Our roles and responsibilities
We are the regulator for higher education in England. We protect the interests of students by supporting a diverse and independent higher education sector.
How we regulate
Universities and colleges choose to register with us. This allows them to access benefits such as public funding and means they can apply for certain powers (for example, the power to award degrees).
We set requirements that registered higher education providers must meet for teaching quality, student outcomes, equality of access and participation, and their management, governance and financial sustainability.
We monitor the performance of universities and colleges, publish data and reports, and take action if a registered provider is failing to meet our requirements.
What we do
We check that universities and colleges meet our minimum requirements for quality and standards.
Our Teaching Excellence Framework also encourages them to go above and beyond to deliver outstanding education.
We want all students from all backgrounds to be supported to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education.
We require registered providers to identify risks to equality of opportunity and to develop plans to tackle these risks.
We protect students by ensuring that universities and colleges are sustainable and well-run.
We also make sure that students can access all the information they need to make informed choices about their studies.
We distribute more than £1 billion each year to universities and colleges on behalf of government.
We also fund specific initiatives at universities and colleges. This includes programmes to promote equal opportunities and student wellbeing.
What don't we do
We do not provide student loans or finance. The funding we allocate is for universities and colleges registered with the OfS.
Neither do we provide financial forms of extra help, such as bursaries, support for students who are parents or disabled students.
GOV.UK has published more information about finance and financial support in all these areas.
We do not have the power to intervene or advise in a dispute between a student and their university or college.
Find out more about how to raise or progress a complaint.
We are not directly involved in university applications. Neither do we provide courses of our own.
For more information about applying see:
International students apply to UK universities in the same way as UK students.
In some cases they can apply through UCAS. Or they may apply directly to the university.
To study in the UK, most international students will need to:
- prove that they have enough money to pay for their course
- apply for a visa to study in the UK
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