COVID-19 exceptional guidance for HESA collections

Coverage

If a student was due to have come to the UK to study but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK due to ongoing armed conflict or the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online.

E, W, S, NI

February 2024

Engagement.INCOMINGEXCHANGE

If a student was due to have come to the UK to study but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK, due to ongoing armed conflict or the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online.

E, W, S, NI

February 2024

Engagement.ENGPRINONUK

If a student was due to have come to the UK to study and would ordinarily have been coded as ENGPRINONUK=NULL, but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK, due to ongoing armed conflict or the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online.

E, W, S, NI

February 2024

StudentCourseSession.STUDYABROAD

Providers may be offering students an alternative ‘year abroad’ experience involving, for example, online learning while remaining in the UK. If this is due to students being prevented from travelling abroad for their overseas year of study (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to ongoing armed conflict or the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the overseas institution if both of the following criteria are met:

a. That the overseas higher education provider, rather than the UK higher education provider, is providing the learning online. Sandwich years abroad will therefore not meet this criterion.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the year abroad as normal.

E, W, S, NI

February 2024

OffVenueActivity.ACTTYPEID = 02 & 03

If a student working remotely while remaining in the UK was prevented from travelling abroad for their placement (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to ongoing armed conflict or the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they would still be considered to be working abroad if they are:

a. Working for the employing organisation based outside the UK.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the work experience as normal.

E, W, S, NI

February 2024

Providers may be offering students an alternative ‘year abroad’ experience involving, for example, online learning while remaining in the UK. If this is due to students being prevented from travelling abroad for their overseas year of study (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to ongoing armed conflict or the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, will still be considered as attending the overseas institution if both of the following criteria are met:

a. That the overseas higher education provider (rather than the provider in England or Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is providing the learning online. Sandwich years abroad will therefore not meet this criterion.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the year abroad as normal.

OffVenueActivity.ACTTYPEID = 02 & 03

If a student working remotely while remaining in the UK was prevented from travelling abroad for their placement (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to ongoing armed conflict or the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they would still be considered to be working abroad if they are:

a. Working for the employing organisation based outside the UK.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the work experience as normal.

E, W, S, NI

Student.TTACCOM

Where possible this should reflect the type of accommodation in which the student spent the majority of their time while teaching was being delivered. Providers are not required to undertake any additional burden to obtain the information for this field and should base it on the information they would normally use.

S

S

March 2022

LOCSDY Z: Students undertaking blended learning or distance learning, where they would normally have been attending the provider, should be coded as Z.

LOCSDY D, E: If a student was due to do an industrial placement in the UK and was prevented from travelling to do it due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was able to do the placement remotely, then the student should be coded as D or E.

LOCSDY = T, U: If the student is undertaking work or volunteering and the provider is unsure as to whether they are in the UK or abroad, then LOCSDY D or E should be returned instead. If the student is studying abroad and meets the definition provided under the SPECFEE guidance then LOCSDY = T or U should be returned. If a student was due to study abroad and was prevented from travelling overseas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but undertook their studies with the overseas provider by distance learning instead, then the student should be considered as if they had undertaken their studies abroad and coded as T or U.

LOCSDY = S: If a student was due to have come to the UK to study and would ordinarily have been coded as S, but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK, due to the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online. 

With regard to SPECFEE = 2 or 3: providers may be offering students an alternative ‘year abroad’ experience involving, for example, online learning while remaining in the UK. Under these particular circumstances, students prevented from travelling abroad for their overseas year of study (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to the coronavirus pandemic will still be considered as attending the overseas institution if both of the following criteria are met:

a. That the overseas higher education provider (rather than the provider in England or Wales) is providing the learning online. Sandwich years abroad will therefore not meet this criterion.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the year abroad as normal.

MOBTYPE = 01: Mobility fields should be returned where providers are offering students an alternative ‘year abroad’ experience involving, for example, online learning while remaining in the UK. Under these particular circumstances, students prevented from travelling abroad for their overseas year of study (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to the coronavirus pandemic will still be considered as attending the overseas institution if both of the following criteria are met:

a. That the overseas higher education provider (rather than the provider in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is providing the learning online. Sandwich years abroad will therefore not meet this criterion.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the year abroad as normal.    

MOBTYPE = 02, 03: If a student working remotely while remaining in the UK was prevented from travelling abroad for their placement (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to the coronavirus pandemic, they would still be considered to be working abroad if they are:

a. Working for the employing organisation based outside the UK.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the work experience as normal.

If the provider is unclear on whether the student is undertaking work or volunteering abroad then mobility fields should not be returned. The OfS, HEFCW SFC and DfE(NI) do not expect providers to undertake a burdensome approach to try and identify this information if it is likely to be affected by the pandemic. The country recorded in MOBLOCA should be the country they were due to travel to.

If a student was due to have come to the UK to study but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK due to the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online.

This should reflect the student's intended campus prior to the pandemic, for example, where a course was delivered online and those that could have been based at different campuses are taught together.  

This should reflect the student's intended campus prior to the pandemic, for example, where a course was delivered online and those that could have been based at different campuses are taught together.  

LOCSDY Z: Students undertaking blended learning or distance learning, where they would normally have been attending the provider, should be coded as Z. 

LOCSDY D, E: If a student was due to do an industrial placement in the UK and was prevented from travelling to do it due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was able to do the placement remotely, then the student should be coded as D or E. 

LOCSDY = T, U: If the student is undertaking work or volunteering and the provider is unsure as to whether they are in the UK or abroad, then LOCSDY D or E should be returned instead.  
If the student is studying abroad and meets the following criteria then LOCSDY = T or U should be returned:

a. The overseas higher education provider (rather than the provider in England) is providing the learning online. Sandwich years abroad will therefore not meet this criteria.

b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply if the student had been able to take the year abroad as normal.

If a student was due to study abroad and was prevented from travelling overseas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but undertook their studies with the overseas provider by distance learning instead, then the student should be considered as if they had undertaken their studies abroad and coded as T or U. 

LOCSDY = S: If a student was due to have come to the UK to study and would ordinarily have been coded as S, but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK due to the continuing need to comply with government guidance and regulations on measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online. 

Provision.HEADCOUNT

Provision.HEADCOUNTDS

Provision.HEADCOUNTSCS

Provision.HEADCOUNTSSC

Provision.HEADCOUNTSW

Providers in Wales have the option as to whether to implement the changes outlined in the C19052 Notification of Changes or continue to submit against the requirements for C18052.

This is therefore the option to return either:

• Provision.HEADCOUNT

Or:

• Provision.HEADCOUNTDS
• Provision.HEADCOUNTSCS
• Provision.HEADCOUNTSSC
• Provision.HEADCOUNTSW

Providers that opt to return the single headcount should continue to exclude students who are dormant for the entire year.

LOCSDY Z: Students undertaking blended learning or distance learning, where they would normally have been attending the provider, should be coded as Z.
LOCSDY D, E: If a student was due to do an industrial placement in the UK but was unable to travel to do it due to the Covid 19 pandemic but was able to do the placement remotely, then the student should be coded as D or E.
LOCSDY = T, U: If the student is undertaking work or volunteering and the provider is unsure as to whether they are in the UK or abroad, then LOCSDY D or E should be returned instead. If the student is studying abroad and meets the definition provided under the SPECFEE guidance then LOCSDY = T or U should be returned. If a student was due to study abroad but was unable to travel overseas due to the Covid 19 pandemic but instead undertook their studies with the overseas provider by distance learning then the student should be considered as if they had undertaken their studies abroad and coded as T or U.
LOCSDY = S: If a student was due to have come to the UK to study and would ordinarily have been coded as S, but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online. 

Mobility fields

MOBTYPE = 01: Mobility fields should be returned where providers are offering students an alternative ‘year abroad’ experience involving, for example, online learning while remaining in the UK. Under these particular circumstances, students prevented from travelling abroad for their overseas year of study (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to the coronavirus pandemic will still be considered as attending the overseas institution if both of the following criteria are met: a. That the overseas higher education provider (rather than the provider in England, Northern Ireland or Wales) is providing the learning online. Sandwich years abroad will therefore not meet this criterion. b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the year abroad as normal.    

MOBTYPE = 02, 03: If a student working remotely while remaining in the UK was prevented from travelling abroad for their placement (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to the coronavirus pandemic, they would still be considered to be working abroad if they are a. Working for the employing organisation based outside the UK, b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply had the student been able to take the work experience as normal. If the provider is unclear on whether the student is undertaking work or volunteering abroad then mobility fields should not be returned. The OfS, HEFCW and DfE(NI) do not expect providers to undertake a burdensome approach to try and identify this information if it is likely to be affected by the pandemic.   The country recorded in MOBLOCA should be the country they were due to travel to.

MOBTYPE = 02, 03: If a student working remotely while remaining in the UK was prevented from travelling abroad for their placement (as part of a course from a UK higher education provider) due to the coronavirus pandemic, they would still be considered to be working abroad if they are working for the employing organisation based outside the UK. If the provider is unclear on whether the student is undertaking work or volunteering abroad then mobility fields should not be returned. The SFC does not expect providers to undertake a burdensome approach to try and identify this information if it is likely to be affected by the pandemic. The country recorded in MOBLOCA should be the country they were due to travel to.

If a student was due to have come to the UK to study but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online.

This should reflect the student's intended campus prior to the pandemic, for example, where a course was delivered online and those that could have been based at different campuses are taught together.  

This should reflect the student's intended campus prior to the pandemic, for example, where a course was delivered online and those that could have been based at different campuses are taught together.  

LOCSDY Z: Students undertaking blended learning or distance learning, where they would normally have been attending the provider, should be coded as Z. 

LOCSDY D, E: If a student was due to do an industrial placement in the UK but was unable to travel to do it due to the Covid 19 pandemic but was able to do the placement remotely, then the student should be coded as D or E. 

LOCSDY = T, U: If the student is undertaking work or volunteering and the provider is unsure as to whether they are in the UK or abroad, then LOCSDY D or E should be returned instead.  

 If the student is studying abroad and meets the following criteria then LOCSDY = T or U should be returned:

a. The overseas higher education provider (rather than the provider in England) is providing the learning online. Sandwich years abroad will therefore not meet this criteria.
b. The fees charged to the student for the year are no higher than the fee that would apply if the student had been able to take the year abroad as normal.

 If a student was due to study abroad but was unable to travel overseas due to the Covid 19 pandemic but instead undertook their studies with the overseas provider by distance learning then the student should be considered as if they had undertaken their studies abroad and coded as T or U. 

LOCSDY = S: If a student was due to have come to the UK to study and would ordinarily have been coded as S, but the student is prevented from travelling to the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic, they will still be considered as attending the UK provider if the UK provider is providing the learning online. 

Where providers have additional spending in these areas due to the pandemic, for example increased cleaning regimes causing higher cleaning costs, they should ensure that these costs are reflected in the relevant fields that make up property costs.

Total Property Costs (FTPCO) is calculated based on combining costs returned in other entities, a list of entities that make up property costs can be found here.

Where a central budget has been created to account for costs due to the pandemic, this should be apportioned across the relevant fields that make up the total property costs.

Where a survey had been conducted prior to the pandemic, this should be used to complete these entities.

Where data prior to this point is not available, this is optional data so is not required to be returned.

If a student has withdrawn early then, as normal, STULOAD should be reduced to reflect activity undertaken.

Where structured activity runs beyond the end of the reporting year as a result of the pandemic STULOAD should still reflect the intended STULOAD within that reporting year.  

If a student has withdrawn early then, as normal, STULOAD should be reduced to reflect activity undertaken.

Where structured activity runs beyond the end of the reporting year as a result of the pandemic STULOAD should still reflect the intended STULOAD within that reporting year. Additional STULOAD can be reported in the subsequent reported year as neccessary.

Mobility fields

This should reflect the actual activity undertaken. If the activity was shorter than planned, then this field should record how long the student was on the mobility. If it is not known exactly how long the mobility was, then an estimate should be returned. Where the provider is unable to estimate mobility length as this would be excessively burdensome, it is acceptable to return the intended mobility duration.
If the pandemic restrictions means that the duration of the mobility is now under the threshold the mobility should still be returned where it was initially expected to meet the threshold.
If a student is abroad for longer than anticipated because of the pandemic, and their activity on the mobility is also extended beyond the initial intention, then the whole mobility including the extension should be recorded. Where a placement was planned but not undertaken due to the pandemic then this should not be recorded. If mobility activity is continuing via distance learning then this should be included and captured. The country should remain as the country they should have been in.

If a student withdrew from their mobility early for reasons unrelated to the pandemic the original intention can be recorded (as per the usual guidance) but providers may return this in a way that minimses burden.

For the majority of students this should reflect student's actual activity. If the course is completed early due to the pandemic, PERIODEND should record the actual date the course finished.
For students in medicine, nursing, midwifery and allied health subjects that have been graduated early to allow them to start work with the NHS, the last PERIODEND can reflect the student’s predicted ENDDATE.
Where a student withdrew before the start of the pandemic then the last date of engagement with the structured course should still be used as their PERIODEND. If a student withdrew following the start of the pandemic then a best estimate of last engagement should be used.

Provision.HEADCOUNT

Provision.HEADCOUNTDS

Provision.HEADCOUNTSCS

Provision.HEADCOUNTSSC

Provision.HEADCOUNTSW

Providers in Wales have the option as to whether to implement the changes outlined in the C19052 Notification of Changes or continue to submit against the requirements for C18052.

This is therefore the option to return either:

• Provision.HEADCOUNT

Or:

• Provision.HEADCOUNTDS
• Provision.HEADCOUNTSCS
• Provision.HEADCOUNTSSC
• Provision.HEADCOUNTSW

Provider that opt to return the single headcount should continue to exclude students who are dormant for the entire year.

Field/Entity

New Guidance

Applicable to

Last Updated

Property Costs

Where providers have additional spending in these areas due to the pandemic, for example increased cleaning regimes causing higher cleaning costs, they should ensure that these costs are reflected in the relevant fields that make up property costs.

Total Property Costs (FTPCO) is calculated based on combining costs returned in other entities, a list of entities that make up property costs can be found here.

Where a central budget has been created to account for costs due to the pandemic, this should be apportioned across the relevant fields that make up the total property costs.

E, NI, S, W

Staff FTE

Staff FTE should not be adjusted where a staff member has been furloughed or re-joined the NHS/public health agencies to assist with the pandemic.

E, NI, S, W

Occupancy Rate

The most recent available survey should be used to complete this entity. The data may therefore reflect a survey prior to or during the pandemic depending on when the survey was conducted. The SMORTESD field will indicate the date on which the survey took place.

E, NI, S, W

Frequency Rate

The most recent available survey should be used to complete this entity. The data may therefore reflect a survey prior to or during the pandemic depending on when the survey was conducted. The SMTEFRSD field will indicate the date on which the survey took place.

E, NI, S, W

Percentage Modal Split for Commuting By Staff/Students

Where a survey had been conducted prior to the pandemic, this should be used to complete these entities.

Where data prior to this point is not available, this is optional data so is not required to be returned.

E, NI, S, W

Functional Suitability

Where the suitability of a space has been reduced due to the need to implement social distancing, this should not be taken into account on the completion of this entity.

E, NI, S, W