Guidance

Provision recognised as higher education for Office for Students funding purposes

Updated 22 December 2021

Applies to England

1. Introduction

This guidance contains details of how you can use the learning aims reference service (LARS) for qualifications recognised as higher education for Office for Students (OfS) funding purposes. These qualifications were known as ‘prescribed higher education’ until 31 July 2019.

We have created this technical guidance for management information managers and software suppliers, and/or your relevant personnel responsible for making:

• applications for new qualifications on the LARS such as within an apprenticeship standard or freestanding
• amendments to existing qualifications
• data returns through the individualised learner record (ILR)

2. Understanding our terminology

The terms ‘we’, ‘our’, ‘us’ and ‘ESFA’ refer to the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

We use the terms ‘you’ or ‘your’ to refer to higher education institutions (HEIs) or other training providers.

Find a learning aim (FALA) is the search engine used for data held on LARS.

LARS refers to the database holding all data relating to qualifications, apprenticeships, units, T Levels and learning aim class codes.

3. Changes to the system from version 2 to version 3

There are no changes to how we validate your qualifications or make them live on the LARS.

Additional sections have been added to the application form to enable better understanding of the requests.

4. The purpose of the LARS

The purpose of the LARS is to:

• provide a quality service to you and associated organisations
• produce effective reference data while minimising administration across stakeholders
• enable downstream processes to operate efficiently, allowing for quality, audit and value for money processes
• provide effectual governance of the process to ensure that only valid, timely and robust data is published

5. Request for new qualification(s) on the LARS

You may ask us to enter new qualifications onto the LARS using the higher education learning aim request form. This can be found on the learning aims reference service webpage and the ILR: sources of data.

You must also supply a validation letter confirming the details of the qualification and authorising its inclusion. See the validation letter – minimum requirements section.

We recommend you request learning aims throughout the academic year to ensure your ILR submissions are up to date.

You must email the request form and validation to [email protected]. We will refer this information back to you where you need to make changes or where further information is required. We will confirm, by email, an 8 digit learning aim reference number for your qualification.

We will publish the qualification on the LARS in line with the data maintenance schedule.

6. Completion of the higher education learning aim request form for new qualifications

To ensure we can process your request, this section explains how to complete the higher education learning aim request form for a new qualification to the LARS.

You must include the following details from the ‘provider details’ section of the form. These are required so we know whom to contact about this qualification in future for updates and for audit purposes. If you do not complete all of these fields, we will send the form back requesting more information.

6.1 Provider details

Provider name	The name of your organisation
Provider number	Your UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN) from the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP)
Contact name	Your name
Contact title	Your job title
Telephone number	Your contact telephone number
Email address	Your email address

You must include the following details from the ‘learning aim details’ section. If you do not complete any of these fields, we will send the form back requesting more information.

6.2 Learning aim details

Learning aim title

The title of your learning aim/validated award – this must be a maximum 250 characters. Please ensure you do not already have a qualification on the LARS with the same title. If the qualification is required for an apprenticeship standard, please indicate which one within the title, such as in the example below:

BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing – University of XXXXXX – Registered Nurse (NMC 2018) Standard.

The provider name in the title is that which is delivering the provision, not the validating organisation.

Awarding body/institution

This is the name of the awarding body/HEI.

Learning aim type description

The type of the aim, for example:

• Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
• Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
• Post Graduate Diploma in Education

For a list of the learning aim type descriptions agreed with the OfS, please see annex A.

Level

Level 1 to 8 as applicable.

Recognised higher education for OfS funding purposes Y/N

Completion of this section has been requested by the OfS. See annex B, paragraphs 1 to 3, of higher education students early statistics survey 2021 to 2022 guidance.

Credit value

You should complete this value, if known – this will become a mandatory requirement on introduction of the lifelong loan entitlement in 2025.

Learn Direct Classification Code (LDCC)

The LDCC code as used by OfS.

This can be found on the learning aims reference service webpage, adult education funding and the ILR: sources of data. It can also be obtained from the OfS. If you do not supply the LDCC code, we will assign a code for you.

Sector subject area (SSA) tier 2 codes

A full list of SSA tier 2 codes is in annex B. If you do not supply the SSA, we will assign a code for you.

Academic year

This should be the academic year that you want the qualification to be available for. For example, academic year 2021 to 2022, which starts on 1 August 2021 and ends 31 July 2022, to indicate the year that the qualification will be first available for ILR submissions.

Start date

The date from when learners can first start on this qualification. This is not necessarily the beginning of the academic year, but cannot be before that year. For example, the academic year used before it can be no earlier than 1 August 2021.

7. Completion of the higher education learning aim request form for amended qualifications

It is important to update the LARS with any changes to qualifications. You must use the same form as for requesting new qualifications, but you complete the ‘amendment to learning aims details’ section instead of the ‘new learning aims details’ section.

In the ‘amendment to learning aims details’ section, you must supply the learning aim reference number and qualification title to identify the aim you want us to amend.

It is important to include in the ‘amendment details’ section the date from when the amendment must take effect. We hold 2 dates against every qualification relating to when they stop:

• ‘last date for new starts’ – this date stops new starters to the qualification but allows existing learners to continue their learning
• ‘end date’ – no learner can continue their learning beyond this date, and usually relates to the last time you can claim a certificate

Our systems for processing the ILR check both of these dates when providers submit their ILR data to ensure the qualification is available both for new starts but also has available certification for their ‘planned end date’.

We will leave the ‘last date for new starts’ and ‘end date’ blank unless you inform us. For providers and learners, it is more beneficial if you inform us of these dates.

8. Validation letter – minimum requirements

You must supply all higher education learning aim request forms with a validation letter. This confirms that your qualification has completed your internal validation processes authorising it to be included within the LARS. An example of a validation letter is below.

The letter must be on headed paper, including your organisational logo, and be signed or include an electronic signature. The signatory must be a suitably qualified person to confirm the internal award/course validation process has taken place. For instance, the higher education learning aim request form may be requested by the course director and the validation letter signed by the Quality Director or Chair of the Validation Panel.

We accept minutes of a meeting, or similar documentation, as a form of a validation letter. As a governance measure to ensure validity, the document must have the official letterhead and/or logo of the organisation. There must be signature or electronic signature from an authorised person to confirm the details within that document – see the example below:

University/ Provider Logo

DD/MM/YYYY

Mr J Smith
Head of Curriculum Development
< Name of HEI, provider or college >
Coventry
ZZ99 9ZZ

Dear < Name of person >,

Title of course(s):

I confirm that the Name of course is a validated award of the validating institution this course will be delivered by < name of institution > from start date of course.

This qualification is for use in the following standard (Example) Foundation Degree in Nursing – University of XXXX – Nursing Associate Standard

In accordance with validating institution policy, this award remains in continuous approval and is subject to periodic review at number yearly intervals.

Yours sincerely,

Ms Somebody e.g. Chair of Validation Panel, Dean, Head of Quality

9. OfS cut-off dates

The OfS maintains a set of dates by which you need to register these qualifications on the LARS to receive funding.

For the academic year 2021 to 2022, the last date on which requests must be received is Friday 23 September 2022.

10. How to use find a learning aim (FALA) to search for your courses

FALA is the search facility for ESFA qualifications, learning aim class codes and apprenticeships.

There are several ways a search can be performed. The main screen allows a search for individual qualifications or groups.

If you leave the search box blank and press ‘search’, the following filters will appear:

• ‘awarding body’
• ‘level’
• ‘funding stream’
• ‘EFA funding condition’
• ‘category’
• ‘sector subject area’

For example, choosing the filter for ‘awarding body’ and selecting ‘XXXXXXX University’ allows just the qualifications at that awarding body to be shown.

The results are displayed in learning aim reference order.

Once a qualification is selected, the following tabs will appear:

• ‘overview’
• ‘funding’
• ‘frameworks’
• ‘category’
• ‘basic skills’
• ‘key dates’
• ‘Learn Direct class system’

Under the ‘overview’ tab, you will see the following categories listed:

• ‘reference’
• ‘level’
• ‘awarding body’
• ‘type’
• ‘guided learning hours’
• ‘level 3 category’
• ‘level 2 category’
• ‘Ofqual total qualification time’
• ‘minimum Ofqual guided learning hours’
• ‘maximum Ofqual guided learning hours’
• ‘subject sector area 1 tier 1’
• ‘subject sector area tier 2’
• ‘last modified’

If any of the above options do not apply to the qualification you’ve selected, you will see ‘not applicable’ written next to it.

11. Annex A: Learning aim type descriptions

Learning aim type description	Learning aim type description code	LARS code
Bachelor of Education	BEd	1409
Bachelor of Engineering	BEng	9107
Bachelor of Music Performance Degree	BMus Perf Deg	394
Bachelor of Science	BSc	9002
Bachelor of Arts	BA	9000
Certificate in Education	Certificate in Education	1465
Certificate in Education and Training (36 credits, HEI approved)	Cert in Education & Training (36 Credits)	1457
Certificate of Education (CertEd)	CertEd	9111
Degree Apprenticeship (Bachelors)	Degree Apprenticeship (Bachelors)	1462
Degree Apprenticeship (Masters)	Degree Apprenticeship (Masters)	1463
Diploma in Education and Training (120 credits, HEI approved)	DIP in Education & Training (120 Credits)	1458
Diploma in Education and Training (45 credits, HEI approved)	Dip in Education & Training (45 Credits)	1459
Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)	DipHE	9112
Foundation Degree	Foundation Deg	9110
Graduate Diploma	Graduate Dip	71
Higher Certificate	Higher Cert	84
Higher Diploma	Higher Dip	24
Higher National Certificate to Higher National Diploma	HNC to HND Conv Code	1454
(HNC to HND) Conversion Code
HNC	HNC	31
HND	HND	32
LLB – Bachelor of Laws	LLB	1407
LLM – Master of Laws	LLM	9114
Masters	MA	2001
Masters of Business Administration	MBA	9109
MEd – Masters degree in Education	MEd	1410
Master of Research	Mres	1464
Masters of Science	MSc	9101
PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education)	PGCE	9103
Postgraduate Certificate	Postgraduate Cert	65
Postgraduate Diploma	Postgraduate Dip	125
Postgraduate Diploma in Education	Postgrad Dip in Educ	6004
Professional Diploma	Prof Dip	111
Professional Graduate Certificate in Education	PGCE	9115
University Certificate	University Cert	9001
CPD and Micro-credentials	CPD/Micro-credentials	9116
Modules	Modules	9117

12. Annex B: SSA tier 2 codes

SSAs are a nationally used method of grouping aims for funding and management information purposes. These feed into many publications relating to national statistics, qualification success rates and contract management.

All new aims must be associated with an SSA tier 2; a full list is below:

SSA	SSA tier 2 description
1	Health, public services and care
1.1	Medicine and dentistry
1.2	Nursing and subjects and vocations allied to medicine
1.3	Health and social care
1.4	Public services
1.5	Child development and wellbeing
2.	Science and mathematics
2.1	Science
2.2	Mathematics and statistics
3.	Agriculture, horticulture and animal care
3.1	Agriculture
3.2	Horticulture and forestry
3.3	Animal care and veterinary science
3.4	Environmental conservation
4.	Engineering and manufacturing technologies
4.1	Engineering
4.2	Manufacturing technologies
4.3	Transportation operations and maintenance
5.	Construction, planning and the built environment
5.1	Architecture
5.2	Building and construction
5.3	Urban, rural and regional planning
6.	Information and communication technology
6.1	ICT practitioners
6.2	ICT for users
7.	Retail and commercial enterprise
7.1	Retailing and wholesaling
7.2	Warehousing and distribution
7.3	Service enterprises
7.4	Hospitality and catering
8.	Leisure, travel and tourism
8.1	Sport, leisure and recreation
8.2	Travel and tourism
9.	Arts, media and publishing
9.1	Performing arts
9.2	Crafts, creative arts and design
9.3	Media and communication
9.4	Publishing and information services
10.	History, philosophy and theology
10.1	History
10.2	Archaeology and archaeological sciences
10.3	Philosophy
10.4	Theology and religious studies
11.	Social sciences
11.1	Geography
11.2	Sociology and social policy
11.3	Politics
11.4	Economics
11.5	Anthropology
12.	Languages, literature and culture
12.1	Languages, literature and culture of the British Isles
12.2	Other languages, literature and culture
12.3	Linguistics
13.	Education and training
13.1	Teaching and lecturing
13.2	Direct learning support
14.	Preparation for life and work
14.1	Foundations for learning and life
14.2	Preparation for work
15.	Business, administration and law
15.1	Accounting and finance
15.2	Administration
15.3	Business management
15.4	Marketing and sales
15.5	Law and legal services