The Office for Students has published guidance on the process for representations about multiplication factors that will be applied to Higher Education Students Early Statistics 2026-27 (HESES26) data when calculating funding full-time equivalent values for 2027-28. The guidance sets out who can make representations, the thresholds they must meet and the parameters for submission.
Key facts
- The guidance is for HESES26 multiplication factors representations.
- It applies to data collected in the Higher Education Students Early Statistics 2026-27 survey.
- The resulting multiplication factors will be used to determine funding FTE values for 2027-28.
- The document explains the full requirements for representations, including thresholds and submission parameters.
- The guidance was published by the Office for Students on 21 October 2026.
What does this mean for providers and students?
For higher education providers, the immediate implication is procedural: if they want HESES26 data to be considered under the representations process, they need to follow the Office for Students’ published requirements. Those requirements cover both the threshold a representation must meet and the parameters for submitting it.
For students and universities, the practical significance is indirect but important. The HESES26 multiplication factors will feed into funding full-time equivalent values for 2027-28, so the guidance sits within the wider mechanism used to determine how funding calculations are made for the coming cycle.
What has the Office for Students published?
The Office for Students has issued a document titled Multiplication factors representations process guidance. It is referenced as OfS 2026.51 and was published on 21 October 2026.
The guidance also sits alongside related HESES material, including HESES26 guidance for providers and links to multiplication factors guidance for previous academic years.
How does the HESES26 process work?
The guidance says the HESES26 survey data will have multiplication factors applied to it. Those factors are then used to determine funding full-time equivalent values for 2027-28.
The representations process exists so that providers can set out objections or requests for consideration within the framework defined by the OfS. The published guidance explains the requirements that representations must satisfy before they are considered.
Why does this matter for funding?
Because the multiplication factors affect funding FTE values, the guidance has a direct bearing on how HESES26 returns are translated into funding calculations for the 2027-28 year. That makes the process relevant to providers preparing data submissions and to the funding mechanism that follows.
