This field identifies students who are part of a specific scheme that is to be monitored independently. Valid entries will change from year to year to reflect current schemes.

Instances at providers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland that are part of a named scheme

This field may be returned twice if a student falls under two schemes.

This field collects information with respect to student instances that are part of a scheme. Where a student transfers course within the same instance, Instance.INITIATIVES should continue to identify the scheme.

The field should not be used for students who might previously have undertaken an initiative as part of a different instance or at another provider.

Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHOVI)

Code 7 'Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHOVI)' is used to identify instances at providers in Wales participating in the UHOVI initiative.

European Social Fund (ESF) - foundation degree

Code 9 'European Social Fund (ESF) - foundation degree' is used to identify instances in Wales taking foundation degrees funded through the European Social Fund's Higher Skills Wales programme led by the University of Glamorgan in partnership with the HE and FE sector across the whole of Wales. More information can be found on the Higher Skills Wales website http://www.higherskillswales.co.uk/fdp.

The European Social Fund (ESF) was set up to improve employment opportunities in the European Union and so help raise standards of living. It aims to help people fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and better job prospects.

Troops to Teachers

For further guidance on the Troops to Teachers initiative, please contact the NCTL.

Primary mathematics specialist

Valid entry code D Primary mathematics specialist should only be used by those providers designated to provide this course. Where this code is used in Instance.INITIATIVES Course.TTCID must be coded 1, CourseSubject.SBJCA must be coded X160 and Instance.ITTPHSC must be coded 71-77.

Postgraduate Support Scheme (HEFCE)

Valid entry E should be used to identify students directly-funded through the HEFCE Postgraduate Support Scheme (PSS). The PSS is a pilot scheme running at a number of providers through 20 projects which intend to remove barriers to PGT study.

Directly-funded students such as those receiving bursaries, fee waivers, scholarships, work placement or mentoring salaries should be identified in this field. Those who are indirectly-funded or supported in PSS projects, such as those who attend a summer school or taster session, should not be identified. Identification will help to validate the allocation of funding and will allow comparison of PSS-funded student characteristics to other postgraduate populations.

Higher Apprenticeships

A Higher Apprenticeship incorporates a work-based learning programme and leads to a nationally recognised qualification at NVQ levels 4, 5, 6 or 7 or equivalent. Code 'K' is used to identify students in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland for whom the instance comprises any part of the study component of a Higher Apprenticeship Framework or Standard.

For more information about Higher Apprenticeships in England, see http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/employers/higher-apprenticeships.aspx. For more information about Higher Apprenticeships in Wales, see http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publications/130513-sasw-en.pdf. For more information on Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland, see http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/our-services/modern-apprenticeships/.

Primary General (with Maths)

Valid entry L 'Primary General (with Maths)' should only be used by those providers designated to provide this course for which specific courses have been assigned in the subject 'Primary General (with Maths)' by the National College for Teaching and Leadership. Where this code is used in Instance.INITIATIVES Course.TTCID must be coded 1, CourseSubject.SBJCA must be coded X120 and Instance.ITTPHSC must be coded 71-77.

Maths and Physics Chairs Programme

Valid entry M 'Maths and Physics Chairs Programme' should only be used by those providers with students who have entered ITT through the Maths and Physics Chairs Programme. Where this code is used in Instance.INITIATIVES, Course.TTCID must be coded 1 and Instance.ENTRYRTE must be coded 03.

More guidance can be found on the 'Get in to Teaching' website, here.

Q-Step

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, ESRC and HEFCE, Q-Step has been developed as a strategic response to the shortage of quantitatively-skilled social science graduates. Students who are enrolled on programmes that are funded as part of the Q-Step programme, or derive a benefit from an activity that is funded (e.g., training, work placements), should be flagged using valid entry N 'Q-Step'.

Abridged ITT course

Code P 'Abridged ITT course', is to be used where a student is taking a course that has been shortened, but that is not classed as the Assessment Only Route.

Undergraduate Opt-in

Undergraduate students now have the option to 'opt-in' to an ITT course leading to QTS in their final (or penultimate and final) year of an undergraduate course. NCTL will be funding these students in their ITT year(s), and HEFCE will not. Therefore, HEPs will be required to record these students from the first year of the commencement of their ITT courses.

It is expected that this would become a new Instance.ENTRYRTE in 2017/18.

The above 'Opt-in' scheme should NOT be confused with another ITT Undergraduate bursary which is available for trainees on courses in secondary mathematics and physics that lead to QTS. That bursary is available to undergraduate trainees who enrol on a QTS course beginning in the 2016 to 2017 academic year (as opposed to those who 'opt-in' part way through their undergraduate study), and is payable in the final year of their course.

Postgraduate Loan Eligibility

Code U 'Postgraduate Loan Eligibility' should be used to identify students at providers in England who are participating on a course that is eligible for a Postgraduate Loan for Masters Study. This applies to students who are on courses that are:

• full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years,
• part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course,
• part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists.

This code should only be returned for Course.COURSEAIM valid entries M00, M01, M10, M11, M16 or M88. M88 courses would not normally qualify for a Postgraduate Loan for Masters Study, but may do so if the course is studied part-time and the student is not eligible for undergraduate funding.

This code is intended to record where a student is on a course that are eligible for a Masters loan irrespective of whether the individual student is eligible or in receipt of a loan. This information cannot be ascertained from the Student Loans Company, and HEFCE need to be able to identify these students for funding.

European Social Fund (ESF) Developing Scotland's Workforce (DSW) programme

Code V should be used by Scottish providers to identify students whose places are funded through the European Social Fund (ESF)’s Developing Scotland's Workforce (DSW) programme.

Industry funded place attracting additional SFC-funded place for Undergraduate Skills for Growth scheme

For 2016/17 for a Scottish provider to obtain an additional place funded through SFC’s undergraduate Skills for Growth scheme the provider had to obtain funding from industry for another place. Code W should be used to identify the students whose places are funded by industry and satisfy the criteria for attracting an additional place through SFC’s undergraduate Skills for Growth scheme.

From time to time funders introduce initiatives where, for a limited period, there is a requirement to track students who are recruited under the particular initiative. In order to achieve this without having to introduce new fields to the record at short notice, or conduct additional data collections, this field will be used to flag students involved in these short-term initiatives.