HESA opened a consultation in March 2026 to seek views from providers on the proposed changes to collecting cost centre information in the HESA student data model. As ModuleInstance dates are currently used to calculate Cost Centre FTE derivations, this also impacts the coverage of ModuleInstance date fields.
This consultation is the second in a series of consultations with the sector to support the transition from an annual retrospective student data collection to a cumulative in-year student data collection model. This consultation ran in parallel with the FTE consultation. These consultations are all working towards an announcement of the requirements for the 2028/29 Student in-year data specification by 31 July 2026.
This consultation ran from 16 March 2026 to 16 April 2026.
Our response
IHE supports the proposal to create a new StudentCourseSessionCostCentre entity to replace the existing ModuleCostCentre entity. We highlight that aggregating Module level cost centre data to StudentCourseSession level would impose moderate to high burden for many small and specialist providers. While alternative options were considered, the proposed approach is seen as the only viable option. We emphasised that the success of the proposed approach depends heavily on guidance that is stable, unambiguous and consistent across regulators.
IHE will continue to work closely with members and with HESA to ensure that the design and implementation of the in‑year collection model is workable, proportionate, and reflective of the diversity of delivery models across IHE's membership.
Read our full response using the download link below.