Student protection

Student protection plans set out what students can expect to happen should a course, campus, or institution close. The purpose of a plan is to ensure that students can continue and complete their studies, or can be compensated if this is not possible.

All higher education providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) must have a student protection plan in place.

Once registered, we expect providers to collaborate with students to review and refresh the plan on a regular basis.

What student protection plans should cover 

The student protection plan must be approved by the OfS.

It must be easily available to current and prospective students.

It should address the specific risks to the continuation of study for that provider’s students in a proportionate way.

We expect more detailed plans from providers with a higher risk of significant changes or closure. 

Those with lower risk may have a less detailed plan.

But the plan will always include minimum measures for ensuring that existing students can complete their course and continue to access student finance, or transfer to other providers. 

What will we do if a course, campus or provider closes?

In the event of a change in a provider’s circumstances (such as significant course closure or a campus closure) we will work closely with the provider and its students to ensure that students’ interests continue to be protected through any changes.