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HEIFES11: Higher Education in Further Education: Students Survey 2011-12

September 2011 | ref: 2011/26

To:

Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges

Of interest to those responsible for:

Student data, Funding

This document asks further education colleges to complete the annual survey of students on recognised higher education courses. The data will: enable us to monitor the achievement of funding agreement targets for 2011-12; give an early indication of the number of students on recognised higher education courses at further education colleges in 2011-12; and, with data supplied to the Data Service, inform our allocation of teaching funds for 2012-13.

Purpose

1. This document asks further education colleges (FECs) to complete the annual survey of students on recognised higher education (HE) courses.

Key points

2. The data will:

Enable us to monitor the achievement of funding agreement targets for the academic year 2011-12.
Together with the individualised learner record (ILR) supplied to the Data Service, inform our initial allocation of teaching funds for the academic year 2012-13.
Give an early indication, including for government planning purposes, of the number of HE students studying in the academic year 2011-12.

3. This document provides:

An introduction to the Higher Education in Further Education: Students Survey 2011-12 (HEIFES11) and how we use it to inform our funding.
Guidance notes for completing the HEIFES11 survey.
Definitions used in the HEIFES11 survey.
Examples of the survey tables, which will be available to download from the HEFCE extranet in November 2011.
A summary of changes since HEIFES10 (Annex B), including those previously announced in 'Advance notification of changes to HESES and HEIFES for 2011-12' (Circular letter 17/2011).

Action required

4. HEIFES11 should be completed by all FECs receiving HEFCE recurrent funds for teaching. Returns must be uploaded to the HEFCE extranet by noon on Wednesday 16 November 2011. Workbooks will be available to colleges in November 2011.

Outline timetable for HEIFES11 return and 2012-13 funding round

5. The provisional timetable is summarised below.

November 2011	Organisation and group keys issued to colleges HEIFES workbooks available to colleges 16 November – deadline to return HEIFES data End November/beginning December – validation and credibility checks by HEFCE End November/beginning December – we will write to colleges, asking them to verify the data, answer any questions about the data and submit any appeals against formulaic grant adjustments. Colleges will have five working days to answer questions about data
22 December 2011	Colleges must have signed off their HEIFES data as being correct at 1 November 2011
13 January 2012	Deadline for submission of appeals
February 2012	Colleges notified of final grant adjustments, including the outcome of appeals
19 March 2012 (provisional)	Colleges notified of initial allocations of recurrent grant for 2012-13
22 March 2012 (provisional)	Publication of initial allocations of recurrent grant for 2012-13 for all colleges
To be confirmed	Deadline for colleges to request transfers of provision and other amendments to provisional allocations
Late July 2012	Colleges receive their funding agreements and, where appropriate, amended initial allocations for 2012-13