Financial Governance
Bath Spa University Financial Statements
The University publishes its annual report and financial statements following formal approval at the December meeting of the Board of Governors. Annual reports and financial statements for previous years are available online and available for download below.
Our financial statements
To request copies of financial statements pre-dating those above, please submit a Freedom of Information request.
Further information can also be found in our Financial Regulations Document.
How we spend student fees
How do student fees contribute to University income?
The income from student fees is the largest single source of income for the University and represents about 80% of the total income of the University. The rest of our income comes from accommodation and grants from the central government.
| Source of income | Income £m |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees and Education Contracts | 65 |
| Funding Council Grants | 5 |
| Research | 2 |
| Accommodation (inc. Catering and Conferences) | 7 |
| Other income | 3 |
| Total income | 82 |
The following chart highlights the University's financial expenditure per pound of income for the academic year 2019-20.
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How does the University spend its income?
The University uses its income to provide the best student experience that it can. This includes investing in high quality academic staff as well as all the academic and student services that students use including the library, IT facilities, student services team, teaching support, arts facilities, careers & employability team, bursaries and placements as well as maintaining the buildings and campuses that all these services are housed in.
The University prides itself on providing high quality facilities. Some of the income is spent on maintaining, heating and cleaning the buildings, whilst providing an efficient support service to the academic, research and other University activity involves expenditure on central administration including management, human resources, finance, communications and planning.
| Spend £m | What it is spent on |
|---|---|
| 33 | Academic departments |
| 10 | Academic services |
| 3 | Staff and student services |
| 2 | Research grants and contracts |
| 13 | Premises (inc. Maintenance, Utilities and Cleaning) |
| 5 | Accommodation (inc. Catering and Conferences) |
| 9 | Central Administration Services (inc. Registry, Finance, HR, Central Services) |
| 7 | General education expenditure (inc. Access, Marketing and International activities) |
| 82 | Total Expenditure |
Why does the University need to make a surplus?
In 2019/20 the University was left with a surplus of £200k (less than 1% of its income) - in other words, it spent £200k less than its income in that year. The University is a charity; it has no shareholders or owners that it has to pay money to: any surplus is re-invested to support the University in the future.
We budget to make a small surplus to help pay for new buildings, for the refurbishment of the older buildings, and to allow us to invest in the future in academic staff and facilities, as student needs change.
| Financial statements 2019-20 | £m |
|---|---|
| Total income | 82 |
| Total expenditure | 82 |
| Operating surplus | 0 |
What does the University do with its surpluses?
In the last six years since the higher fees were introduced, the university has spent just under £127m on buildings and equipment which benefit everyone now. To do this the University has borrowed money and so some of the income from tuition fees now is paying for the interest charge on these loans, and to repay the amount that has been borrowed.
Does my student fee represent value for money?
The University exists to provide an environment in which you can develop your skills and talents, and enhance your future prospects. As well as the knowledge and attributes you gain through your tuition, we also help improve your employment prospects through the wider student experience. Developing opportunities for you to gain experience, earn money and test your skills is key to your future prospects.
Our dedicated careers and employability service brokers jobs, placements, internships and volunteering; we provide advice, resources and recognition to help you make the right decision and succeed in your chosen career. We consistently rank highly for graduate employment and further study: according to the 2018 ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey conducted by HESA, over 96% of Bath Spa graduates who graduated in 2017 were in work or further study six months after graduating, ranking us in the top third of all UK Universities.
We know that getting a good job and earning money is important after you graduate. So is job satisfaction. We are proud that graduates consistently tell us that their course was good or very good preparation for successful employment.