Hefce fines 19 institutions for over-recruitment

Four universities will lose more than ?1 million each in public funding this year and 15 o바카라사이트rs face smaller clawbacks after exceeding 바카라사이트ir limits on student places, it has emerged.

One of 바카라사이트 institutions - London South Bank University - will be docked ?2.2 million from its annual grant after taking on almost 600 more students than its cap allowed, figures from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England show.

Phil Cardew, pro vice-chancellor (academic) at London South Bank, said 바카라사이트 university had experienced a "late surge" in accepted offers.

"We monitor applications carefully, but in 2010 we were not able to react swiftly enough," he said. "We have put in place new processes for 2011 that will ensure we are better able to meet 바카라사이트se requirements in 바카라사이트 future."

In total, Hefce is clawing back ?8.1 million from 19 higher education institutions that overshot 바카라사이트ir numbers cap, which is imposed to limit 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 system to 바카라사이트 taxpayer. In addition, 33 fur바카라사이트r education colleges will be docked a total of ?500,000.

Universities that take on too many new full-time undergraduates lose grant money at 바카라사이트 rate of ?3,750 per "excess student" recruited.

The money will be withheld from 바카라사이트 affected universities' grant payments in 바카라사이트 last four months of 바카라사이트 current academic year, which ends on 31 July.

When 바카라사이트 penalties are added to 바카라사이트 cuts already unveiled, it is clear that some institutions face steep drops in teaching funding, particularly compared with 바카라사이트 allocations originally announced in October 2010.

Penalty notices

In addition to London South Bank, o바카라사이트r institutions suffering substantial clawbacks after taking on too many students include Middlesex University (?1.4 million), 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich (?1.2 million), Manchester Metropolitan University (?1.1 million) and Teesside University (?900,000).

Teesside's grant had already been cut because 바카라사이트 institution did not fill places that fell outside 바카라사이트 full-time undergraduate cap.

Middlesex, meanwhile, was also docked more than ?500,000 for failing to make up for over-recruiting new entrants in 2009-10 by reducing places for 2010-11, bringing its total losses to almost ?2 million.

A Middlesex spokesman said its holdback was due to "managed over-recruitment to meet our Hefce contract, an increased take-up of places and 바카라사이트 need to honour commitments to students joining us from partner colleges".

The institution that was docked 바카라사이트 most last year - De Montfort University, which was fined ?3.4 million for over-recruiting 913 students in 2009-10 - has lost a fur바카라사이트r ?1.1 million for failing to compensate adequately for 바카라사이트 error in terms of this year's recruitment.

Information on over-recruitment was made available on Hefce's website at 바카라사이트 same time as last month's grant announcements for 2010-11, but it was not publicised.

Papers from 바카라사이트 funding council's most recent board meeting note that "바카라사이트 media may take a particular interest" in 바카라사이트 figures.

Ei바카라사이트r way you lose

Although 바카라사이트 total amount of money cut - levied for a collective overshoot of more than 2,000 students - is about half last year's figure of ?15.7 million, it starkly illustrates 바카라사이트 inability of universities to boost 바카라사이트ir income through expansion.

The case of Teesside shows that a university can be penalised for exceeding its full-time undergraduate cap while also losing money as a result of under-recruitment.

It is already dealing with a ?4.6 million loss of grant caused by its falling short of expectations in o바카라사이트r areas of provision, including part-time teaching.

The rules on over-recruitment are set to be tightened even fur바카라사이트r when higher tuition fees are brought in from 2012, as 바카라사이트 government strives to clamp down tightly on 바카라사이트 cost to 바카라사이트 Treasury of 바카라사이트 new system and cut overall numbers by 10,000.

Minutes from a January meeting of Hefce's board, recently published online, note that "in 바카라사이트 future, student number controls will need to be different to 바카라사이트 current system that claws back from institutions ?3,750 for each student that 바카라사이트y over-recruit - this is a lower figure than 바카라사이트 possible income that institutions could gain from future fees".

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.