HESES and the HEFCE web facility SROC 08 April 2009 Presented by Christine Daniel, Analytical Services Group, HEFCE

Outline of presentation Part 1 – WP and TESS Widening participation (WP)/teaching enhancement and student success (TESS) allocations for Part 2 – HESA derived statistics The web facility The derived statistics exercise

Part 1 WP and Tess

What is WP funding for? Recognises the additional costs of recruiting and retaining students from disadvantaged or non- traditional backgrounds Institutional funding, not student support

How much funding is allocated? Total allocations: £143m, of which £2m set aside for July allocation Two streams of the WP allocation: –Funding for widening access (£61m FT; £66m PT) –Funding for disabled students (£13m)

Widening Access Allocation New UG entrants are assigned to census wards using postcode Wards assigned to quintiles according to: –FT UG under 21: young HE participation –PT and mature FT: average educational achievement Students weighted according to quintile of their ward Institution average weight calculated for FT and PT students and used to calculate allocation

WA population FT or PT HEFCE-funded UK-domiciled undergraduate (including FD) entrants This information taken from HESES07 re- creation and only counts students eligible to be counted in Column 4 of the re-creation ELQs are not counted in population

Key HESA fields used in WA allocation POSTCODE QUALENT2 COURSEAIM

WP for disabled students allocation Calculate proportion of students in receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) Proportions across sector ranked and split into quartiles Institution assigned to a quartile and then weighted according to this quartile Weight is used in calculating allocation Allocation is subject to a minimum value

Disabled students allocation population HEFCE-funded, independently funded or non- fundable UK-domiciled students who would be eligible to receive the DSA (if they were disabled) This information taken from HESES07 re- creation and only counts students eligible to be counted in Column 4 of the re-creation

Key HESA fields used in disabled students allocation DISALL = 4 indicates a student is in receipt of the DSA

What is TESS funding for? To support the enhancement of learning and teaching Improving retention of students who are at risk of not continuing their studies To contribute to the success of students Institutional funding, not student support

How much funding is allocated? Total allocations: £269m, of which £3m set aside for July allocation Three streams of the TESS allocation: –Improving retention (£171m FT; £54m PT) –Institutional learning and teaching strategies (£31m) –Research informed teaching (£10m)

FT Improving Retention allocation FT UG new entrants assigned to risk categories based on age and entry qualifications Students weighted according to their risk category Institution average weight calculated for FT students and used to calculate allocation

FT IR population FT and SWOUT HEFCE-fundable UK-domiciled undergraduate (including FD) entrants This information taken from HESES07 re- creation and only counts students eligible to be counted in Column 4 of the re-creation ELQs are not counted in population

Key HESA fields used in FT improving retention allocation QUALENT2 The ‘qualifications on entry’ entity (we use QUALTYPE, QUALSBJ and QUALGRADE) UCASPERID and UCASAPPID

Timetable for WP/TESS allocations September 2008: HESA web facility released March 2009: initial WP/TESS allocation March 2009: HESA derived statistics exercise launched May 2009: deadline for receipt of amendments to HESA data for inclusion in July allocation

Timetable for WP/TESS allocations July 2009: revised WP/TESS allocations Summer 2009: HESA web facility released Winter : HESA derived statistics exercise launched

Useful reading How we fund WP How we fund TESS ‘ statistics derived from HESA data: Guide to HEFCE web facility ’ (HEFCE 2008/30) - Annex E and Appendix 7 ‘Funding higher education in England’ (HEFCE 2008/33)

Who to contact Christine Daniel

Part 2 HESA derived statistics

What are the derived statistics? How will we use HESA data to monitor funding? Timetable What is the web facility? What is the derived statistics exercise? How do I find out more?

What are the derived statistics? Monitor funding allocations Inform Widening Participation (WP) allocations Inform flexible study measure Research Degree Qualification Rates (RDQRs) Transparent Approach to Costing TRAC(T) student FTEs Data for audit purposes LLN student summaries Non-completion toolkit

How do we monitor teaching funding with HESA data? Generate HESES re-creation using HESA data Generate HESES re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects Select institutions to explain differences between HESES and HESES re-creation HESES re-creation supersedes HESES for funding purposes

HESES re-creation output (1) Each HEI provided with: –HESES re-creation tables 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4 and 6 –HESES re-creation grant adjustment report, standard resource and assumed fees –WP allocation report based on HESES re- creation assumed FTEs

HESES re-creation output (2) HESA-HESES comparison summary tables Equivalent HESES tables Individualised data for each HESA record Includes all derived fields used to re-create HESES

Teaching funding monitoring timetable December HESES07 deadline October 2008 – Final deadline for HESA data November HEFCE receive HESA data December HESES08 deadline March 2009 – Selection notification (HESES07 and HESA) May Deadline for initial response June 2009 – Deadline for amending HESA data (as part of this exercise) September 2009 – Interim grant adjustments (if exercise not complete)* October Final deadline for HESA data November HEFCE receive HESA data * different for HESES re-creation based on cost centre sector norms

HESA derived statistics web facility (1) Available in summer each year Unlimited use/useable for entire year Submit HESA data to HEFCE extranet (secure) Obtain outputs listed earlier as aggregated Excel output and associated individualised file

HESA derived statistics web facility (2) Comprehensive guide on using web facility Full description of algorithms Trouble-shooting guidance Detail of ‘problems of fit’ ‘Pseudo code’ Support through ‘helpline’ and

Flexible study measure - background Often referred to as ‘partial completion’ ‘Review of the teaching funding method: Second consultation on changes to the method’ HEFCE 2007/02 HEIs confidence to allow students to change their pace of study

What are ‘partial completions’? Completed activity is less than student’s initial study intentions for the year Completed modules only HESES definitions for ‘completed module’

Overview of methodology and HESA data Calculate flexible study measure weighting Based on standard resource and assumed fees for partially completing students Applied to contract range Migration funding (initially)

Further detail of methodology (1) HESES07 re-creation Plus students in HESES population that did not generate a countable year in HESES07 Identify partial completions and assign funding characteristics (price group, fee level etc.) Calculate standard resource for partial completions (modules completed)

Further detail of methodology (2) Calculate assumed resource for partial completions (modules attempted) Calculate weighting to reflect where HEIs would move relative to the tolerance band if ‘partial completions’ had been included in the teaching funding model for

What are ‘partial completions’? HESES population (HESEXCL=0, 512 etc.) Non-completions (HESCOMP=3) Completed modules (MODOUT = 1, 2) Module ‘countable’ in HESES07 (MODSTAT = 1, 2, 4) Student’s completed ‘module FTE’ > (normally 20 credits)

And attempted modules? Non-completed modules (MODOUT = 1, 2, 4, 6, 7) Attempted modules ‘countable’ in HESES07 (MODSTAT = 1, 2, 4, 5)

Further information about the flexible study measure Forthcoming HESA derived statistics publication Grant letter: technical guidance, paragraphs

Web facility demo

HESA-HESES exercise HESA-HESES07 comparison – twelfth year HESA used to monitor funding HESES re-created for all HEIs All HEIs are tested against the ‘selection criteria’ Similar exercise is conducted for FE Colleges using ILR data

HESA-HESES – response criteria HESA-HESES06 –£500,000 difference in contract range holdback –£500,000 net difference in funding conditional upon delivery of growth –£100,000 medical and dental contract FTE –WP criterion (based on HESES06 re-creation FTEs) –Model 2 LLN criterion HESA-HESES07 –? –Table 7 criterion

HESA-HESES – no response required No response required –does not mean that HESA and HESES data are consistent –discrepancies may impact WP funding allocations –does not exempt HEI from subsequent data audit/ retrospective funding adjustments

HESA-HESES – response required (1) Submit Action and Implementation Plan Action Plan to remove discrepancies between HESA-HESES Implementation Plan to ensure that similar errors do not recur in the future

HESA-HESES – response required (2) Action Plan should address all of the following (where relevant): –Errors in HESES –Errors in HESA –Problems of fit with the HEFCE algorithms

Errors in HESES HESES re-creation will only be ‘signed-off’ once we are satisfied that it ‘reasonably represents the outturn position for the year’ HESES re-creation will supersede HESES Retrospective adjustment to funding will be made

Errors in HESA Corrections to HESA data Administrative fee will be charged by HESA (20% of annual subscription) Revised HESA compared to HESES to ensure discrepancies are fully explained

Problems of fit with HEFCE algorithms (1) Known algorithmic approximations: –INSTAPP –Part-time FTE (some non-standard years) –Assignments to price groups (as above)

Problems of fit with HEFCE algorithms (2) Unlikely to be sole cause for discrepancies Evidence may be requested (e.g. HE prospectus) Provide necessary data to correct assumptions and reconcile the two data sources

Who to contact and useful reading Contact: Ewa Wawrzynska at or Further reading: HEFCE 2008/07 on reconciliation HEFCE 2008/30 on web facility HEFCE 2009/?? on reconciliation