News

TRAC guidance for 2022-23 returns now available

July 2023

Version 2.8 of the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) guidance is now available. This version should be used for TRAC returns for the academic year 2022-23. A change log is provided at Annex 1.1a that identifies all updates. The Statement of Requirements document (at the bottom of the page)…

Read more

Invitation for new members of the TRAC Development Group

January 2023

We are inviting expressions of interest from potential members from across the UK to provide additional strength to the existing membership TRAC Development Group (TDG). Membership of the TDG provides a unique opportunity to contribute to improving the understanding of academic and financial sustainability of higher education institutions, at a…

Read more

TRAC guidance for 2021-22 returns now available

September 2022

Version 2.7 of the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) guidance is now available. This version should be used for TRAC returns for the academic year 2021-22. A change log is provided at Annex 1.1a to help identify updates. The Statement of Requirements document (at the bottom of the page)…

Read more

Analysis of the Annual TRAC return COVID-19 supplementary tables 2019-20

December 2021

Today, the Office for Students has published experimental official statistics which analyse the additional data collected in the COVID-19 supplementary tables within the 2019-20 TRAC return. The report shows, in aggregate for UK institutions, the extent of the estimated impacts of COVID-19-related changes on activities and costs reported in TRAC…

Read more

Review of TRAC 2021

November 2021

The UK Higher Education Regulators and Funders (Financial Sustainability) Group (RFG), consisting of representatives of the Office for Students, UK Research and Innovation and the higher education funding bodies for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, commissioned a review of the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC), in response to the government’s…

Read more

TRAC guidance for 2020-21 returns now available

September 2021

Version 2.6 of the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) guidance is now available. This version should be used for TRAC returns for the academic year 2020-21. A change log is provided at Annex 1.1a to help identify updates. The supplementary guidance to address issues arising from the impact of…

Read more

BUFDG TRAC 2020 Practitioners’ Conference

March 2021

The TRAC Practitioners’ Conference, a regular event for a number of years that consistently receives positive feedback, was held digitally in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. Links to the slides used at the event can be found on the BUFDG website (please note that this is only accessible…

Read more

TRAC guidance for 2019-20 returns now available

August 2020

Version 2.5 of the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) guidance is now available. This version should be used for TRAC returns for the academic year 2019-20. A change log is provided at Annex 1.1a to help identify updates. Also included is supplementary guidance (Annex 1.1b) to address issues arising from…

Read more

Academic workload planning: theory into practice

December 2019

The TRAC Development Group published a study on the implementation of workload planning in 2011. Today we have published a new report which reassesses the advice given in that study, and provides further guidance on how workload planning is being implemented across a growing number of institutions…

Read more

Invitation for new members to support the work of the group

December 2019

We would like to invite expressions of interest from potential members from across the UK to provide additional strength to the existing membership of the TRAC Development Group (TDG), offering insight from a Secretary, Registrar or Chief Operating Officer (or equivalent) background. Membership of the Group provides a unique opportunity…

Read more

About TRAC

Understanding costs in higher education

More about TRAC