Funding for learning and teaching
In 2011-12, we will distribute £4,339 million as recurrent grant in support of learning and teaching. In distributing this funding, we aim to promote high-quality teaching and to meet the needs of students, employers and the nation.
Funding method
Our funding method funds similar activities at similar rates, and ensures that any variations are for sound and justifiable reasons. It also supports our policy to increase opportunities for a wide range of people to enter higher education (HE), by taking into account the extra costs of providing for certain types of student, such as part-timers.
The method also recognises institutional diversity, for instance by taking into account the needs of specialist and small institutions. Most of our funding for learning and teaching is distributed as a block grant, which institutions and colleges can use to support their aims and objectives.
In October 2009 we started reviewing the way in which we fund teaching at universities and colleges. In May 2010 we issued a consultation on proposed principles and features for a future method.
Since the consultation there have been a number of national developments, including the Government's Spending Review and the publication of the Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance and most recently the Government's White Paper on HE. Therefore we are not proposing any actions as a consequence of the 2009-10 consultation.
Following the publication of the Government's White Paper, we are now undertaking the first stage of a new two-stage consultation relating to the way HE teaching is funded and student numbers are allocated in England.
A second-stage consultation, in winter 2011-2012, will seek views on proposals for more fundamental changes to our approach to funding teaching and controlling student numbers to be implemented from 2013-14 onwards.
Key areas
These pages contain further information about our learning and teaching funding.
- New arrangements for teaching funding
- 2009-10 review of the teaching funding method
- student completion
- the equivalent and lower qualification policy
- review of price groups and fee assumptions
- TRAC for teaching
- the Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund
- withdrawal and reduction of selected targeted allocations
- the review of exceptional funding for institutions (REFI)
- future support for teaching enhancement and widening participation.
Further information
- 'Guide to funding: How HEFCE allocates its funds' (HEFCE 2010/24)
- 'Recurrent grants for 2010-11' (HEFCE 2010/08)
- Latest arrangements for capital funding
- Teaching funding templates
- Frequently asked questions about student completion
Other information, including previous consultations, can be found in the archive.
For further information about the issues described in these pages contact David Norman (d.norman@hefce.ac.uk; 0117 931 7095).
Last updated 20 October 2011