Student Wastage Julia Goldsworthy To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students, aged 21 years and under, withdrew from their higher education course in each year since 2003; and for what reasons they withdrew. Bill Rammell The standard measure of non-completion is the proportion of UK-domiciled full-time first degree starters of all ages who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution. The available information for higher education institutions in England is shown in table 1. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Percentage| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000/01 |15.0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001/02 |13.8 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002/03 |13.9 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003/04 |14.4 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004/05 |13.8 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Source:Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA| | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The available information on reasons for withdrawing from higher education courses is shown in table 2. This information covers students, aged 21 years and under, leaving first degree courses at English higher education institutions in each year, and includes students in their first, final and intervening years of study, irrespective of the year in which they began their course. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Year student left course |2002/03|2003/04|2004/05|2005/06| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Successful completion of course |120,350|123,240|126,935|130,480| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Transferred to another institution |2,460 |2,325 |2,440 |2,810 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Academic failure/left in bad standing/not permitted to progress |5,980 |6,215 |6,235 |6,860 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Health reasons |695 |710 |640 |680 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Death |80 |60 |85 |75 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Financial reasons |585 |605 |615 |610 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Other personal reasons and dropped out |8,190 |8,035 |8,370 |8,605 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Written off after lapse of time |1,515 |1,930 |1,965 |2,215 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Exclusion |245 |355 |535 |555 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Gone into employment |835 |865 |830 |880 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Other |4,695 |4,705 |5,030 |4,705 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Completion of course - result unknown |750 |685 |490 |445 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Unknown |1,810 |1,440 |1,055 |1,085 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Total who left course early having not transferred |25,380 |25,605 |25,850 |26,715 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Total who left in academic year |148,190|151,170|155,225|160,005| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Notes:1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5 so components may not sum to totals.2. Figures are based on a session population.Source:Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)| | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The reason for leaving information on the HESA Student Record should be treated with some caution, because the ‘Other personal reasons and dropped out’ and ‘Other’ fields are used extensively throughout the time-series. Institutions are not always able to record the precise reason for leaving. Furthermore, HESA allows only one reason for withdrawal to be recorded, however it is likely that many students leave for a combination of reasons. Tables 1 and 2 are based on different populations of students. Table 1 covers the cohort of full-time first degree starters of all ages in each year. Table 2 covers full-time and part-time first degree students aged 21 years and under leaving their courses in each year, regardless of the year of study or which year they began their course. Dr. Evan Harris To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students left university without finishing their courses in each year since 1997; and how many of these left due to financial reasons. Bill Rammell The standard measure of non-completion is the proportion of UK-domiciled full-time first degree starters of all ages who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution. The available information for higher education institutions in England is shown in Table 1. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Percentage| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000/01 |15.0 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001/02 |13.8 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002/03 |13.9 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003/04 |14.4 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004/05 |13.8 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Source:Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA.| | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The available information on reasons for withdrawing from higher education courses is shown in Table 2. This information covers students, aged 21 years and under, leaving first degree courses at English higher education institutions in each year, and includes students in their first, final and intervening years of study, irrespective of the year in which they began their course. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | |Of which: | |Of which: | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Year student left course |Total who left institution|Successful completion|Transferred to another institution|Total who left course early having not transferred|Financial reasons|Other reasons| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |1997/98 |223,200 |181,680 |3,360 |38,155 |1,225|36,930| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |1998/99 |220,290 |183,300 |3,375 |33,615 |1,550|32,065| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |1999/2000 |229,365 |186,650 |3,265 |39,455 |1,345|38,110| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2000/01 |226,020 |185,075 |3,160 |37,785 |1,225|36,560| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2001/02 |231,450 |188,200 |3,915 |39,335 |1,080|38,260| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2002/03 |237,485 |194,080 |2,955 |40,445 |1,220|39,225| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2003/04 |252,700 |207,175 |2,845 |42,685 |1,210|41,475| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2004/05 |261,385 |214,295 |2,900 |44,190 |1,280|42,910| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |2005/06 |272,685 |223,100 |3,975 |45,610 |1,285|44,325| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Notes:1. The totals in the second column (total who left institution) are made up of the figures in the third, fourth and fifth columns; the totals in the fifth column (total who left course early having not transferred) are made up of the figures in the sixth and seventh columns.2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5 so components may not sum to totals.3. Figures are based on a session population.Source:Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).| | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The reason for leaving information on the HESA student record should be treated with some caution, because the ‘Other personal reasons and dropped out’ and ‘Other’ fields are used extensively throughout the time-series. Institutions are not always able to record the precise reason for leaving. Furthermore, HESA allows only one reason for withdrawal to be recorded, however it is likely that many students leave for a combination of reasons. The aforementioned figures are therefore likely to show an underestimate of the number of students leaving for financial reasons. Tables 1 and 2 are based on different populations of students. Table 1 covers the cohort of full-time first degree starters of all ages in each year. Table 2 covers full-time and part-time first degree students aged 21 years and under leaving their courses in each year, regardless of the year of study or which year they began their course. Mr. Rob Wilson To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the dropout rate from university courses was in each of the last 15 years. Bill Rammell The latest available projected non-completion indicators for entrants to full-time first degree courses are shown in the table. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Academic year |Percentage| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1996-97 |15.8 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1997-98 |15.7 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1998-99 |15.8 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999-2000 |15.9 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000-01 |15.0 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001-02 |14.1 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002-03 |14.4 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003-04 |14.9 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004-05 |14.2 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Source:‘Performance Indicators in Higher Education’, published by HESA| | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) publishes these projected non-completion indicators in its Performance Indicators in Higher Education publication each year. Figures are not available for earlier years.