This publication is categorised as a CSO Frontier Series Output. Particular care must be taken when interpreting the statistics in this release as it may use new methods which are under development and/or data sources which may be incomplete, for example new administrative data sources.
This chapter covers statistics on the outcomes of new entrants to honours degree programmes. An Honours Degree is typically awarded following successful completion of a programme of three to four years’ duration at NFQ level 8 in a recognised higher education institution. Entry into honours degree programmes is typically for school leavers or those with equivalent qualifications.
For the academic years 2012 - 2017, a total of 176,348 individuals started an honours degree programme for the first time. Some 45% of these new entrants received either a SUSI maintenance grant to help with living costs, a fee grant towards tuition fees, or both. Of all new entrants, 15,739 were aged 23 years and over, and 68% of these, received a support from SUSI.
The following analysis combines all new entrants for the academic years 2012 to 2017 and provides detailed breakdowns of both their final degree results and their destinations five years after enrolment. Descriptions of the outcome definitions and SUSI classifications are provided in the Background Notes.
Eligibility for a SUSI grant is determined on several criteria including nationality, residency, income, previous education (and progression) and attending an approved course in an approved institution. Once a student or learner is deemed eligible the amount they receive is based on their proximity to the institution.
In order to provide SUSI with a greater understanding of the differences in outcomes, additional model-based estimates of students are provided.
To be eligible for SUSI funding, an applicant's household income must fall below specific income thresholds. The household income calculation depends on whether the applicant is classed as dependent or independent by SUSI. All new entrants under the age of 23 are automatically classified as dependent.
SUSI are particularly interested in the classification of students aged 23 years and over who did not receive support and this classification is achieved using model-based estimation.
How much funding an eligible SUSI applicant receives depends on the distance they normally live from the college they are going to attend. A higher grant rate is paid to those who live further from the college. SUSI refer to the distance an applicant normally lives from the college as adjacency.
While SUSI already has data on adjacency for all grant recipients, the adjacency classification for those who did not receive any support is estimated using additional CSO data.
For new entrants of all ages, 58% achieved a grade of H1 or H2.1. For those who received SUSI support the figure was 53% compared to 63% of those who did not.
The non-completion rate for all new entrants was 18%. For those who received SUSI support, 22% did not complete, compared to 15% of new entrants who did not receive SUSI support.
The non-completion rate for new entrants aged 23 years and over was 31%. For those who received SUSI support, 29% did not complete their degree compared with 35% for those who did not receive SUSI support.
Note about the sub-category “Did not receive SUSI support” in the following data:
The classifications of “Dependency and Adjacency” for those who did not receive SUSI support were assigned using automated classification models based on student characteristics and geographical information. These classifications are included for statistical comparison purposes only. Please see Methodology for an explanation of the methods.
For the academic years 2012 - 2017, a total of 15,739 individuals aged 23 years and over started an honours degree programme for the first time, 62% of whom were classified as mature independent. Those in receipt of maintenance or fee grants were classified by SUSI and those not in receipt of support were classified using an AI model. For mature independent students, 28% of those who received SUSI support did not complete their degree compared with 34% for those who did not receive support based on model estimates.
In the remaining 38% who were classified as mature dependent, 31% of those who received SUSI support did not complete their degree compared with 35% for those who did not receive support based on model estimates.
The non-completion rate for all adjacent new entrants was 18%. For those who received SUSI support, 24% did not complete, compared to 14% for those who did not receive SUSI support based on model estimates.
The non-completion rate for all non-adjacent new entrants was 18%. For those who received SUSI support, 20% did not complete their degree compared to 14% for those who did not receive SUSI support based on model estimates.
Figure 2.5 shows the destination outcomes for the 176,348 new entrants to honours degree programs. Five years after enrolment, 58% are in 'Employment only'. When the categories of 'Employment only' and 'Employment and Education' are combined, there is no significant difference in the destination outcomes for those that received SUSI support and those who did not. In both cohorts, 80% of students were found in either 'Employment only' or 'Employment and Education' five years after enrolment.
The destination outcomes for both mature dependent and mature independent new entrants are shown in Figure 2.6. For mature dependent new entrants, 17% of those who received SUSI support were found to be neither in employment nor education compared with 12% for those who did not receive SUSI support based on model estimates. For mature independent new entrants, there is no significant difference in the destination outcomes for those that received support compared to those who did not based on model estimates.
Five years after enrolment, 8% of all adjacent new entrants were neither in employment nor education. For those who received SUSI support, the figure was 9%, compared to 7% for those who did not receive SUSI support based on model estimates.
Some 7% off all non-adjacent new entrants were neither found in employment nor education five years after enrolment. For those who received SUSI support, the figure was 7%, compared to 6% for those who did not receive SUSI support based on model estimates.
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