The collapse in part-time undergraduate study since 2008-9 does not show that people are turning away from taking degrees part-time, a new Higher Education Funding Council for England analysis shows.

Between 2008-9 and 2012-13 part-time undergraduate entrants fell by nearly 50 per cent to 157,700.

But Hefce statistics released today show that entrants taking ¡°first degrees¡± (which includes honours, ordinary and integrated master¡¯s degrees) part-time fell by just 13 per cent during this period.

Instead, the vast majority of the fall is due to students moving away from ¡°other¡± part-time undergraduate courses ¨C including foundation degrees, diplomas, Higher National Certificates and Diplomas and institutional credit ¨C where numbers have fallen from 231,000 to 104,500.

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According to a statement from Hefce chief executive Madeleine Atkins, the drop in these kinds of students is ¡°stark¡±.

¡°Explaining the declines, though, is not simple,¡± she said. ¡°A wide range of factors have affected these courses over a long period of time. The challenge in the future will be to support and develop high-quality higher education that meets the needs and aspirations of a diverse range of potential students and employers.¡±

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The analysis also shows that the number of students entering foundation degree courses, both full and part-time, peaked in 2009 before falling back ¡°sharply¡±.

However, it cautions that some of the fall in ¡°other¡± undergraduate courses could be down to changes in how institutions record data, although it is ¡°highly unlikely¡± this alone could explain such a big drop.

david.matthews@tsleducation.com