HE Apprentices Stuload in the ILR

The actual apprenticeship itself (the ZPROG) doesn't need an HE data set, so no HESES Mode of STULOAD required. If you're including a L4+ Z00 code as well, that also doesn't need an HE data set (I've had that argument with OfS, and they agreed in the end, though it still comes up in the year end validation checks).

If you're delivering an actual L4+ qualification, it's usually easy for HNC, HND, Foundation Degrees and Degrees. Basically, when one of those is full time, HNC or HND top up = 100, full HND or Foundation Degree = 200 and Degree = 300 in terms of STULOAD. If you're returning a HESES and an ILR, and you do any years of study that don't fit in the normal academic year (Jan or Easter starts for example) don't get muddled up with STULOAD in the ILR (academic year specific), and whether they're FT or PT in HESES (study year specific). A student doing an HND over two years starting in Jan, would only go in two HESES returns as full time. In the ILR, their mode would still be full time, but they'd appear in three academic years, with approximate STULOAD of 60/100/40 across the three years.

All our apprentices that do a recognised HE qual, do it in double the time a full timer would (HNC takes two years, HND takes 4 years etc). So they're all PT, and since we only start then in Sep/Oct, they're always STULOAD 50. 

When you do non-recognised Level 4+ aims, that gets very complicated, and you have to follow the HESES definition of FT, which is in Annex D paragraph 3 of the HESES23 guide. The STULOAD I work out based on that definition meaning that FT is at least 504 hours a year, compared with the TQT of the aim. That gives me a whole aim STULOAD, which I then have to divide over duration across multiple academic years. 

Has anyone managed to put together an excel calculator? Using the start and end date, Academic years and or weeks using the HE specification containing the (IF statement) - relating to the standard qualification levels (credits) or the hours in the academic year (504)?

This thred is very helpful!

Simon Molineaux-Inglis I honestly just build it every year. I start with pulling the TQT or GLH from the LARS data. Do some VLOOKUPs against the enrolment records I've export into Excel. Work out the total STULOAD of the qual based the TQT or GLH as a percentage of 504 hours (as per HESES guidance). If there is no TQT/GLH, I manually add our planned delivery hours. Calculate enrolment durations, calculate what percentage of that duration falls into the given academic year (I add the first and last days of the year in as columns). Multiply various things to get a STULOAD. OfS were happy with that, and you just ignore the OfS validation where it says the STULOAD is very low (it will be if it's a small qual already, and they're only doing 5% of it in this academic year). You have to watch out for students who've gone past their planned end date into a new year (I tend to just do them manually). Then there are withdrawals where you're expected to reduce the STULOAD to what they actually did. There's a few bits of manual faffing about, so nothing I can just plug data into and go.

If you pay OfS Registration fees, you want to keep STULOAD as low as possible within the rules. Recognised HE is non-negotiable, the STULOAD values are fixed. For everything else L4+, the rules are super woolly, so you need to be careful when managing your numbers. For example, GLH is lower than TQT, so if you use GLH, as it results in a lower STULOAD. OfS shouldn't have an issue if you have a clear rationale, since they haven't provided any clear guidance. We were audited on this and they were happy with my model as I could show my workings. It may just tip you into a lower payment bracket, so worth checking where you fall in the payment bands. For example, if your total HE FTE came to 1,001, it's worth checking your calculations on non-recognised HE, and also withdrawals for all L4+, to see if you can justifiably get that below 1,000, and save yourself about £14k. Bearing in mind the guidance says "broad brush strokes", you've usually got a little wiggle room.

Whilst recognised HE STULOAD we get right at enrolment, I do a lot of the non-recognised STULOAD and withdrawal reductions in one go towards the end of the year when all withdrawals and enrolments have happened. OfS only use our R14 really, and it would be a colossal admin job to do this repeatedly throughout the year.

Thanks for your very informative and helpful reply :)  

Honestly I don't think we need any further information ! 5 gold* Great review on trip advisor and Up votes all over :)