UCU48 18 October 2007
University and College Union
Egmont House, 25-31 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9UT, Tel 020 7670 9700
To / Branch and local association secretariesTopic / Withdrawal of funding for equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs) in English higher education institutions and further education colleges
Action / To publicise to members and provide feedback to HQ.
Summary / Branches are asked to seek feedback on the HEFCE consultation document on withdrawal of funding for equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs)
Contact / Rob Copeland, policy officer
Stephen Court, senior research officer
Dear Colleague
Back in September, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) requested that the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) withdraws funding for students who are studying for an HE qualification that is equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification that they have already been awarded. The Government has argued that teaching such students ‘is not… usually as high a priority for public funding as support for students who are either entering higher education for the first time, or progressing to higher qualifications’.[1]
HEFCE have now published proposals for implementing the new policy on equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs).[2] An ELQ is a qualification that is equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification that the student has already achieved. For instance, someone who already has an honours degree and who is studying for a second honours degree would count as studying for an ELQ. In contrast, a student who has a foundation degree and who is now studying for an honours degree would not count as studying for an ELQ, as this student is aiming for a higher level qualification. The key features of the HEFCE policy are as follows:
· Funding for ELQs will be reduced by £100 million by 2010-11 (though the savings will be reallocated by HEFCE in support of widening participation).
· The process of phasing out funding for ELQs should begin in 2008-09.
· Existing ELQ students will not be affected by the proposed changes.
· In accordance with Student Fees Regulations and Student Support Regulations, a number of courses will be exempt from the new policy. These include students on courses in nursing, midwifery, health-related care professions, social work, initial teacher training courses and all students on undergraduate courses leading to a first registerable qualification as a medical doctor, dentist or veterinary surgeon (a full list is available on the HEFCE website).
· All foundation degrees will also be exempt from the withdrawal of funding for equivalent or lower qualifications.
· HEFCE will also continue to provide targeted allocation to support students studying for ELQs in so-called “strategically important and vulnerable subjects” such as physics, modern foreign languages and land-based studies.
· The funding council will provide a £20 million supplement to the part-time targeted allocation.
· Where necessary, HEFCE will also provide 'safety net' funding to maintain each institution's grant at a comparable 2007-08 level in cash terms.
Despite the exemptions, ‘safety net’ measures and additional supplement for part-time allocation, the UCU is very concerned about the potential impact on participation by mature and part-time students. The ELQ policy appears to contradict the government’s agenda for lifelong learning (i.e. the need for workers to retrain and refresh their knowledge and skills at different points in their lives). We are particularly concerned about the detrimental impact on adult-orientated universities with large numbers of EQL students.
HEFCE have now published technical modeling data on the potential financial implications for HEIs and FECs. Initial UCU analysis of the data indicates that the Open University is set to lose over £31.6 million in teaching funding by 2014-15 and Birkbeck is set to lose £7.8 million over the same period. Post 92 HEIs, especially London Metropolitan, are also likely to experience significant reductions in public funding for teaching. Particular subject areas, mainly in the social sciences and the humanities, are likely to bear the brunt of reductions in public funding. The UCU’s analysis of the data is included as an appendix.
The UCU is planning to submit a national response to the HEFCE consultation document. In order to shape this response, we would welcome comments from branches, local associations and members on the current ELQ policy, both its general direction and the specific proposals outlined in the HEFCE document. Please can you send in comments to Rob Copeland and Stephen Court by Thursday 8 November.
Yours sincerely
Sally Hunt
General Secretary
Appendix: How reductions to funding for ELQ students will affect HEIs and FECs
Table 3 shows the impact on institutions of the reduction in funding for students who are studying for a qualification that is equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification (ELQ) that they have already been awarded. The funding for further education colleges is only where the college is directly funded by HEFCE for the provision of higher education.
The cuts to ELQ funding begin in 2008-9, and are being phased in during the period starting then, for up to 6 years. Safety net funding is currently only available until 2010-11; the safety net means that, at worst, the teaching income of institutions affected will stay level in cash terms over the period (a real terms cut, in other words). Transitional funding for ELQ students currently in the system will be provided until 2013-14; this is intended to give institutions stability and the time to find alternative sources of income. There won’t be any transitional funding from 2014-15 onwards.
Column 1 shows the mainstream teaching funding for students who are not studying for a qualification that is equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification that they have already been awarded, 2007-8.
Column 2 shows the funding for exempted ELQ students, 2007-8.
Column 3 shows the funding for students on Strategically Important and Vulnerable Subjects, ie also exempted, 2007-8.
Column 4 shows the amount of funding that the HEI or FEC is ultimately to lose by 2014-15 because of the cuts to funding for ELQ students.
Column 5 shows the amount of funding that the HEI or FEC is ultimately to lose by 2014-15 because of the cuts to ELQ funding, as a proportion of total teaching funding, 2007-8.
Table 1 shows institutions due to have more than £2m teaching funding phased out by 2014-15 because of the ELQ cuts, based on 2007-8 funding levels. Table 2 shows Institutions with more than 10% of teaching funding phased out by 2014-15, based on 2007-8 funding levels.
Table 1 Institutions losing at least £2m of relevant teaching funding by 2014-15 (2007-8 levels)
£Open University / 31,628,519
Birkbeck College / 7,866,367
London Metropolitan University / 6,191,987
University of Oxford / 4,151,668
University of East London / 3,774,215
Thames Valley University / 3,630,467
London South Bank University / 3,476,541
City University, London / 3,191,136
University of the Arts London / 3,122,340
University of Westminster / 2,966,099
University of Wolverhampton / 2,888,322
King's College London / 2,719,681
University of Bedfordshire / 2,677,349
University of Sunderland / 2,642,639
Anglia Ruskin University / 2,623,211
University of Brighton / 2,576,959
Leeds Metropolitan University / 2,466,895
University of Central England in Birmingham / 2,352,250
Conservatoire for Dance and Drama / 2,299,911
Coventry University / 2,277,465
University of Teesside / 2,140,443
Middlesex University / 2,040,832
University of Nottingham / 2,018,560
Manchester Metropolitan University / 2,004,391
Table 2 Institutions with >10% cuts to relevant teaching funding by 2014-15 (2007-8 levels)
%City of Westminster College / 40.8%
Birkbeck College / 38.3%
South Thames College / 28.0%
Conservatoire for Dance and Drama / 26.0%
London Business School / 24.9%
Open University / 22.7%
Barking College / 21.6%
Institute of Cancer Research / 19.5%
Manchester College of Arts and Technology / 17.8%
School of Pharmacy / 15.3%
Southampton City College / 13.9%
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine / 13.7%
Bradford College / 13.6%
City University, London / 13.3%
Thames Valley University / 12.5%
Craven College / 11.6%
Lewisham College / 10.8%
University of Bedfordshire / 10.7%
University of East London / 10.6%
London Metropolitan University / 10.3%
North East Surrey College of Technology / 10.2%
Column 6 shows total mainstream teaching grant, 2007-8.
Column 7 shows safety net funding, 2010-11. Safety net funding is given over the period to 2010-11 to ensure no institution has a funding cut in cash terms. Institutions receiving safety net funding in effect have three years of real terms cuts in teaching funding. HEFCE says: ‘If the total modeled teaching grant in any year is lower than the cash value of the 2007-08 total mainstream teaching grant, we have provided a safety net.’
Column 8 shows the percentage change in total teaching funding, 2007-8 to 2010-11.
Table 3 Summary of ELQ funding changes 2007-08 to 2010-11
2007-08 / 2. Mainstream teaching grant for exempted ELQ students
2007-08 / 3. Mainstream teaching grant
for ELQ students aiming for a SIVS qualification
2007-08 / 4. Mainstream teaching grant for ELQ students in 2007-8 to be phased out by
2014-15 / 5. ELQ funding to be phased out by 2014-15 as % of total mainstream teaching grant
2007-8 / 6. Total mainstream teaching grant
2007-08 / 7. Safety net funding
2010-11 / 8. 2007-8 to 2010-11 total mainstream teaching grant % change /
/ £ / £ / £ / £ / % / £ / £ / % /
Anglia Ruskin University / 33,130,640 / 1,528,840 / 283,455 / 2,623,211 / 7.0% / 37,566,146 / 4.4% /
Aston University / 19,161,109 / 10,083 / 27,967 / 374,601 / 1.9% / 19,573,760 / 7.1% /
University of Bath / 29,010,448 / 340,307 / 431,352 / 176,330 / 0.6% / 29,958,437 / 8.1% /
Bath Spa University / 14,300,076 / 142,890 / 1,147 / 152,010 / 1.0% / 14,596,124 / 7.8% /
University of Bedfordshire / 20,091,835 / 2,158,825 / 2,788 / 2,677,349 / 10.7% / 24,930,797 / 4.1% /
Birkbeck College / 10,813,233 / 406,330 / 1,428,996 / 7,866,367 / 38.3% / 20,514,926 / 4,615,171 / 0.0% /
University of Birmingham / 70,382,201 / 2,461,068 / 56,158 / 1,469,161 / 2.0% / 74,368,588 / 6.6% /
Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies / 8,207,518 / 89,587 / 89,002 / 1.1% / 8,386,107 / 8.1% /
Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln / 3,479,375 / 0 / 13,470 / 0.4% / 3,492,845 / 7.9% /
University of Bolton / 16,362,355 / 783,876 / 324,848 / 1,083,716 / 5.8% / 18,554,795 / 4.8% /
Arts Institute at Bournemouth / 7,690,400 / 109,337 / 121,860 / 1.5% / 7,921,597 / 6.8% /
Bournemouth University / 31,291,032 / 1,705,348 / 123,839 / 547,713 / 1.6% / 33,667,933 / 8.1% /
University of Bradford / 24,690,972 / 95,447 / 77,452 / 1,080,914 / 4.2% / 25,944,785 / 5.6% /
University of Brighton / 38,681,747 / 708,060 / 443,175 / 2,576,959 / 6.1% / 42,409,941 / 3.5% /
University of Bristol / 58,190,969 / 459,494 / 709,660 / 1,415,350 / 2.3% / 60,775,474 / 6.0% /
Brunel University / 31,591,803 / 410,620 / 297,756 / 910,101 / 2.7% / 33,210,280 / 6.2% /
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College / 16,950,250 / 446,941 / 94,260 / 937,124 / 5.1% / 18,428,575 / 4.5% /
University of Cambridge / 56,175,516 / 2,677,069 / 660,801 / 1,092,801 / 1.8% / 60,606,187 / 7.2% /
Institute of Cancer Research / 522,654 / 126,704 / 19.5% / 649,358 / 83,216 / 0.0% /
Canterbury Christ Church University / 16,034,149 / 1,774,046 / 10,809 / 787,652 / 4.2% / 18,606,655 / 6.0% /
University of Central England in Birmingham / 32,962,113 / 1,315,716 / 601,351 / 2,352,250 / 6.3% / 37,231,429 / 3.3% /
University of Central Lancashire / 52,645,934 / 2,333,674 / 509,195 / 1,726,074 / 3.0% / 57,214,877 / 6.3% /
Central School of Speech and Drama / 4,043,927 / 280,072 / 6.5% / 4,323,999 / 2.2% /
University of Chester / 20,550,601 / 274,884 / 117,901 / 711,733 / 3.3% / 21,655,120 / 6.4% /
University of Chichester / 9,714,130 / 406,748 / 9,653 / 164,344 / 1.6% / 10,294,874 / 7.6% /
City University, London / 20,496,151 / 154,018 / 206,245 / 3,191,136 / 13.3% / 24,047,550 / 15,183 / 0.0% /
Courtauld Institute of Art / 938,128 / 78,599 / 7.7% / 1,016,727 / 0.6% /
Coventry University / 35,892,247 / 469,717 / 1,003,084 / 2,277,465 / 5.7% / 39,642,513 / 4.7% /
Cranfield University / 11,483,797 / 511,881 / 450,234 / 3.6% / 12,445,912 / 5.3% /
University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone, Rochester / 19,692,706 / 40,452 / 306,190 / 1.5% / 20,039,348 / 7.6% /
University of Cumbria / 13,714,768 / 1,260,353 / 0 / 1,188,357 / 7.4% / 16,163,478 / 6.3% /
Conservatoire for Dance and Drama / 6,366,690 / 183,514 / 2,299,911 / 26.0% / 8,850,115 / 1,591,462 / 0.0% /
Dartington College of Arts / 3,266,075 / 41,194 / 1.2% / 3,307,269 / 7.4% /
De Montfort University / 47,577,765 / 632,018 / 59,376 / 1,721,882 / 3.4% / 49,991,041 / 6.4% /
University of Derby / 29,509,694 / 436,829 / 70,878 / 1,268,943 / 4.1% / 31,286,343 / 6.4% /
University of Durham / 37,969,459 / 116,430 / 21,407 / 421,663 / 1.1% / 38,528,959 / 7.4% /