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Definitions - Higher Education Statistics 2000/01

Rounding strategy

Due to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998, HESA now implements a strategy in published and released tabulations designed to prevent the disclosure of personal information about any individual. These tabulations are derived from the HESA non-statutory populations and may differ slightly from those published by related statutory bodies. This strategy involves rounding all numbers to the nearest 5. A summary of this strategy is as follows:

  1. 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0
  2. All other numbers are rounded to the nearest 5

So for example 3 is represented as 5, 22 is represented as 20, 3286 is represented as 3285 while 0, 20, 55, 3510 remain unchanged.

Total figures are also subject to this rounding methodology; the consequence of which is that the sum of numbers in each row or column will rarely match the total shown precisely.

Average values, proportions and FTE values prepared by HESA are not subject to the above strategy, and will be calculated on precise raw numbers. However, percentages calculated on populations which contain less than 50 individuals will be suppressed and represented as ‘..’ as will averages based on populations of 7 or less.

A. HESA Student data

Coverage

Higher education (HE) students are those students on programmes of study for which the level of instruction is above that of courses leading to the Advanced Level of the General Certificate of Education (GCE A-levels), the Advanced Higher Grade and Higher Grade of the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE Advanced Highers/Highers), or the BTEC or SCOTVEC National Certificate/Diploma (ONC/OND).

The HESA Student Record contains information about individual enrolments, which, because a student can be enrolled on more than one programme of study, will exceed the number of students. For ease of reading however, the terms enrolment and student have been used interchangeably throughout this volume.

The HESA standard HE population (Table 0a) has been derived from the HESA July Individualised Student Record. It includes all higher education enrolments as at 1 December 2000 except:

  1. Dormant students (those who have ceased studying but have not formally de-registered)
  2. Incoming visiting and exchange students
  3. Postdoctoral students
  4. Students studying for the whole of their programme of study outside of the UK
  5. Students who left the institution prior to 1 December 2000, or who commenced a programme of study after this date.

The HESA session HE population has been derived from the HESA July Individualised Student Record. It includes all higher education enrolments active at any point in the academic year 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001 except:

  1. Dormant students (those who have ceased studying but have not formally de-registered)
  2. Incoming visiting and exchange students
  3. Postdoctoral students
  4. Students studying for the whole of their programme of study outside of the UK.

From 2000/01 onwards, incoming visiting and exchange students have been excluded from the session population since there was an element of double-counting with both outgoing and incoming students being included in previous analyses.

The HESA standard registration population (Tables 0b, 1 to 7 and 18) has been derived from the HESA July Individualised Student Record and ensures that similar activity is counted in a similar way irrespective of when it occurs. The population splits the student experience into ‘years of programme of study’; the first year of which is deemed to start on the commencement date of the programme with second, and subsequent years, starting on, or near, the anniversary of that date. Registrations are counted once for each ‘year of programme of study’. Short course registrations are counted in the standard registration population regardless of whether they are active on the 1 December of the reporting period. Dormant students, incoming visiting and exchange students from overseas, postdoctoral students and students studying for the whole of their programme of study outside of the UK are all excluded from this population.

The HESA qualifications obtained population (Tables 5 and 8) is a count of student enrolments associated with the award of an HE qualification (excluding HE institutional credits) during the period 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001 inclusive. This population includes qualifications obtained during the 2000/01 reporting year, which were returned to HESA by 9 November 2001.

From 2000/01 onwards, the qualifications obtained population excludes qualifications awarded to incoming visiting and exchange students. This population also now includes awards from dormant students.

Data relating to qualifications obtained cannot therefore be directly compared to the HESA standard registration population as it is possible for a student who has obtained his or her qualification prior to 1 December 2001 to be included in Tables 5 and 8 but excluded from Tables 1 to 4, 6, 7 and 18 (similarly a student can commence a programme of study and obtain a qualification after 1 December 2001).

Further education

Further Education (FE) students are those students on programmes of study for which the level of instruction is equal to or below that of courses leading to the Advanced Level of the General Certificate of Education (GCE A-levels), the Advanced Higher Grade and Higher Grade of the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE Advanced Highers/Highers), or the BTEC or SCOTVEC National Certificate/Diploma (ONC/OND).

Full-time equivalent

Student full-time equivalent (FTE) data represents the institution’s assessment of the full-time equivalence of the student during the reporting year 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001. FTE data is based on the HESA session population.

Level of course

Courses have been allocated to two categories, HE and FE. HE courses are those programmes of study for which the level of instruction is above that of courses leading to the Advanced Level of the General Certificate of Education (GCE A-levels), the Advanced Higher Grade and Higher Grade of the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE Advanced Highers/Highers), or the BTEC or SCOTVEC National Certificate/Diploma (ONC/OND). FE courses are those programmes of study for which the level of instruction is equal to or below that of courses leading to HE level as described above.

Mode of study

(Applies to HESA populations except the qualifications obtained population)

Full-time students are those normally required to attend an institution for periods amounting to at least 24 weeks within the year of programme of study, on thick or thin sandwich courses, and those on a study-related year out of their institution. During that time students are normally expected to undertake periods of study, tuition or work experience which amount to an average of at least 21 hours per week.

Part-time students are those recorded as studying part-time, or studying full-time on courses lasting less than 24 weeks, on block release, or studying during the evenings only.

Other modes of study include those students writing-up theses or on sabbatical, except where these have been tabulated separately.

Writing-up students are those who are normally expected to submit a thesis to the institution for examination within a period of one calendar year (or 18 months in the case of part-time students) after the end of fee-paying enrolment.

Mode of study

(Applies to HESA qualifications obtained population; Tables 5 and 8)

Full-time students are those whose study was recorded as full-time (described as above), including sandwich students. Awards from dormant status and those writing-up theses are also included where a student’s mode of study was previously full-time. Part-time students are those whose study was recorded as part-time, or studying full-time on courses lasting less than 24 weeks, on block release, or studying during the evenings. Awards from dormant status and those writing-up theses are also included where a student’s mode of study was previously part-time.

Level of study

The level of study is taken from the qualification aim of the student.

Postgraduate programmes of study are those leading to higher degrees, diplomas and certificates (including Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) and professional qualifications) and usually require that entrants are already qualified to degree level (i.e. already qualified at level three of the national qualifications framework).

Higher degrees include doctorates, masters degrees and higher bachelors degrees.

In analyses where postgraduate level of study is disaggregated into postgraduate research and postgraduate taught, the following groupings are used:

Postgraduate research where the qualification aim is a research-based higher degree. These programmes of study include doctorate, masters, postgraduate bachelors degrees and postgraduate diplomas or certificates (not PGCE) studied mainly be research.

Postgraduate taught where the qualification aim is a taught-based higher degree. These programmes of study include doctorate, masters, postgraduate bachelors degrees and postgraduate diplomas or certificates studied not mainly by research including PGCE and professional qualifications.

Other postgraduate includes postgraduate diploma, certificate and professional qualifications, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), institutional postgraduate credit and no formal postgraduate qualification.

Undergraduate programmes of study are first degrees with or without eligibility to register to practice (doctor/dentist/veterinary surgeon), first degrees with qualified teacher status (QTS)/registration with the General Teaching Council (GTC) for Scotland, enhanced first degrees, first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma and intercalated first degrees, Higher National Diploma (HND), Higher National Certificate (HNC), Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE), foundation courses at HE level, NVQ/SVQ levels 4 and 5, professional qualifications at undergraduate level and other undergraduate diplomas and certificates. Entrants to these programmes of study do not usually require an HE qualification.

First degree includes first degrees, first degrees with eligibility to register to practice (doctor/dentist/veterinary surgeon), first degrees with qualified teacher status (QTS)/registration with the General Teaching Council (GTC) for Scotland, enhanced first degrees, first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma and intercalated first degrees.

Other undergraduate includes qualification aims below degree level such as Higher National Diploma (HND), Higher National Certificate (HNC), Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE), foundation courses at HE level, NVQ/SVQ levels 4 and 5, post-degree diplomas and certificates at undergraduate level, professional qualifications at undergraduate level, other undergraduate diplomas and certificates, other formal HE qualifications of less than degree standard, institutional undergraduate credit and no formal undergraduate qualifications.

First year students

First year students are based on the HESA standard registration population who commenced their programme of study in the reporting period relevant to the data collection year. In some cases the student’s first year of study may be the second or subsequent year of a programme.

Domicile

Domicile data was supplied to HESA in the form of postcodes (UK domiciled students) or country codes. Postcodes were mapped to counties and unitary authorities and UK nations following consultation with Geoplan Postcode Marketing. Countries were mapped to geographical regions following consultation with the Department for Education and Skills. Where no data was supplied about the student’s domicile, fee eligibility was used to determine whether domicile was UK or overseas.

UK domiciled students are those normally resident in the UK, including those living in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

Of those students from overseas, Other European Union (EU) students are those normally resident in countries which were EU members of the reporting period. Other Overseas students are those whose normal place of residence prior to commencing their programme of study was outside the EU.

Age

Age is as at 31 August 2000.

Subject areas

Programmes of study have been aggregated to 19 broad subject areas. The relationship of the academic content of the programme to the 19 areas has been compiled according to the following rules:

  • A programme with a single subject is allocated to its area
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within one area, the programme is allocated to that area
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within more than one area, with a major/minor split, the programme is allocated to the area relating to the major part of study
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within more than one area, with an equal split, the programme is allocated to the ‘Combined’ area.

It should be noted that all subject combinations (major or minor) containing Initial Teacher Training (ITT) are included in the ‘Education’ subject area.

Highest qualification on entry

It should be noted that a student’s highest qualification on entry is not necessarily that which was required for entry to the programme of study. Categories used are:

Postgraduate qualifications (excluding PGCE) includes all postgraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates excluding the Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE).

PGCE - with and without QTS/GTC registration.

First degree of UK institution - plus undergraduate qualifications with QTS.

Other graduate and equivalent qualifications include graduate qualifications obtained outside the UK, NVQ/SVQ level 5 plus any other qualifications at graduate level not listed above.

HE credits include Open University credits and credits from other UK HE institutions.

Other HE and professional qualifications include certificates and diplomas of education, HNC or HND (including BTEC and SCOTVEC equivalents), diplomas in HE, NVQ/SVQ level 4, professional qualifications, foundation courses at HE level and other HE qualifications of less than degree standard.

GCE A-level/A-level equivalent qualifications, SCE Highers and equivalent - includes any combination of these qualifications plus GNVQ/GSVQ level 3, NVQ/SVQ level 3, BTEC and SCOTVEC National Certificate/Diploma (ONC/OND).

Access courses - accredited and unaccredited.

GCSE/O-level qualifications only; SCE O grades and Standard grades - includes any combination of these qualifications.

Other qualifications include Baccalaureate, foundation courses at FE level, and any other qualifications not listed above.

No formal qualification held - the institution does not require the student to hold a qualification on entry or it is known that the student has no formal qualification.

Not known/sought - nothing is known about the student’s qualifications on entry to their programme of study.

Location of institution

The allocation of an institution to a geographical region relates only to the administrative centre of the institution. There may be students registered at institutions who are studying in regions other than that of the administrative centre of the institution. The Open University is counted as a wholly English institution. The administrative centre is located in England, although The Open University teaches throughout the UK..

Classification of first degrees

Certain qualifications obtained at first degree level are not subject to classification of award, notably medical and general degrees. These, together with ordinary degrees, have been included within the unclassified category. Third class honours, fourth class honours and the pass category have been aggregated. Lower second and undivided second class honours have been aggregated.

Major source of tuition fees

HE tuition fee awards indicate the predominant source of the tuition fees for the student where this is known. This includes fees from UK government, research councils, EU sources and other sources.

B. HESA First Destination Supplement (FDS) data

Coverage

The HESA First Destination Supplement (FDS) target population includes all UK and EU domiciled students reported to HESA for the reporting period 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001 as obtaining relevant qualifications and whose study was full-time (including sandwich students and those writing up theses). A first destination return was not sought from those students whose study was previously part-time. The definition of full-time is different from that used in the individualised student record because writing-up students are included in the definition of full-time on the first destination return, but not on the individualised student record.

Information has been obtained from 241,290 qualifiers out of a possible 303,790, a response rate of 79%: this is higher than 1999/2000 (77%). From 1999/2000 onwards a single fixed reference date (3 January) was adopted and the period over which data are collected and also the mechanisms used for its collection were restricted.

For the 1999/2000 and subsequent data collections, the HESA FDS target population excludes non-EU overseas domiciled students.

Relevant qualifications for inclusion in the FDS are postgraduate degrees, Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCE), first degrees (excludes intercalated degrees), Diplomas of Higher Education, Certificates of Higher Education, Higher National Diplomas or Higher National Certificates. Therefore the population for the FDS return does not necessarily represent the full cohort graduating during the reporting period.

The reference date for the FDS was 3 January 2002.

Level of qualification obtained

Postgraduate qualifications include doctorate degrees, masters degrees, higher bachelors degrees and PGCEs.

First degrees are first degrees, first degrees with eligibility to register to practice (doctor/dentist/veterinary surgeon), first degrees with qualified teacher status (QTS)/registration with the General Teaching Council (GTC) for Scotland, enhanced first degrees and first degrees obtained concurrently with diplomas. Other undergraduate qualifications are all higher education qualifications not included above which are within the scope of the FDS.

Age

Age on completion is as at 31 July 2001.

Subject areas

Programmes of study have been aggregated to 19 broad subject areas. The relationship of the academic content of the programme to the 19 areas has been compiled according to the following rules:

  • A programme with a single subject is allocated to its area
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within one area, the programme is allocated to that area
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within more than one area, with a major/minor split, the programme is allocated to the area relating to the major part of study
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within more than one area, with an equal split, the programme is allocated to the ‘Combined’ area.

It should be noted that all subject combinations (major or minor) containing Initial Teacher Training (ITT) are included in the ‘Education’ subject area.

First destination

All former students for whom first destination data was supplied reported a main activity (i.e. a respondent’s first destination could not be given as ‘unknown’). The by HESA, and therefore the codes into which respondents reported principal activity needed to be assigned were:

  • 01 Entered work (paid or unpaid, including voluntary work)
  • 02 Returned to/remained with previous employer
  • 03 Self-employed
  • 04 Undertaking study or training
  • 05 Seeking employment or training
  • 06 Not available for employment, study or training
  • 07 Overseas student returning overseas (no other information available).

A respondent could also have a secondary activity.

Codes available were:

  • 01 Full-time employment (paid or unpaid, including voluntary work)
  • 02 Part-time employment (paid or unpaid, including voluntary work)
  • 03 Self-employed
  • 04 Full-time further study or training
  • 05 Part-time further study or training
  • 06 Professional preparation time, e.g. portfolio preparation
  • 07 Looking for a job or course
  • 09 No other activity.
Classification Main Activity Secondary activity
Employed 1 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,09
Employed 2 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,09
Self-employed 3 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,09
Undertaking study or training 4 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,09
Seeking employment training/assumed to be unemployed 5 07,09
Other activity 5 01,02,03,04,05,06
Not available for
employment/study/training
6 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,09
Other activity 7 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,09

The Standard Occupational Classification

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) was developed as an interdepartmental standard for coding occupational information in official survey and census sources, and to facilitate the job matching/placing activities of the Employment Service. An expanded version of the SOC has been created for the coding of occupational information contained in the survey of first destinations of qualifiers from HE institutions. This classification is termed the SOC (FDS). As far as possible, comparability with other SOC-based data sources is provided at the major group level.

C. HESA Non-credit-bearing (NCB) course data

Coverage

The figures contained in Table 10 relate to student enrolments on courses with the reporting institution or a subsidiary company (excluding in-house courses for institutional employees) which do not lead to a qualification or institutional credit. These enrolments were reported to HESA during the reporting period 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001.

Level of course

Courses have been allocated to two categories, HE/advanced and FE/non-advanced. HE/advanced courses are defined as those for which the level of instruction is above that of courses leading to GCE A-levels, SCE Highers, ONC and OND. All levels includes, in addition to the above, courses which were classed as mixed HE/FE and courses for which the level could not be determined.

Subject areas

The subjects of NCB courses have been aggregated to 19 broad subject areas. The relationship of the academic content of the course to the 19 areas has been compiled according to the following rules:

  • A programme with a single subject is allocated to its area
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within one area, the programme is allocated to that area
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within more than one area, with a major/minor split, the programme is allocated to the area relating to the major part of study
  • If a combination of two subjects lies within more than one area, with an equal split, the programme is allocated to the “Combined” area
  • Subject combinations containing Education are included in the “Education” subject area.

D. HESA Staff data

Coverage

The Staff Individualised Record provides data in respect of the characteristics of members of academic staff employed under a contract of employment by a HEI in the UK. Academic staff are defined as those whose primary employment function is teaching only, teaching & research or research only. Staff data relate to individual academic appointments (of at least 25% of a full-time equivalent member of staff) active during the academic year, 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001. The HESA staff population excludes those members of staff who left their employment (but not necessarily the institution) before 1 August 2000.

Mode of employment

Full-time staff are those whose contracts state that their mode of employment is full-time. This includes staff who work full-time for part of a year and term-time only staff who work full-time during the term.

Part-time staff are those staff that work anything less than full-time. This category includes casual staff, those paid hourly and any staff whose mode of employment could not be assigned as full-time.

Principal source of salary

Wholly institutionally financed staff are those who are paid wholly from general institution funds.

Principally institutionally financed staff are paid mainly from general institution funds and partly from another source.

Other sources of finance include staff paid mainly or wholly from sources other than general institution funds. These other sources include OST research councils, UK charities, UK government bodies health & hospital authorities, UK industry, commerce and public corporations, EU sources, other overseas sources and other sources not listed.

Where ‘All other sources of finance’ appears in conjunction with ‘Wholly institutionally financed’ it should be taken to mean ‘Principally institutionally financed’ plus ‘Other sources of finance’.

Clinical status

Clinical staff are those paid on clinical rates, e.g. doctors, dentists. These staff may or may not hold honorary contracts with the NHS.

Non-clinical staff are those not paid on clinical rates. These staff may or may not be medically qualified.

Primary employment function

The primary employment function of a member of staff relates to the contract of employment and not the actual work undertaken.

Teaching only staff are those whose contracts of employment state that they are employed only to undertake teaching.

Teaching & research staff are those whose contracts of employment state that they are employed to undertake both teaching and research.

Research only staff are those whose contracts of employment state that they are employed only to undertake research.

Where ‘Teaching/Teaching & Research’ appears with ‘Research only’, the ‘Teaching only’ and ‘Teaching & Research’ categories have been aggregated.

Grade

The grade structure indicates a staff member’s grade for their present employment. Groups of grades have been devised with regard to the different grading scales used within different institutions. Grades have not however, been linked to salary information.

Professors includes heads of departments, professors, former UAP scale researchers (grade IV), clinical professors and those appointed professors on a locally determined scale.

Senior lecturers and researchers includes principal lecturers, senior lecturers (former UAP/CSCFC scales), former UAP scale researchers (grade III), clinical senior lecturers and those appointed senior or principal lecturers on a locally determined scale.

Lecturers includes lecturers, senior lecturers (former PCEF scale), clinical lecturers and those appointed lecturers on a locally determined scale.

Researchers includes all research grades not listed above and those researchers appointed on a locally determined scale.

Other grades includes other grades of academic staff not listed above.

Analysis by ‘staff grade’ is only meaningful where institutions have reported their staff within nationally recognised grade structures or within internal grade structures, which facilitate differentiation on a similar basis. Several institutions, including some large post-1992 universities, report their staff on a single grade structure, which does not have an independent category for the professor grade. Hence staff on the professor grade at institutions using the single grade scale cannot be distinguished from the senior lecturer grade, leading to the number of professors being under-counted for these institutions and for the sector as a whole. This under-counting will have a consequential effect on the proportions of professors within particular subject areas, cost centres and by gender. The Agency therefore advises caution in analysis of staff by grade.

E. HESA Finance data

Coverage

Financial data in Tables 15 and 16 relates to the institutions’ financial year, i.e. 1 August 2000 to 31 July 2001.

Sources of income

Funding Council Grants

Funding council grants include those from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC), the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) and the Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland (DELNI). Funding council grants include recurrent grants and capital grants as defined below in respect of HE provision, except in Scotland where this category also includes grants for further education (FE) provision.

Recurrent grants includes the block grant (or main and associated grants) for teaching (Recurrent - T), research (Recurrent - R) and other recurrent grants (Recurrent - Other including special funding) as shown in the annual grant letter or additional grant letter from the funding councils.

Release of deferred capital grants includes the release of deferred capital grants from the funding councils in respect of estate project funding and minor work grants (building), and equipment grants, for the purchase of assets that have been capitalised.

Grants for FE provision includes all funding council grants for the provision of FE. Grants from HE funding councils and FE funding councils are added together. This category does not apply to SHEFC funded institutions, as they do not receive separately identified grants for non-advanced/FE provision.

Tuition Fees and Education Grants and Contracts

This includes all income received in respect of fees for students on courses for which fees are charged. Where fees are waived in whole or in part, the income due though not received is included.

Full-time HE fees – standard rates includes standard fees for full-time and sandwich degree, diploma and similar award-bearing courses for home and European Commission (EC) domiciled students.

Full-time HE fees – non-standard rates includes all other fees for full-time and sandwich degree, diploma and similar award-bearing courses for home and EC domiciled students.

Other fees and support grants include:

Part-time HE fees includes fees for part-time degree, diploma and similar award-bearing courses for home and EC domiciled students.

Overseas (non-EC) domicile fees includes fees for all degree, diploma and similar award-bearing courses for non-home and non-EC domiciled students.

Non-credit-bearing course fees includes all fee income received in respect of non-credit-bearing liberal adult education, continuing education or extra-mural courses.

FE course fees includes fee income received for the provision of FE/non-advanced courses.

Research training support grants includes all grants made by research councils and other bodies in support of the training of research students. This includes bench fees and other body, and Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) awards. It also includes income from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in respect of their Doctoral Training Grants, (or similar postgraduate grants from other research councils), including the tuition fee element.

Endowment and Investment Income

This includes all income from specific endowments, general endowments and interest receivable.

Research Grants and Contracts

This includes all income in respect of externally sponsored research carried out by the institution for which directly related expenditure has been incurred.

Other Income

Other services rendered includes all income in respect of services rendered to outside bodies, including the supply of goods and consultancies.

Residences and catering operations includes the gross income from residences, catering and conference operations.

Other general income includes grants from local authorities, income from health and hospital authorities, income released from deferred capital grants, income from intellectual property rights and all other operating income not covered above.

Categories of expenditure

Staff costs cover all, and only, those full-time and part-tie staff holding contracts of employment with the institution. It includes costs in respect of academic staff (defined as staff whose primary employment function is teaching and/or research) and all other staff, paid from within the budgets of academic departments and allocated to the appropriate cost centre.

Other costs include depreciation (depreciation costs on equipment capitalised according to where the assets being depreciated are located), other operating expenses (costs in respect of payments to non-contracted staff or individuals, all other non-staff costs, equipment which has not been depreciated, expenditure on maintenance contracts and telephone costs (calls, rental and non-capitalised equipment) if not charged to departments) and interest payable (costs in respect of interest payable on premises, residences and catering operations, and other expenditure).

Expenditure activities

Academic Departments This includes all expenditure directly incurred by or on behalf of academic departments which is not reimbursable by research councils or other bodies in respect of work carried out on their behalf.

Academic Services

This includes expenditure incurred on centralised academic services such as the Library, Learning Resource Centres, Central Computers, etc.

Administration and Central Services

This includes expenditure incurred on central administration, general educational expenditure and staff and student facilities and amenities.

Premises

This includes all expenditure incurred on the maintenance of premises and on roads and ground (except residences and catering).

Residences and Catering Operations

This includes expenditure incurred in providing the residence, catering and any conference operations, including the cost of maintenance of residential and catering premises, salaries and any other identifiable costs relating to these operations. Research Grants and Contracts This section includes the total of the direct costs attributed to research grants and contracts as detailed for research grants and contracts income.

Other

This section includes the total of the direct costs attributed to other services rendered and any expenditure not covered by other expenditure activities.

F. UCAS data

Coverage

1999 Entry

The term institution is used to cover the 259 participating members of UCAS (all the UK universities, with the exception of The Open University, most colleges of higher education and some colleges of further education offering courses of higher education) listed in the UCAS Directory for 1999 entry. The list includes ten new institutions, while three colleges merged with other member institutions. 257 of the 259 participating institutions received applications, whilst 254 member institutions had applicants accepted to their courses.

2000 Entry

The term institution is used to cover the 261 participating member of UCAS (all UK universities, with the exception of The Open University, most colleges of higher education and some colleges of further education offering courses of higher education) listed in the UCAS Directory for 2000 entry. The list includes eight new institutions, while five colleges merged with either new or existing member institutions. Each of the 261 participating institutions received applications, whilst 257 member institutions had applicants accepted to their courses.

2001 Entry

The term institution is used to cover the 335 participating member of UCAS (all UK universities, with the exception of The Open University, most colleges of higher education and some colleges of further education offering courses of higher education) listed in the UCAS Directory for 2001 entry. The list includes 74 new institutions, while four colleges merged with either new or existing member institutions. Each of the 335 participating institutions received applications, whilst 313 member institutions had applicants accepted to their courses.

Whole population

Applicants are those who send an application form to UCAS containing at least one degree, DipHE, HND or HNC course at a university or college in membership of the scheme. The total number of applicants is those whose forms were processed by UCAS, irrespective of when they applied and whether or not they withdrew during the applications cycle. With regard to subject preference, applicants are classified according to the most frequently listed subject amongst their applications.

UCAS application forms are received from the autumn prior to entry to the autumn of entry. This year-long application window can be divided into the following categories:

Applied to main scheme

All applications received by UCAS by the official closing date of 15 December. From 2001, applications received after 15 December deadline and by 9 July are also categorised as ‘main scheme’ applicants.

Applied as a late applicant

Applications received after the 15 December deadline and by 16 May. Institutions consider these applications at their discretion.

Applied as a summer applicant

Applications received after 16 May and before 30 June (7 July in 1999). Institutions consider these applications at their discretion.

Applied as a clearing applicant

Applications received after 30 June (7 July in 1999).

Late registration/Direct entrants

Prior to 2001 entry, late registration was used by universities and colleges to register those accepted very late in the admissions process who have not previously completed a UCAS application form. From 2001 entry, Overseas Partnership Forms and Records of Prior Acceptance have replaced Late Registration forms. Applicants accepted through these routes are categorised as ‘direct entrants’.

Accepted applicants are those who have been offered and accepted a place on a degree, DipHE, HND or HNC course at a university or college in membership of the scheme, whether or not they subsequently enrol for the course. Those who applied too late for usual procedures and were accepted (‘late registrations’) are included in the total applicant figure and in the acceptances through Clearing.

Applicants are classed ashome (UK) or overseas based on the area of permanent residence given by them on the application form. There is no direct correlation between the classification used in the UCAS tables and that used as a basis for fees assessment.

Classification of academic subjects

The classification used by UCAS is based on that formerly used by the Polytechnics Central Admissions Systems (PCAS) and the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA), which differs to some extent from the HESA classification of subject areas.

More detailed definitions are contained within the UCAS Standard Classification of Academic Subjects, as placed on the UCAS website http://www.ucas.com.

Region of domicile or region of institution

The region of domicile for UK applicants and the region of institution that offered them a place (for both degree and HND courses) are identified using Government Office Regions (GOR).

G. Student Loans data

The numbers of students taking out loans, and the amounts borrowed, have been obtained from data supplied to the DfES by the Students Loans Company.

Loans are available to most ‘home’ students on full-time or sandwich undergraduate courses, and to students on full-time and part-time postgraduate courses of initial teacher training (PGCE).

New student support arrangements in higher education came into effect from the start of the 1998/99 academic year. For new entrants to higher education, 1998/99 was a transitional year. They were, with certain specified exceptions, expected to contribute up to £1,000 (£1,050 in 2000/01) a year towards the cost of their tuition. The amount depended on their own and, if appropriate, their parents’ or spouse’s income. For the first year of the new scheme (1998/99), eligible new entrants received support for living costs through both grants and loans. Grants, which were assessed against family income, on average formed about a quarter of the support available. All students were entitled to a non-income-assessed loan, which comprised the remaining three quarters of support available, and which will be repayable on an income contingent basis.

New entrants to higher education from 1999/2000, together with those who started in 1998/99, received support for living costs solely through loans which are partly income-assessed. Grants for living costs are no longer available except for some limited allowances, e.g. for students with dependants; single parent students; and disabled students. Grants for students with dependants and single parent students are income-assessed but the Disabled Students’ Allowance is not. From academic year 1999/2000 student loans have been made available to those aged 50-54 years old who plan to return to work after studying.

The amount available to students through loans has been increased to compensate for the reduction in grants. Repayment of these loans will be linked to income after leaving university or college so that leavers only repay as and when they can afford to (whilst the loans of those who started their course before 1998/99 are repayable on a mortgage-style basis).

The financial support arrangements in 1998/99 for mandatory award holders and other students on courses which began before 1 August 1998, and those new students who are treated exceptionally as existing award holders for the purposes of the Mandatory Awards Regulations (e.g. gap year students), remain largely unchanged. Tuition fees continue to be paid in full by Local Education Authorities where the student is eligible for a mandatory award and such students also receive a grant towards their maintenance, depending on income, for the duration of their course and remain eligible for non income-assessed loans repayable on a mortgage-style basis.

The take up rates in Tables 17a and 17b have been estimated from student population figures provided by HESA for students in UK universities and publicly-funded HE institutions; and from separate surveys covering students on HE courses in FE sector colleges in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

H. International Comparisons data

The DfES supplies summary statistics on behalf of the UK, to a joint questionnaire compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Table 19 has been compiled using data supplied by various countries to the international bodies and in particular, data derived from the OECD’s own publication, “Education at a Glance”. There are inevitably a number of problems of comparability and interpretation in using this table, and readers are advised to read the footnotes carefully. The main aspects to be borne in mind are:

  • The underlying educational systems need to be understood, as far as possible, in interpreting these comparisons. As an aid to understanding the differences between the various countries, up to date information about the different educational systems in the European Union is available from, EURYDICE, The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ.
  • Within HE three sub-divisions are recognised internationally, levels 5A, 5B and 6. Level 5A courses are largely theoretically based, with a minimum of 3 years full-time-equivalent duration. In the UK, first and higher degree qualifications (excluding PhDs) are included at this level. Level 5B qualifications are more practically-oriented and occupationally specific than programmes at ISCED 5A. They have a minimum of 2 years’ full-time-equivalent duration. In the UK these comprise ‘sub-degree’ qualifications such as the DipHE, BTEC Higher National (HND/HNC), nursing, and other professional qualifications. Level 6 is reserved for advanced research qualifications - in the UK, the PhD is included at this level.
  • Although renewed efforts have been made to standardise education classifications, through a revised International Standard Classification of Education, the definition of HE may be interpreted slightly differently by different countries. In some countries the Masters degree is the first degree in higher education and in others, the higher education system is oriented towards vocationally-based, level 5B courses, considered to be of an equal standing to level 5A courses.
  • The range of public and private provision and definition of the public/private sectors will vary from country to country.
  • Participation rates can be influenced by a number of factors including varying course lengths and drop-out rates.

HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.