The Education Funding Agency (EFA) is to replace the current funding formula with a payment per student system in 2013/14.

The reforms, outlined in the ‘16-19 funding formula review’, will affect all EFA funded provision for 16 to 19 year-olds, as well as students aged 24 or below with a learning disability or health and care plan.

Total programme funding will be calculated using student numbers, multiplied by a number of other factors including the national funding rate per student, level of retention and programme cost.

This will fund a programme of study for around 600 guided learning hours for all students”

The simplified formula will replace the existing system entirely, which currently funds each qualification a student is enrolled on individually.

The Agency said they hope to fund all full time programmes at a single funding rate, and remove the need to convert guided learning hours into a standard learner number (SLN).

The report reads: “We are introducing a single basic funding rate per full time student per year regardless of where and what they study. This will fund a programme of study for around 600 guided learning hours for all students.”

Meanwhile Additional Learning Support (ALS) will be calculated on a flat rate, rather a sliding scale, removing the need for a two part calculation.

Other changes include reducing the number of programme cost weightings, removing the achievement element of the success factor, and removing the short course modifier, among others.

“Our ambition is for a simple, transparent and fair funding system for all 16 to 19 year olds and those up to age 24 if they have a Learning Difficulty Assessment, to support full participation,” the EFA said.

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5 Comments

  1. Mark Browne

    Funding at a single Full Time Rate and four bands for Part Time was not one of the options presented was it? Seems we have a hybrid of the options in the consultation. The application of Transitional Protection (the EFA taketh) and the Formula Protection Funding (the EFA giveth) seems to indicate that the eventual rate per funding may not be too dissimilar to where we are now. Using a single rate was Gove’s preferred choice but implementing by 2013/14 was always going to be too disruptive – hence the commitment for protection up to and including 2015/16. Seems to me that the consultation paid little more than lip service to the sector and this was a done deal from the start. Still, if my understanding is right that the 2012/13 funding rate per learner, per institution, is ‘protected’ for three years offers back a bit of stability – for now. As to how retention will be measured per learner – good luck on that one!

  2. Paul Baker

    Check out the responses to Q7a and Q16 in the responses to the ‘consultation’.

    http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/studentsupport/funding/a00210682/funding-formula-review

    Q7a 79% disagree or strongly disagree with a single flat rate for full-time learners and they introduce it anyway.

    Q16 76% in favour of keeping success factor but instead they’ve plumped for a retention factor (option 3b) which only received 7% support.

  3. Lewis

    “This will fund a programme of study for around 600 guided learning hours for all students.”

    600GLH divided by 450 = 1.333 SLN

    It mentions dropping SLN rates however if you calculate funding per GLH on current formula this would be a huge reducation compared to the current cap of 1.56 SLN which equates to just over 700 GLH funded.

    Seems just another way of cutting funding per learner…..