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HESA Student Record 2010/11 - Highest qualification on entry

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HESA Student Record 2010/11

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Highest qualification on entry


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valid entries
Typefield
Short nameQUALENT2
Description

This field indicates the highest qualification that a student holds on entry, not necessarily that applicable for entry to the course.

Applicable toEngland Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
Coverage

All entrants where Instance.REDUCEDI = 00, 01 or 04 and Instance.COMDATE is before 2010-08-01, unless EntryProfile.QUALENT3 is provided

Valid entries and labels
CodeLabel
01Higher degree of UK institution
02Postgraduate diploma or certificate, excluding PGCE
03PGCE with QTS/GTC registration
04PGCE without QTS/GTC registration
05Postgraduate equivalent qualification not elsewhere specified
10Undergraduate qualifications with QTS
11First degree of UK institution
12Graduate of EU institution
13Graduate of other overseas institution
14GNVQ/GSVQ level 5
15NVQ/SVQ level 5
16Graduate equivalent qualification not elsewhere specified
21OU credit(s)
22Other credits from UK HE institution
23Certificate or diploma of education (i.e. non-graduate initial teacher training qualification)
24HNC or HND (including BTEC & SQA equivalents)
25Dip. HE
26GNVQ/GSVQ level 4
27NVQ/SVQ level 4
28Professional qualifications
29Foundation course at HE level
30Other HE qualification of less than degree standard
31Foundation Degree
37GNVQ/GSVQ level 3
38NVQ/SVQ level 3
39'A' level equivalent qualification not elsewhere specified
40Any combinations of GCE 'A'/SQA 'Higher'/SQA 'Advanced Higher' & GNVQ/GSVQ or NVQ/SVQ at level 3
41ONC or OND (including BTEC & SQA equivalents)
43Foundation course at FE level
44Access course (QAA recognised)
45Access course (not QAA recognised)
47Baccalaureate
55GCSE/'O' level qualifications only; SQA 'O' grades & Standard grades
56Other non-advanced qualification
57NVQ/SVQ level 2
72Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art & Design)
92Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning (APEL/APL)
93Mature student admitted on basis of previous experience (without formal APEL/APL) &/or institution's own entrance examinations
94Advanced Modern Apprenticeships
97Other non-UK qualification, level not known
98Student has no formal qualification
99Not known
Notes

For students entering through UCAS this information will be available from UCAS via the *J transaction.

Where Instance.COMDATE is before 2010-08-01, this coding frame may be used. It is not a requirement to recode to EntryProfile.QUALENT3 for continuing student instances, but institutions may do so if they wish.

Code 99 ‘Not known’ should not be used as a standard default. Institutions are expected to seek and code ‘Highest qualification on entry’.

Should a student have more than one of the qualifications listed, it is for the institution to decide which is the ‘highest’. In cases where it is unclear which qualification is the ‘highest’, enter the code which is closest to ‘01’.

Codes 37 GNVQ/GSVQ level 3 and 38 NVQ/SVQ level 3 may be used where a student holds both level 3 qualifications and GCE 'A' Level/SCE 'Higher' qualifications, if it is the institution's judgement that these the GNVQ/GSVQ/NVQ/SVQ qualifications are 'highest'. Such students will not normally be included in tariff calculations.

Code 31 Foundation Degree covers those programmes which HEIs are running as Foundation Degrees which are consistent with the 'Statement of Design Principles' for Foundation Degrees issued by UUK and SCOP.

GNVQ qualifications are being phased out, but are included as these may be the students highest qualification on entry.

Code 41 is designed to capture ONC and OND level qualifications, including those awarded by BTEC.

Code 39 may be used for BTEC Nationals, which are Level 3 qualifications, equivalent to A levels on the National Qualifications Framework.

Further guidance for codes

44 Access course validated by QAA

45 Access course not validated by QAA

A recognised Access to HE course is one validated by an Authorised Validating Agency that has been licensed for the purpose by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), under the terms of the QAA Recognition Scheme for Access to Higher Education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Relevant Access courses are recorded on the Access to HE Courses Database. QAA does not licence any AVAs in Scotland.

Access courses at institutions in Scotland can only be coded 45 'Access course not validated'.

HEFCE use qualification on entry data to inform funding. Since 2005-06 funding students with unknown entry qualifications have received zero weighting in the widening participation and improving retention funding streams. In particular, where students have entered via UCAS with qualifications that are made available by UCAS for inclusion on the HESA student record which are not returned by institutions HEFCE expect them to receive a zero weight.

Students entering with enhanced first degrees, that is qualifications that would be coded H22/M22 in the COURSEAIM field, should be recorded as having a higher degree (01) in the QUALENT2 field.

Instance.QUALENT2 records a student's highest qualification on entry to the instance, it should NOT be updated to reflect qualifications gained during the instance. Institutions in England will need to consider qualifications gained by students during the instance to establish ELQ status but should not subsequently update Instance.QUALENT2. Any potential change to the fundability status as a result of ELQ should be reflected year-on-year within the Instance.FUNDCODE field.

Quality rules
Quality rules relating to this field are displayed here.
Reason required

This field, together with information in QualificationsOnEntry gives information about a student's qualifications on entry to a course. It is also used to identify students with tariff-bearing qualifications.

Part of
Field length2
Minimum occurrences0
Maximum occurrences1
Schema components
Element: QUALENT2
Related fields
OwnerHESA
Version1.1
Date modified2011-04-28
Change management notesNew business rule 5 added. Business rule 1 updated for the introduction of EntryProfile.QUALENT3.

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