All Students at providers in England where (EntryProfile.PERMADDCOUNTRY = XF, XG, XH, XI, XK, XL, GG, JE, IM or where Course.TTCID = 01) except where Engagement.INCOMINGEXCHANGE exists or (SessionStatus.STATUSCHANGEDTO = 02 for the entire reference period) or (Leaver.ENGENDDATE - Engagement.ENGSTARTDATE <= 14 days and RSNENGEND = 03, 05, 11, 12).
All Students at providers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland where EntryProfile.PERMADDCOUNTRY = XF, XG, XH, XI, XK, XL, GG, JE, IM except where Engagement.INCOMINGEXCHANGE exists or (SessionStatus.STATUSCHANGEDTO = 02 for the entire reference period) or (Leaver.ENGENDDATE - Engagement.ENGSTARTDATE <= 14 days and RSNENGEND = 03, 05, 11, 12).
Must not be returned for students outside the stated coverage.
Description
This field records the ethnicity of the student, on the basis of their own self-assessment.
Notes
Continuing students should be asked this question every year, and the data must be updated throughout a student's Engagement where applicable.
The data is recorded on the basis of the student’s own self-assessment.
899 Other ethnic background: this code should be used when a student declares their ethnicity as something not included in the coding frame.
997 Not known: this code should be used when the student themselves does not know this information. For example, this may be the case for individuals who were adopted.
998 Prefer not to say: this code should be used when the student does not wish to declare this information.
999 Not available: this code should be used when the provider is unable to obtain the data in order to submit it to HESA. Note that this option should not be presented to students explicitly.
The coverages of the valid entries have been aligned with the census in each country and are shown in the table below.
Suggested question for providers in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales: ‘What is your ethnicity or ethnic group?’
Suggested question for providers in Scotland: ‘What is your ethnic group or background?’
For students entering through UCAS this information will be available from UCAS via the *J transaction, however the legacy codes from 2021/22 will be supplied instead and there is no direct mapping to the 2022/23 codes. Providers are expected to survey students against the new coding frames each year. The details of the coding that will be provided by UCAS can be found in the *J specification.
Providers in Northern Ireland and Scotland will not be able to obtain all of the required information from the UCAS *J file and will need to survey students for ethnicity on registration.
Code
Label
E
S
W
NI
100
Asian - Bangladeshi or Bangladeshi British
Y
Y
Y
Y
101
Asian - Chinese or Chinese British
Y
Y
Y
Y
102
Asian - Filipino
Y
103
Asian - Indian or Indian British
Y
Y
Y
Y
104
Asian - Pakistani or Pakistani British
Y
Y
Y
Y
119
Any other Asian background
Y
Y
Y
Y
120
Black - African or African British
Y
Y
Y
Y
121
Black - Caribbean or Caribbean British
Y
Y
Y
Y
139
Any other Black background
Y
Y
Y
Y
140
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups - White or White British and Asian or Asian British
Y
Y
Y
Y
141
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups - White or White British and Black African or Black African British
Y
Y
Y
Y
142
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups - White or White British and Black Caribbean or Black Caribbean British
Y
Y
Y
Y
159
Any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background
Y
Y
Y
Y
160
White - English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish or British
Y
Y
161
White - English, Welsh, Northern Irish or British
Y
162
White - British, Irish, Northern Irish, English, Scottish or Welsh
Y
163
White - Gypsy or Irish Traveller
Y
Y
164
White - Gypsy or Traveller
Y
165
White - Irish Traveller
Y
166
White - Irish
Y
Y
Y
167
White - Polish
Y
Y
168
White - Roma
Y
Y
Y
Y
169
White - Scottish
Y
170
White - Showman / Showwoman
Y
179
Any other White background
Y
Y
Y
Y
180
Arab
Y
Y
Y
Y
899
Any other ethnic background
Y
Y
Y
Y
997
Not known
Y
Y
Y
Y
998
Prefer not to say
Y
Y
Y
Y
999
Not available
Y
Y
Y
Y
Reason Required
To monitor equal opportunities issues in the higher education sector and support higher education providers (HEPs) in meeting their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
Field Length
3
Quality Rules
Quality Rules to follow
Minimum Occurrence
0
Maximum Occurrence
1
Primary Key?
False
Valid Values
Code
Coding Frame Label
100
Asian - Bangladeshi or Bangladeshi British
101
Asian - Chinese or Chinese British
102
Asian - Filipino
103
Asian - Indian or Indian British
104
Asian - Pakistani or Pakistani British
119
Any other Asian background
120
Black - African or African British
121
Black - Caribbean or Caribbean British
139
Any other Black background
140
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups - White or White British and Asian or Asian British
141
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups - White or White British and Black African or Black African British
142
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups - White or White British and Black Caribbean or Black Caribbean British
159
Any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background
160
White - English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish or British
161
White - English, Welsh, Northern Irish or British
162
White - British, Irish, Northern Irish, English, Scottish or Welsh
163
White - Gypsy or Irish Traveller
164
White - Gypsy or Traveller
165
White - Irish Traveller
166
White - Irish
167
White - Polish
168
White - Roma
169
White - Scottish
170
White - Showman / Showwoman
179
Any other White background
180
Arab
899
Any other ethnic background
997
Not known
998
Prefer not to say
999
Not available
Revision History
Coding Manual Version
Element Version
Notes
1.0.0
1.0
Removal of reference to UCAS coding.
1.2.0
1.1
Guidance and suggested questions updated in line with the conclusions of the personal characteristics consultation.
1.3.0
1.2
Coverage updated to match legacy Student and Student Alternative return - change to exclude 2 week SLC rule, dormant students and incoming/exchange students.
Guidance added regarding the *J transaction.
1.5.0
1.3
Correction to amend options for providers in Northern Ireland, as code 164 is only available for providers in Scotland.
1.5.1
1.4
Coverage updated to match legacy Student and Student Alternative returns - Change to exclude 2 week SLC rule and where RSNENGEND = 03, 05, 11, 12.
