July 2002/36
Core funding
Allocation of places and funds

This report is for information only

Additional student places and funds 2002-03

Outcome of bids

Each year we allocate additional funded student places in response to competitive bids. The framework for allocating these places supports the key national priorities of widening participation in higher education, increasing opportunities for students and expanding vocationally-oriented provision. It enables institutions to respond to change, and gives students more opportunities to study at the institution of their choice. This report announces the outcome of bids for 2002-03.

Executive summary (read on-line)

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Executive summary

Purpose

1.    This document announces the outcome of bids for additional student places and funds for 2002-03. The invitation to bid was issued in September 2001 (HEFCE 01/54).

Key points

2.    Each year we allocate additional funded student places in response to competitive bids. The framework for allocating these extra places supports the key national priorities of widening participation in higher education, increasing opportunities for students and expanding vocationally-oriented provision. It is designed to enable institutions to respond to changes in student demand, and to employment and regional needs, as well as giving students the opportunity to study at the institution of their choice.

3.    Within this framework, we invited bids for 2002-03 that would support particular objectives. These were to widen participation through increasing the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to increase provision of high quality learning and teaching, to expand the development of foundation degrees and to support New Technology Institutes. We also invited bids to develop and expand provision in social work education programmes, and for summer school places. We particularly encouraged collaborative bids.

4.    We invited bids from all higher education institutions (HEIs) and further education colleges (FECs) that we fund directly. We received 185 bids, of which 138 were from HEIs and 47 from FECs. They sought a total of 35,340 additional places: 17,958 at sub-degree level, 5,136 at foundation degree level and 12,246 at other degree level and above. Of the total, 12,859 were for full-time and 22,481 for part-time places. All student numbers in this report are expressed as headcounts unless otherwise stated.

5.    We have allocated for 2002-03 a total of 18,228 new places in the competition: 11,456 at sub-degree level, 2,106 at foundation degree level and 4,666 at other degree level and above. Full-time places were 4,831 of the total, and the remaining 13,397 were for part-time programmes. In addition, we expect growth of 5,220 full-time and 3,887 part-time places from previous competitions. In total, the allocations for 2002-03 will enable higher education provision to increase by 10,051 full-time and 17,284 part-time places. A further 6,663 full-time and 4,509 part-time places allocated in the 2002-03 competition have been phased into future years.

6.    Annex A gives details of the allocations to institutions for 2002-03.

Action required

7.    No action is required: this report is for information.

Allocations of additional student places 2002-03

Regional sub-totals by mode and level