Funding calculations and categories - Student Achievement Component funding

(Reference Code: 2915)

Methods to determine the Equivalent Full-Time Student value of qualifications

Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) must use the methods described on this page to determine the appropriate workload involved in qualifications so that they can be appropriately funded for delivering those qualifications.

Topics on this page:

A. Credits or points
B. Learning hours
C. Full-time weeks
Convergence of methods
Full-year qualifications

Rule SAC034: When determining the Equivalent Full Time Student (EFTS) value of qualifications, tertiary education organisations (TEOs) must:

Use the following three methods to determine the EFTS value:

Credits or points
Learning hours
Full-time weeks

Determine the EFTS value of a qualification using the credits or points method, and then check the result by the hours and weeks of learning time methods
Ensure that a qualification designed to be delivered within a year (any 12 month period) is limited to a maximum of one EFTS unit, even if there are more than 120 credits, 1,200 hours, or 34 weeks, unless the Tertiary Education Commission has approved an exception to this limit.

For the exception to these requirements, see Accelerated and compressed programmes of study.

A. Credits or points

Credits and points measure the average amount of learning needed to complete the qualification or part of the qualification.

Rule SAC035: When calculating the Equivalent Full-Time Student (EFTS) value using the credits or points method, a tertiary education organisation must:

Ensure that approval documentation includes the total credits or points required for the qualification to establish its EFTS value
Calculate the EFTS value of a qualification using credits as follows:

Determine the standard number of credits that equate to one full-time year of study
Determine the number of credits for the qualification
Divide the qualification credits by the standard number of credits for one full-time year of study

Check the credit or points EFTS value against the hours and weeks of the learning hours and full-time weeks methods.

Example:

There are 120 credits for a standard full-time year of study
The qualification has 60 credits
Divide the qualification credits (60) by a full year’s credits (120) to give an EFTS value of 60/120 = 0.5 EFTS units.

B. Learning hours

Rule SAC036: To calculate the Equivalent Full-Time Student (EFTS) value of a qualification using the learning hours method, a tertiary education organisation must:

Determine the qualification’s total learning hours
Divide this by the standard measurement of a full-time year (1,200 hours).

Example:

The total learning hours for one semester are 600 hours
Divide the learning hours by the standard 1200 hours for a full-time year to give an EFTS value of 600/1200 = 0.5 EFTS units.

Rule SAC037: Learning hours include:

Lecturer and tutor contact hours, including workshops and tutorials.
Tests and assignments
Supervised practical placements
Study time
Self-directed learning with tutorial support available
Exam periods.

C. Full-time weeks

Full-time weeks of learning are known as teaching or tuition weeks.

Rule SAC038: Full-time weeks of learning include:

Lecturer and tutor contact hours, including workshops and tutorials
Tests and assignments
Supervised practical placements
Study time
Self-directed learning with tutorial support available
Exam periods.

Rule SAC039: To calculate the Equivalent Full-Time Student value based on the standard full-time equivalent teaching weeks (34) of learning, a tertiary education organisation must determine the length of the qualification in weeks and then do one of the following:

Divide this number by 34
Multiply this number by 0.03.

Example:

If the qualification has a length of 17 weeks, a TEO must do one of the following:

Divide 17 by 34 to give an EFTS value of 17/34 = 0.5
Multiply 17 by 0.03 to give an EFTS value of 17 x 0.03 = 0.51.

Convergence of methods

Rule SAC040: Tertiary education organisations must provide information on the above three methods when they enter the qualification details on the TEC Qualifications Register.

For more information on entering qualification details on the TEC Qualifications Register, see the Services for Tertiary Education Organisations website and the TEC Qualifications Register.

The convergence of these three methods is a signal that learners studying for a qualification are undertaking a normal and reasonable workload. When they do not converge, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) discusses with the TEO the issues this raises, including the most appropriate method to measure the EFTS value of the qualification.

Full-year qualifications

Rule SAC059: When a qualification, up to and including National Qualifications Framework level 7, comprises a full teaching year of between 34 and 52 weeks it has an Equivalent Full-Time Student value of one unit, unless the Tertiary Education Commission has approved an exception to this limit.

In exceptional circumstances, the TEC negotiates variations with individual TEOs. Negotiation is based on evidence provided by the TEO that justifies the variation.

TEOs wishing to offer intensive or compressed programmes and claim one EFTS unit for a teaching year of less than 34 weeks, or more than one EFTS per year for a qualification, should see Accelerated and compressed programmes of study.