The Higher Education Statistics Agency's findings for 1996/97 reveal that:
2.4 million students were at further education colleges in England, 3 per cent fewer than in 1996
73 per cent of students on FEFC-funded provision were adults, aged 19 or over, studying 2.1 million qualifications
12 per cent of adults on FEFC-funded provision were enrolled on full-time, full-year programmes.