How to register

After we have undertaken our assessment, a decision will be taken about whether the provider satisfies all the initial conditions of registration.

If your application is successful

If we take a decision to register, the provider will become registered and will be listed on the OfS Register.

To stay registered with the OfS, registered providers will need to:

• continue to satisfy our regulatory requirements
• comply with all the general ongoing conditions of registration
• comply with any specific ongoing conditions that we impose at the point of registration or at any time thereafter
• pay annual fees to the OfS and other bodies (information about costs can be found on our overview page).

Registered providers should keep up to date with regulatory publications which are intended to support them to understand and meet our requirements.

All registered providers (except further education colleges) are subject to the Prevent duty and associated monitoring undertaken by the OfS in accordance with the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. Further education colleges are monitored separately by Ofsted.

Registered providers can apply to change their registration category or fee limit at any time. A change of registration category requires a new application for registration.

If your application is unsuccessful

If we take a provisional decision not to register, we will notify the provider of our intention to refuse registration setting out:

• the reasons for our refusal
• the method for making representations about our provisional decision
• the timeframe for a provider to make such representations (not less than 28 days).

We will consider any representations the provider makes before taking our final decision (which may be a decision to register or a decision to refuse registration).

If we refuse registration, the provider will not be able to access the benefits related to being a registered higher education provider, for example its students will not be able to access the student support system.

In the interests of transparency and facilitating informed student choices, we publish refused registration decisions.

Reapplying for registration

Providers that receive a final refusal decision may reapply once they are able to demonstrate that the concerns identified in the final decision letter have been fully addressed, such that the initial conditions of registration can be satisfied.