Contents
Requirements for data returns
This page is intended to provide a summary overview and reminder of upcoming deadlines. More detailed information and requirements for data returns can be found in:
- Deadlines and requirements for 2024-25 data returns, published 18 July 2024
- Deadlines and requirements for Annual Financial Return 2024, published 24 May 2024
We do not routinely offer extensions to deadlines for data returns, but we will consider granting one in exceptional circumstances if you follow our procedure for requesting a data return extension.
Deadlines which vary by provider
| Deadline | Submission | Approved providers | Approved (fee cap) providers |
|
Within five months and two weeks of a provider’s financial year end |
Annual Financial Return Registered providers (except further education and sixth form colleges) need to submit financial data. We use this to monitor the financial viability and sustainability of providers. |
✔ | ✔ |
|
Aligned with ESFA deadline |
Individual Learner Record (ILR) data return Registered further education and sixth form colleges need to submit details of individual students and the courses they are studying. The data underpins our regulatory approach, including metrics used to monitor student outcomes (condition B3). |
✔ | ✔ |
2025 deadlines
| Deadline | Submission | Approved providers | Approved (fee cap) providers |
| 31 May |
Access and participation plans (early recruiters) Providers that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee limit and do not currently have a plan approved for the 2026-27 academic year need to submit a new plan in 2025. |
|
✔ |
| 24 June |
Provider profile (2024-25) You will need to submit information about the location of your campuses and internal organisation. This data allows us to understand the geographic distribution of higher education. |
✔ (except further education and sixth form colleges) |
✔ (except further education and sixth form colleges) |
| 31 July |
Access and participation plans (standard recruiters) Providers that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee limit and do not currently have a plan approved for the 2026-27 academic year need to submit a new plan in 2025. |
|
✔ |
Stay informed
See our monthly roundup of news, blog posts, publications and webpage updates published on our site.
Last updated 06 March 2025 + show all updates
21 February 2025 - The consultation on OfS strategy for 2025 to 2030 has now closed.
06 February 2025 - We added a deadline for our consultation on reforms to OfS registration requirements.
12 December 2024 - We have added our consultation on OfS strategy for 2025 to 2030 to the list of deadlines.
06 September 2024 - Added Equality in Higher Education Innovation Fund.
18 July 2024 - Added deadlines and requirements for 2024-25 data returns.
28 May 2024 - Graduate Outcomes Survey (2022-23): Cohort C deadline passed. Call for evidence: Approach to OfS public grant funding deadline passed. Proposed new name for City, University of London deadline passed. Consultation on proposed regulatory advice and other matters relating to freedom of speech deadline passed.
24 May 2024 - Added link to letter 'Deadlines and requirements for Annual Financial Return 2024'.
30 April 2024 - Consultation on NSS theme measures added.
25 April 2024 - We have added the deadline for our consultation on a proposed new name for City, University of London
26 March 2024 - We have published our consultation on proposed regulatory advice and other matters relating to freedom of speech.
21 March 2024 - We have added the deadline for our consultation on a proposed new name for the University of Bolton.
18 March 2024 - The consultation on the OfS’s approach to regulating students’ unions on free speech matters has closed.
13 November 2023 - Further details of extensions for registered providers required to submit the 2022-23 Student (Data Futures) record: 2022-23 Student (Data Futures) return; Graduate Outcomes Cohort A contact details; the 2024 NSS contact details return; and the HESES return.
12 October 2023 - Deadlines extended for: 2022-23 Student (Data Futures) return; Graduate Outcomes collection; and National Student Survey collection.
06 October 2023 - Added links to recently published guidance.
29 August 2023 - We have updated the deadline for the 2022-23 Student Return from 20 October 2023 to 3 November 2023.
27 July 2023 - Deadline added for the consultation on the inclusion of higher technical qualifications in Office for Students’ student outcome measures.
27 April 2023 - Link added to letter on AFR23; Deadline added for submission of Unistats 2023 valid dataset.
29 March 2023 - Deadline for the consultation on the approach to publication of results of the National Student Survey added
09 March 2023 - Deadline added for the consultation on payment of fees for investigations.
28 November 2022 - Deadline added for the risks to equality of opportunity call for evidence
23 November 2022 - Added the deadline for the artificial intelligence and data science postgraduate conversion course scholarship funding competition
10 November 2022 - The deadlines have passed for the consultations on regulating equality of opportunity and a proposed new name for Newman University.
06 September 2022 - Consultation on changes to the National Student Survey and consultation on specialist provider funding method deadlines have passed.
05 August 2022 - Refreshed page with 2022-23 data deadlines.
18 July 2022 - Deadline has passed to apply to join the TEF panel - opportunity removed
14 July 2022 - Deadline added for the consultation on specialist provider funding method
28 June 2022 - The consultation on the suitability of Jisc as the designated data body has now closed
27 June 2022 - Deadlines to respond to the call for evidence on international students and to apply to be a quality assessor have passed
20 June 2022 - Deadline to apply to join the OfS student panel has passed.
31 May 2022 - Deadlines added for opportunities to get involved in our work: to join the OfS student panel, to join the TEF panel or to be a quality assessor
17 May 2022 - The deadline for the call for evidence: Working in partnership to improve international student integration and experience has been extended to 24 June
12 May 2022 - Deadline added for the supplementary consultation on the publication of information about higher education providers.
28 April 2022 - A new deadline for the 23 May has been added, and updates have been made to the list of forthcoming publications.
16 March 2022 - Deadline added for our call for evidence: Working in partnership to improve international student integration and experience
23 February 2022 - Updates made to upcoming publications listing.
10 February 2022 - Deadline added for submission of monitoring return of capital funding allocated in the financial year 2021-22.
04 February 2022 - The planned release of the consultation outcome on the publication of information about individual providers has moved to spring/summer.
31 January 2022 - Removed entry for 8 April 2022 for '2020-21 access and participation plan monitoring: monitoring return provider submission' as this is no longer required.
24 January 2022 - Deadline for nominations for membership of specialist provider panel extended by two weeks from 21 January to 4 February 2022.
20 January 2022 - Deadlines added for our three consultations on student outcomes and teaching excellence
06 January 2022 - The consultation on the OfS strategy for 2022-25 has now closed.
14 December 2021 - Past 2021 deadlines removed
25 November 2021 - Updated to reflect the release of publications in November and the delay of other publications to the Spring/Summer.
20 October 2021 - Consultation on an approach to world-leading specialist provider funding deadline added and degree classifications moved
14 October 2021 - Discover Uni widget deadline added
04 October 2021 - September deadlines removed.
28 September 2021 - The deadline for the consultation on quality and standards conditions has passed.
27 September 2021 - Updates to the list of upcoming publications.
17 September 2021 - Medical and Dental Students survey 2021 and HESES21 deadlines added
20 July 2021 - Deadlines added for data returns for academic year 2021-22
12 July 2021 - Senior staff remuneration publication moved to autumn 2021
08 July 2021 - Annual fee information return deadline added.
06 July 2021 - Uni Connect annual report for 2019-20 added to upcoming publications for July.
25 June 2021 - Past June deadline removed
23 June 2021 - The release date for the two June consultation outcome documents has moved to July and the annual review has been moved to release in winter 2021.
10 June 2021 - New section added on upcoming publications.
03 June 2021 - Update to annual financial return deadline
02 June 2021 - May deadlines removed
27 May 2021 - Graduate Outcomes contact details (Cohort C) deadline passed and removed
07 May 2021 - Consultation on recurrent funding deadline passed and removed
26 April 2021 - Consultation on distribution of capital funding deadline passed and removed
01 April 2021 - March deadlines removed
31 March 2021 - Update to include the provider profile deadline.
26 March 2021 - Capital and recurrent funding consultations deadlines added
15 March 2021 - Deadline removed for consultation on publishing information about providers
08 March 2021 - Deadline removed for consultation on monetary penalties
01 March 2021 - Deadline removed for consultation on reportable events
25 February 2021 - Details of monitoring of capital funding allocations for 2019-20 and 2020-21 updated
17 February 2021 - Deadlines extended for the consultations on reportable events, monetary penalties, and publication of information.
03 February 2021 - Annual TRAC return and Higher Education Early Statistics survey 2020-21 (HESES20) data sign off deadlines removed
26 January 2021 - Deadline for teaching capital funding monitoring 2019-20 moved to Other and deadline for consultation on quality and standards removed
21 January 2021 - Deadline removed for the Uni Connect consultation.
19 January 2021 - Deadline to be confirmed for teaching capital funding monitoring 2019-20
15 January 2021 - Consultation on regulating quality and standards in higher education deadline updated
15 January 2021 - Deadline extended for funding competition to improve access and participation for black, Asian and minority ethnic students in postgraduate research
05 January 2021 - Deadline updated for the consultation on quality and standards.
18 December 2020 - Several deadlines added for the return of data in 2021.
15 December 2020 - Deadlines added for the consultations on reportable events, monetary penalties, publication of information about higher education providers and Uni Connect.
10 December 2020 - Deadline added for the Uni Connect consultation
17 November 2020 - Details added for the consultation on regulating quality and standards in higher education
03 November 2020 - Deadlines added for the consultation and bidding process for additional funding for 2020-21 and monitoring of medical and dental intake targets
27 October 2020 - Deadline for teaching capital funding monitoring 2019-20 confirmed
26 October 2020 - Deadline for providers participating in the National Student Survey 2021 added
22 October 2020 - Deadline added for bids for funding competition to improve access and participation for black, Asian and minority ethnic students in postgraduate research
16 October 2020 - Deadline added for Prevent accountability and data returns 2020
15 October 2020 - Removed digital teaching and learning review call for evidence deadline, as the deadline has now passed
09 October 2020 - HESES20 survey submission deadlines published
02 October 2020 - Deadline added for the mental health funding competition
14 September 2020 - Deadline removed for consultation on student protection directions - now closed
03 September 2020 - Digital teaching and learning call for evidence deadline added
24 August 2020 - Removed a deadline that had passed
19 August 2020 - Removed a deadline that had passed
30 July 2020 - Deadlines updated following a letter to accountable officers
17 July 2020 - Deadline to respond to our consultation on student protection directions added
14 July 2020 - Removed a deadline that had passed
19 June 2020 - Deadlines published following a letter to accountable officers
27 May 2020 - Deadline for our consultation on the integrity and stability of the higher education sector in England removed
07 May 2020 - Deadline for our consultation on the integrity and stability of the higher education sector in England added
30 April 2020 - All information removed except holding notice.
24 April 2020 - Updated entries
17 April 2020 - Updated entries
27 March 2020 - Updated entries
26 March 2020 - Update on the Transparency return 2020 deadlines
23 March 2020 - Updated entries
16 March 2020 - Updated entries and page introduction
11 March 2020 - Updated entries
09 March 2020 - Updated entries
06 March 2020 - Updated entries
05 March 2020 - Updated entries
03 March 2020 - Updated entries
27 February 2020 - Updated entries
26 February 2020 - Updated entries
21 February 2020 - Updated entries
14 February 2020 - Updated entries
07 February 2020 - Updated entries
05 February 2020 - Updated entries
03 February 2020 - Updated entries
31 January 2020 - Updated entries
24 January 2020 - Updated entries
15 January 2020 - Updated entries
13 January 2020 - Updated entries
09 January 2020 - Updated entries
06 January 2020 - Publications forward look to June 2020
19 December 2019 - Updated entries
12 December 2019 - Updated entries
04 December 2019 - Updated entries
29 November 2019 - Updated entries
25 November 2019 - Updated entries and introductory text
22 November 2019 - Updated entries
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