Data collection
HESF
The guidance for the Higher Education Students Forecast 2025-26 (HESF25) survey will be released later this year. Until that guidance is published, this page sets out information relating to HESF24, as this guidance is comparable for any providers that may be required to complete HESF25.
The data collected in the Higher Education Students Forecast 2024-25 (HESF24) survey will provide a forecast of the number of students on higher education courses recognised for OfS funding purposes who are expected to be studying in the academic year 2024-25. This will inform the initial allocation of teaching funds for the academic year 2024-25.
This return is for higher education providers that:
- have registered with the OfS in the Approved (fee cap) category
- do not have higher education provision recognised for OfS funding purposes in 2023-24
- will offer higher education provision recognised for OfS funding purposes in 2024-25.
HESF24 guidance
Our HESF24 guidance document sets out the requirements for the HESF24 return.
Supporting documents
Appendix 1: Downloading and submitting HESF24
Appendix 2: Validation checks on HESF24 data
Important dates in the HESF24 process
Providers may be asked to complete HESF24 at any point in the 2023-24 academic year (depending on when they become registered). In such cases we will provide relevant deadlines, and will announce any 2024-25 grant allocations later in the year (after HESF24 data has been collected and verified). We will work towards the following timetable:
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
|
Workbook release |
HESF24 workbooks will be made available to relevant providers via the OfS portal (once they are registered). Providers will be required to download this workbook to complete ahead of the submission deadline. |
|
Submission deadline |
This is the deadline by which providers will be expected to return HESF data. This will be based on when the provider was registered (to ensure a reasonable time for completion of the workbook ahead of submission). Workbooks must be submitted through the OfS portal by noon on the deadline date. |
|
Data verification phase |
After a provider makes their initial submission of HESF24, we will review their workbook. Student data contacts at providers will be asked to verify, and answer any questions about the data, to provide confidence to us in the accuracy of the data and that we understand the basis for the predictions that have been made. |
|
Sign-off deadline |
Once data verification is complete, the HESF24 data must be signed off by the provider's accountable officer as being a realistic forecast of the student numbers that the provider will have in 2024-25. Immediately after the sign-off deadline, we will start using the HESF data to calculate the provider's grant for 2024-25. |
Contact us
If you have any queries, please contact [email protected].
Related links
17 October 2023 - Added link to HESF24 guidance and supporting documents.
14 September 2023 - Dates updated for HESF24
05 May 2023 - Replaced sample tables file (slight amendment to wording of validation check 6 on table 2)
06 April 2023 - Added supporting documents for HESF23
15 March 2023 - Link added to HESF23 guidance, and 'important dates' section updated.
20 September 2022 - Updated for HESF23
22 September 2021 - Updated for HESF22
02 August 2021 - Information updated to refer to HESF22
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