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Implementing Funding Withdrawal for Equivalent or Lower Qualifications (ELQs)

This document outlines the withdrawal of funding for ELQs in higher education, including exemption criteria and implementation plans. It addresses the rationale behind the decision, government directives, transitional protection measures, exemptions based on regulations, additional interventions, the proposed safety net, and anticipated questions and examples related to the policy. The timeline for consultation, decision-making, and guidance is also provided.

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Implementing Funding Withdrawal for Equivalent or Lower Qualifications (ELQs)

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  1. Withdrawal of funding for ELQsOpening Plenary Dr Liz Beaty Director, Learning and Teaching

  2. Withdrawing of funding for ELQs: Plans for implementation Anna Sherratt

  3. Background • We have been asked by the DIUS to withdraw funding for ELQs • An ELQ: a qualification that is equivalent to or lower than a qualification that a student has already achieved. • Example: if Patrick has an honours degree in French and is now studying for an honours degree in history, then Patrick is studying for an ELQ.

  4. Why? John Denham: • ‘While there may be much benefit to an individual, or their employer, in them retraining for a second qualification at the same level, this is not, in my view, usually as high a priority for public funding as support for students who are either entering HE for the first time, or progressing to higher qualifications’ • ‘I think the same principles as govern student support should also apply to funding distributed by the funding council’

  5. The government’s request • Funding for ELQs should be reduced by £100 million by 2010-11 • The process should begin in 2008-09 • Students already studying for an ELQ should not be affected • Exemptions to be made ‘in light of Student Fees Regulations and Student Support Regulations’. • ‘Transitional protection’ for those institutions most affected in the short-term

  6. Principles • Where possible, fund ELQs where this is clearly in the public interest • Maintain, when possible consistency, with HEFCE policies • Base the implementation of the ELQ policy upon existing policies • Minimise additional burden for institutions

  7. Exemptions based on existing regulations • Most students studying for an ELQ are not subject to regulated fees or entitled to student support. • But there are some exceptions…. • We propose to exempt from the ELQ policy all students studying on courses that are treated as exceptions in the Student Support Regulations or the Student Fees Regulations. • This includes most medicine and nursing, dentistry, veterinary science, social work and teacher training. • So why do medicine/ dentistry and subjects allied to health see some reduction in funding?

  8. Other interventions • Exempt foundation degrees • Exempt co-funded numbers • Introduce a targeted allocation to reflect students studying for a SIVS subject as an ELQ • Provide a £20 million uplift to the part-time targeted allocation

  9. The safety net • The proposed safety net would maintain each institution’s recurrent teaching grant at a comparable 2007-08 level in cash terms • This will ensure that that no institution’s teaching grant will fall in cash terms as a direct result of the ELQ policy. • We are committed to providing the safety net until 2010-11

  10. Some questions anticipated • How will the ELQ policy affect the ongoing fundability status of students? • If my institution’s HESA/ILR data is incorrect, can I amend it? • Is there scope for adding further exemptions or protections? • Does the ELQ policy impact differentially on particular student groups? • How much is saved through the ELQ policy?

  11. Further examples • A student studying for an honours degree who partially completed an earlier degree • A student whose prior qualifications are unknown • A student whose highest prior qualification is a professional one • A student who has a masters degree who is studying for a PGCE • A student who is studying for a second postgraduate qualification

  12. What next? 7 December 2007: Consultation closes 24 January 2008: Board consider outcomes 3 March 2008: Institutional grant letters March 2008: Outcomes circular Sept 2008: Revised HESES/ HEIFES guidance 2009/10: Initial review of impact of ELQ policy

  13. Questions for discussion • Do our proposals succeed in protecting the public interest? • Do our proposals maintain consistency with HEFCE policies? • What might be the knock-on consequences of the ELQ policy (for instance, in terms of accountability burden and impact on different student groups)? • Is there anything further that we can and should do?

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