Finance Committee (FIN(4)-1-14 (ptn 2)

Higher Education Funding

Additional information received from Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)

The reference in paragraph 24 of the transcript for the meeting held on 27 November 2013, that Wales does not have universities in the top 200 in the world and suggest that you may wish to provide the source for this information, which is the Times World Rankings.  Other league tables give a different picture, for example, the QS World University Rankings include Cardiff University at 136.   Similarly, whilst Scotland has five universities in the top 200 in the Times World Rankings, they have only 4 in the QS.

In terms of numbers of students studying through the medium of Welsh, the HEFCW information is as follows:

HEFCW Corporate Strategy 2010-2013 measure:  The number of Welsh-domiciled students at Welsh higher education institutions and further education institutions undertaking some element of their course through the medium of Welsh will rise from 4,586 in 2008/09 to 5,509 in 2012/13.

2008/09:  4,586:               

2011/12 (confirmed figure):  4,328 (a reduction of 258)       

2012/13 (forecast - HEIs only):  4,707

The figure of 258 represents a 5.6% reduction in numbers between 2008/09 and 2011/12 (the penultimate year of the target).

We will be able to provide information about Welsh students studying in England early in the New Year.