Recurrent Grant Allocation Model

During the 2006/07 academic year, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) introduced a new mechanism for allocating recurrent grant funding to higher education institutions based on the calculation of weighted Full-Time Student Equivalents (FTSE) within subject price groups. The first return, in Michaelmas term 2006, was based on the student numbers registered in College for the academic year 2004/05.

Trinity College submitted the return based on the 2006/07 student numbers in Michaelmas Term 2007. The return for the 2007/08 academic year, made in July 2008, was expressed not in terms of the traditional FTSE calculation, as for previous returns, but in terms of ECTS credits for students on full-time programmes over one academic year up to a maximum of ninety ECTS credits for full-time students on postgraduate programmes of one calendar year’s duration. The return for 2008/09 was submitted on this basis, as will the return in future years.

College is also required to submit a ‘Book of Modules’ providing details of the modules for all taught courses together with their ECTS credit value and subject price group on an annual basis.

The allocation of modules to subject price groups is completed in accordance with the guidelines as set out in the attached Subject Price Group document.

The student data guidelines used in completing the return RGAM are set out below:

Student Numbers to be included

• The basic methodology for counting students is 60 credits per FTE undergraduate student per academic year. No undergraduate student may be funded for more than 60 credits for any one academic year
• Where research students (research masters and PhD) are active for the entire calendar year a maximum of 90 credits may be funded. In such cases an FTE of 1.5 and a research weighting of 2 rather than 3 will apply. This will be kept under review in the context of national and international approaches to credits.
• Student numbers and FTEs should reflect the position as at 1 st March in the normal way (i.e. post second registration). Students who withdrew before this time should not be included.
• Courses at level 8 or above: For grant allocation purposes student numbers on courses of study classified at National Qualifications Framework level 8 and above only are to be included, with the following exception: Adult Education, Distance Education, Outreach Education at level 8 and above

Research Student Numbers

• Include PhD students in year 1-4 only (ref 1.2 above)
• Include Masters students in year 1-2 only (ref 1.2 above)
• Masters Research and Masters Taught. Definition of Masters Research as opposed to Masters Taught is to be determined on the basis of credits. Any Research Masters degree should include a minimum of 90 research credits. A minimum of 75% of total credits should be research credits.

Students Funded from Other Sources

• Student numbers on courses funded from non-HEA sources (e.g. nursing) are excluded

In-Service

• Student numbers on in-service education courses are excluded

Occasional Students

• Occasional students are excluded. An occasional student is a student undertaking study not leading to an award. Students undertaking study leading to an award in another institution are counted as students of the other institution.

Erasmus/International

• For funding purposes, outgoing students are included and incoming students are excluded.

Non-EU Students

• Non-EU research students are included, but other Non-EU students are excluded although students with refugee status or those with humanitarian leave to remain are included.

Details on subject price groups can be downloaded here (MS Word )