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Finance 2014/15: Support guides

This page provides an overview of the 2014/15 Finance collection (C14031).

This should be used alongside the C14031 coding manual, which provides more detailed, technical information about the collection.

Need help? Contact us by email or on +44 (0)1242 211144

Finance overview

We collect data across a number of streams. These streams focus on different aspects of higher education.

The Finance stream collects financial information on the activities of Northern Irish, Welsh and Scottish higher education providers. Details of what information needs to be returned to HESA are included in the Coverage document found in the Coding manual.

The data we collect on behalf of the sector is provided to governments and funding bodies in order to support the regulation of higher education. We also make data available to the public to enhance understanding of UK higher education and to support its advancement.

Our coding manuals provide you with all the necessary documentation to support your data return. The coding manual contains technical documents giving detailed information on the record's coverage, data specification and submission formats. Familiarising yourself with these documents will help you make an accurate and timely return.

Each collection has its own coding manual which can be found in the Data collection section of our site. By default, you will land on the open collection for each record; you can then select previous or future years.

The coding manuals will be updated throughout the data collection cycle and Record Contacts informed by email when new versions are made live. Be sure to check the manual's Revision history for a summary of changes.

The below table provides an overview of the data collection schedule. A more detailed timetable can be found in the Coding manual.

Period Actions
Mid November 2015 C14031 data collection opens
13 December 2015 Send HESA a copy of published accounts (Scottish & Welsh HEPs only)
13 December 2015 Return date
13 December to 17 January 2016 Data quality checking period
18 January 2016 Last submission
20 January 2016 Sign-off

You submit data via our Data Collection system. To access this, you will need to have an appropriate role in our Identity System (IDS). We publish an IDS user guide which includes information on creating and editing your account.

You will need to be given access to the Data Collection system by the relevant Record Contact at your provider.

Once you have access to the system you will be able to upload files and track the progress of the collection.

The coding manual homepage includes all the technical information you require, including:

  • The data specification
  • File format specifications
  • A detailed collection schedule
  • Our XML data entry tool (available for some streams)
  • Quality rules.

This Support guides page collects together the following resources:

  • User guide
  • Data collection system: Known issues and release history.

In the Support area of the HESA website, you can find:

Our Data innovation section includes information about:

  • Open and recently completed record reviews, including information about changes we are implementing
  • Our Data Futures programme which will transform the higher education information landscape.

In the About section, you can find:

 

Our expert analysts have a thorough understanding of our records and processes. We are here to support you throughout the data submission process.

Please note the phone number for the Liaison team: +44(0)1242 388531.

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388531 

Find out more about Liaison

Our JISCMail groups allow you to discuss specific streams with colleagues from across the sector. 

Join the HESA-Finance JISCMail list

If you encounter any problems, contact Liaison

Preparation guide

Documentation summarising the main changes for FSR for 2014/15 can be found in the Release Notes for the coding manual. Please note that any changes made to the record after the first release of the manual will be documented in the Revision history.

Finance and HE-BCI data collections separated

From 2014/15 the Higher Education – Business and Community (HE-BCI) survey will be collected separately from the Finance collection. Cross-checking between the two returns has been limited and the staff preparing the two parts of the return are normally in different parts of the provider, creating an additional overhead.  For 2014/15 FSR the scheduled dates for the record have remained the same.

Key Changes for 2014/15

  1. In Table 3 – Head 7a has been renamed as ‘Repayable loans to funding council’ and. This head should include the balances payable after more than one year on inherited liabilities and repayable grants from the Funding Councils (but not the claw back of grant which should be returned under Head 7c). Head 7b should include the balances payable after more than one year on loans and finance leases. Head 7c should include all other balances payable, such as grant claw-back. Head 7c column has been renamed 'Other (including grant claw back)' to clarify that grant claw back, including from the Funding Councils, with the guidance that this should be returned under this head, and not under head 7a 'Repayable loans to funding council'.

  2. A new column Table 5b has been added to collect income from UK central government tax credits for research and development expenditure (the Research Development Expenditure Credit Scheme (RDEC).  Treatment of this item must be consistent with the audited accounts. BUFDG advise that the gross claim is expected to be payable after a tax deduction. (We had previously published a tax figure of 10% but following updated advice we are no longer publishing a figure.) The payment is an incentive scheme rather than reimbursement of research expenditure or a refund of taxation. Gross income from the RDEC scheme should be disclosed as research grants and contracts income from government with the value of tax deducted shown as taxation.

  3. In Table 6b Head 1aiii has been renamed to 'Recurrent - Other (including non-recurrent special funding.

Data collection system: New User Interface

Our data collection system has been upgraded for this year. These upgrades include an improved user Interface, streamlined submission process bar and new style reports. This is now accessed through a different webpage to previous collections: https://datacollection.hesa.ac.uk.

HESA Identity System

The HESA FSR record contact for each provider will have access to the data collection system and through IDS will be able to invite additional colleagues to also have access to the system to submit data and view reports. Please ensure that the correct roles are in place to ensure the necessary access required by colleagues ahead of the collection opening.

The Identity System user guide provides detailed help with using our single sign-on system.

C14031 FSR template

The template will be available from the coding manual page, the non-functional template is currently available for users to capture the information prior to submission.

Responding to Minerva queries

You are required to actively engage with data quality checking and the resolution of Minerva queries during the collection period. Best practice suggests you interact with Minerva and our data collection system frequently throughout the checking period. This allows you to gradually resolve issues either through providing explanations of genuine data or submitting revised data that corrects issues. Through adopting this approach, you can iteratively improve the quality of your data and expose issues in a timely manner leading to better quality returns.

Record contact changes

The record contact is the first point of communication during data collection. If these details change please ensure you notify Liaison to prevent any delay in the receipt of important communications. We now hold a secondary HE-BCI contact for each provider. This contact will receive emails regarding the Minerva system; however, the Finance contact will continue to receive the access and PIN code information.

Data collection system: Known issues

Issue summary Status Date raised Date resolved

Automated Credabilty Checking (Checkdoc)

Figures in Item 1, 2 and 3 are not being calculated correctly.

    4 December 2015

FSR Template

Tables 5a and 5b Column 12 Non-EU other should be Column 13 Non-EU other

Open    

Experiencing an issue not listed here? Let us know.