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Request 99/58
HEIFES99
Higher Education in Further Education: Students Survey 1999-2000
This electronic version of the document contains the body of the document only. The full document is also available - see below.
| To |
Heads of further education colleges with higher education students in 1999-2000 |
| Of interest to those responsible for |
Student data; Funding |
| Reference |
99/58 |
| Publication date |
October 1999 |
| Enquiries to |
Hannah Falvey tel 0117 931 7478
e-mail heifes@hefce.ac.uk |
Executive summary
-
Purpose
- This document asks further education colleges (FECs) to complete a survey of students on recognised courses of higher education (HE).
Key points
- The data collected on the Higher Education in Further Education: Students Survey 1999-2000 (HEIFES99) are intended to be compatible with those returned on the Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 1999-2000 (HESES99), which we collect from higher education institutions (HEIs). However, because of differences in the way FECs have traditionally returned data, identical returns are not possible. As we further develop our relationships with FECs we hope to be able to align the two surveys. In particular, we will wish to review the way in which activity in FECs is allocated to price groups.
- The data will:
a. Give us an early indication of the number of students on recognised courses of higher education at FECs in the academic year 1999-2000.
b. Where appropriate, enable us to compare student load with allocations made for the academic year 1999-2000.
c. Inform our allocation of teaching funds for the academic year 2000-01.
- This document provides:
a. Guidance notes for completing the HEIFES99 survey.
b. Definitions used in the HEIFES99 survey.
c. Examples of the survey tables, which will be distributed on computer disk.
- Information contained in the annexes will help colleges to complete the survey.
| Annex A: |
Explanatory note for HEIFES99 |
| Annex B: |
Summary of changes since HEIFES98 and clarifications |
| Annex C: |
Table descriptions |
| Annex D: |
Descriptions of columns in tables |
| Annex E: |
The HEIFES99 student population |
| Annex F: |
Counting student activity |
| Annex G: |
Full-time equivalence |
| Annex H: |
Long years of programme of study |
| Annex I: |
Definition of residential and funding status |
| Annex J: |
Definition of level of study |
| Annex K: |
Definition of mode of study |
| Annex L: |
Definition of price groups |
| Annex M: |
Definition of recognised courses of HE |
| Annex N: |
Links between the ISR and HEIFES99 data |
| Annex O: |
Validation checks |
| Annex P: |
Workbook notes |
| Annex Q: |
Sample tables |
| Annex R: |
Glossary |
Action required
- Survey data, on disk with a hard copy, should be returned by 30 November 1999. Disks will be dispatched to colleges by 10 November 1999.
The HEIFES99 survey
- HEIFES99 and HESES99 will be used to inform our allocation of teaching funds for 2000-01. HEIFES99 should be completed by all FECs with students on directly funded recognised courses of HE.
- HEIFES99 splits students into those countable on or before 1 November 1999 and those countable after that date.
- Coverage of the HEIFES99 survey is given in Annex E. Definitions of when activity should be counted are in Annex F. Annexes G to M explain how to record different categories of activity.
- All activity that meets the criteria set out in Annexes E and F should be reported, even if it will not be used directly to allocate funds. For example, the HEFCE will not support students ordinarily resident outside the EU, but these students should still be included.
Data collection and verification
- Enquiries about this survey should be addressed to Hannah Falvey (tel 0117 931 7478, e-mail heifes@hefce.ac.uk). A web page featuring answers to frequently asked questions and additional examples will be on the HEFCE’s website, www.hefce.ac.uk, under ‘Questions’.
- A computer disk, containing an Excel workbook to be completed for HEIFES99, will be dispatched directly to college contacts by 10 November 1999. Notes on the disk are at Annex P.
- The disk contains a number of validation checks, detailed in Annex O, and we will carry out further checks when we receive it. Once data have been validated, colleges will be asked to verify their returns. We may refuse to accept amendments once data have been verified.
Returns
- Survey data, on disk with a hard copy, should be returned to:
Joanne Iles
Analytical Services Group
HEFCE
Northavon House
Coldharbour Lane
BRISTOL BS16 1QD
- Returns should be received no later than 30 November 1999: data need to be returned by this date to ensure that we can announce the 2000-01 grants by March 2000.
Late returns
- Where a college fails to return data on time, without prior authorisation, or the returned data are not accurate, we may not be able to include their activity in our funding allocations for 2000-01; or we may use our own estimates of student activity in making allocations.
Audit
- We will audit HEIFES99 data. Colleges should therefore keep an adequate audit trail recording how the data were derived. Where colleges are required to make estimates they must ensure that these estimates are reasonable and have sufficient supporting data.
- As part of our audit process, we will compare HEIFES99 data with a variety of other data, most notably the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) Individualised Student Record (ISR) data, as these become available. We may make retrospective adjustments to funding in the light of these comparisons. Details of how we will compare data are given in Annex N. It is not possible to create an exact mapping between the FEFC ISR data and HEIFES data; so although Annex N gives details of the mappings we will use, it cannot be used to derive HEIFES99 data.
You can also obtain:
Full document and Annexes in Word (361Kb).
Full document and Annexes in RTF (8Mb).
Sample tables - Excel workbook
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