear once in the headcount to prevent over-reporting.