This data item identifies HE leavers that have opted out from a follow-up survey planned for three years' time.

All HE leavers.

Responses confirmed as either third party or explicit refusals are excluded from longitudinal follow-up. All other responses should capture whether the leaver wishes to opt out of longitudinal follow-up. Higher education providers (HEPs) are responsible for recording, storing and maintaining this information. Therefore at any point between the early DLHE and the longitudinal follow-up should a leaver indicate they want to opt out the HEP is responsible for updating the leaver's contact status.

It is good practice that this information should be accessible to colleagues in Alumni, Careers Service etc., as there will be more than one point of contact at an HEP for the leaver. This information will then be readily available for HEPs to refer to when the sample selection is drawn, and these leavers can be excluded.

Whilst HESA provide the option of an opt out in the questionnaire it remains the HEPs' responsibility to keep this information up to date until the point of submitting it to HESA in the DLHE record.

To enable HEPs to return opt out information through the DLHE record.