Consultations
Consultations are an important part of the way we carry out our regulatory duties. Consulting helps us to develop fair, evidence-based policies, builds understanding of our work, and protects the interests of students.
Open consultations
Consultation on proposed regulatory advice and other matters relating to freedom of speech
Deadline: 26 May 2024
Publication date: 26 March 2024
Status: open
The Office for Students (OfS) is implementing new freedom of speech functions. This consultation seeks views on proposals relating to:
- guidance on the new free speech duties imposed on registered higher education providers, on their constituent institutions and on relevant students’ unions
- amendments to the OfS regulatory framework to make reference to the OfS’s new general functions and general duties
- the OfS’s recovery of costs in connection with the new free speech complaints scheme and regulation of students’ unions.
Call for evidence: Approach to OfS public grant funding
Deadline: 1700 on 23 May 2024
Publication date: 14 March 2024
Status: open
The OfS is considering how we should use funding made available to us by government to benefit students, taxpayers and the higher education sector.
We are seeking views about how the OfS could develop its funding approach in three broad areas:
- the activities we fund
- how we determine funding allocations
- the factors we prioritise in our decision-making.
Call for evidence: Proposed new name for the University of Bolton
Deadline: noon on 2 May 2024
Publication date: 21 March 2024
Status: open
The University of Bolton is registered with the OfS and has applied to change its name to ‘University of Greater Manchester.’
We are seeking views on whether the proposed name is, or has the potential to be, confusing or misleading.
Open letter consultation: Proposed new name for Solent University
Deadline: noon on 25 April 2024
Publication date: 14 March 2024
Status: open
The OfS is consulting on a proposed new name for Solent University.
Solent University is registered with the OfS and has applied to change its name to ‘Southampton Solent University’.
Closed consultations
Deadline: 10 March 2024
Publication date: 14 December 2023
Status: closed
The Office for Students (OfS) is implementing new freedom of speech functions. This will include a new free speech complaints scheme.
The OfS consulted on our proposals in this area.
Deadline: 22 February 2024
Publication date: 25 January 2024
Status: closed
The OfS consulted on a proposed new name for University of Central Lancashire.
University of Central Lancashire is registered with the OfS and has applied to change its name to ‘University of Lancashire.’
Deadline: 24 November 2023
Publication date: 27 July 2023
Status: closed
The Office for Students is considering how we might develop our regulation to respond to any changes to the delivery of higher education courses that may result from the implementation of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE).
This call for evidence sought views about how the OfS could measure student outcomes resulting from modular study.
Deadline: 9 November 2023
Publication date: 27 July 2023
Status: closed
This consultation proposes to separate higher technical qualifications (HTQs) from other Level 4 and 5 qualifications in our student outcomes measures.
Read our analysis of consultation responses and our decisions
Deadline: 21 March 2024
Publication date: 22 February 2024
Status: closed
The OfS consulted on a proposed new name for AECC University College.
AECC University College is registered with the OfS and has applied for authorisation to use the term ‘university’ in its name. It proposes to change its name to ‘Health Sciences University’.
Deadline: 17 March 2024
Publication date: 14 December 2023
Status: closed
This consultation set out the background to our proposals for regulation, the reasons we are making these proposals and what we expect their implementation to achieve.
Deadline: 26 May 2023
Publication date: 29 March 2023
Status: closed
This consultation set out the technical detail of proposals for the approach to publication of the revised National Student Survey from 2023 onwards.
Deadline: 4 May 2023
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Status: closed
This consultation proposed a new approach to the regulation of harassment and sexual misconduct affecting students in registered higher education providers.
Deadline: 14 April 2023
Publication date: 9 March 2023
Status: closed
This short consultation proposed how we will determine the fee a provider under investigation by the OfS should pay on the basis of the Higher Education (Investigation Fees) (England) Regulations 2022.
Deadline: 10 November 2022
Publication date: 6 October 2022
Status: closed
We proposed to take a new approach to the regulation of equality of opportunity in English higher education, including access and participation plans.
Deadline: 10 November 2022
Publication date: 30 September 2022
Status: closed
We consulted on a proposed new name for Newman University.
Deadline: 5 September 2022
Publication date: 14 July 2022
Status: closed
This consultation sought views on the approach to determining specialist provider formula funding allocations for the 2022-23 academic year (1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023) and beyond, for providers that are identified as world-leading by the Specialist Provider Panel.
Deadline: 1700 on 1 September 2022
Publication date: 28 July 2022
Status: closed
This consultation set out proposals for changes to the National Student Survey (NSS) arising from a review conducted by the UK higher education funding and regulatory bodies in 2020-2022.
Deadline: 27 June 2022
Publication date: 26 May 2022
Status: closed
This consultation sought views on the suitability of Jisc to be the designated data body for higher education in England.
Publication date: 27 February 2020
Status: closed
We sought views on reviewing the admissions system in English higher education. The review was initially paused while we prioritised our response to the coronavirus pandemic, and the government has since concluded its own review of admissions. We have therefore decided to close our consultation on admissions. We thank those individuals and groups that responded to the review, we intend to integrate any future consideration of admissions into our other programmes of work.
Publication date: 20 January 2022
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 17 March 2022
The Office for Students is proposing a new approach to its regulation of student outcomes in English higher education providers. This consultation sets out the background to our proposals, the reasons we are proposing to make changes and what we expect those changes to achieve.
Read more about the consultation
See our analysis of responses to the consultation on regulating student outcomes
Publication date: 20 January 2022
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 17 March 2022
This consultation sets out proposals for the future Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). This is a national scheme which assesses universities and colleges for excellence in teaching, learning and the outcomes they provide for their students.
Read more about the consultation
See our analysis of responses to the consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework
Publication date: 20 January 2022
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 17 March 2022
This consultation sets out proposals for the construction, presentation and interpretation of the data which would form the evidence base for regulating student outcomes and would inform Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessments.
Publication date: 16 December 2021
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: noon on 3 February 2022
The Office for Students consulted on how we can ensure that we have the necessary data to perform our functions while ensuring that our data requirements from registered higher education providers are proportionate. In particular we sought views on the approach to the collection of in-year individualised student data as part of the Data Futures programme.
See the analysis of responses to part one of the consultation and decisions
Publication date: 11 November 2021
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: noon on 6 January 2022
We sought views on our proposed strategy for 2022-25. The consultation proposed a plan of action that will guide our activities as a regulator over the next three years. It will make sure we are targeted, sequence our work effectively, and are able to achieve our aims and make best use of the resources we have available.
Read our analysis of the responses to the consultation and our decisions
Publication date: 20 October 2021
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 1 December 2021
We undertook a consultation to seek views on the OfS’s proposals for funding world-leading specialist providers from the 2022-23 academic year (1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023), in the context of our future grant settlement from government.
Read more about this funding consultation
See our analysis of responses, which also invites submissions to be considered a world-leading specialist provider
Publication date: 20 July 2021
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 27 September 2021
We undertook a preliminary consultation on a range of quality and standards issues during the winter of 2020-21. This consultation took forward some aspects of that consultation and made more detailed proposals about new regulatory requirements.
Read more about the quality and standards consultation
See our analysis of responses to the consultation, and decision
Publication date: 26 March 2021
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 6 May 2021
We consulted on the approach to recurrent funding for 2021-22 in the light of the government’s statutory guidance letter and the condition of grant applied by the Secretary of State on the Office for Students. The statutory guidance letter set out the funds available for financial year 2021-22 and the related funding policies and priorities it wishes us to implement.
Publication date: 26 March 2021
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 23 April 2021
We consulted on the approach to capital funding for financial year 2021-22 following the Department for Education’s guidance letter which has made available £150 million in capital funding for the Office for Students to distribute. This consultation set out our proposals for the distribution of capital funding to providers.
Publication date: 15 December 2020
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 12 March 2021
The OfS receives and generates information about the sector as a whole and about individual providers’ performance and regulatory compliance. We were seeking views on our proposed general policy approach to the publication of information about particular providers, and particular individuals connected with them, where that information is relevant to our regulation of higher education providers.
Publication date: 15 December 2020
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 5 March 2021
We were seeking views on our proposed approach to the use of our powers to impose monetary penalties on a higher education provider that breaches its conditions of registration with the Office for Students.
This consultation replaced the consultation ‘Consultation on the Office for Students’ approach to monetary penalties’ (OfS 2020.13) that was launched on 3 March 2020 and then paused because of the early impact of the coronavirus pandemic. That consultation has now been withdrawn and the very small number of responses that we received in March 2020, and which were submitted anonymously, will be destroyed.
Read more about the monetary penalties consultation
See our response to the feedback received and decisions taken
Publication date: 15 December 2020
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 26 February 2021
We consulted on our requirements for ‘reportable events’. A ‘reportable event’ is a standing requirement placed on each registered provider to report certain events or matters to the OfS. We were seeking views on the way we define a ‘reportable event’ in the regulatory framework and on revised guidance to help providers to understand and meet the OfS’s reporting requirements.
Read more about the reportable events consultation
See our response to the feedback received and decisions taken
Publication date: 9 January 2020
Status: Closed
We were looking for feedback on proposals to address harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education.
Our proposals set out expectations for universities and colleges to follow and how the Office for Students will regulate harassment and sexual misconduct affecting students in higher education providers.
This consultation is no longer open for responses. We will continue to engage with stakeholders over the coming weeks and will publish a finalised statement of expectations in spring.
For further information, please read our update on next steps.
Publication date: 17 November 2020
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 25 January 2021
We invited comments on our approach to regulating quality and standards in higher education. Since 2018, our focus has been on assessing providers seeking registration and we are considering whether and how we should develop our approach now that most providers are registered.
Publication date: 15 December 2020
Status: closed
Deadline for responses: 19 January 2021
The Office for Students was seeking views on a new approach to the Uni Connect programme from academic year 2021-22 to 2024-25.
Read more about the Uni Connect consultation
See our response to the feedback received and confirmation of our approach
Publication date: 17 July 2020
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 11 September 2020
We sought views on a new approach to enable us to intervene more quickly and in a targeted way when we consider that a registered provider is at increased risk of leaving the higher education sector. Our proposed interventions are designed to protect students.
Read more about this consultation
See our response to the feedback received and decisions taken
Publication date: 15 October 2020
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 9 November 2020
Deadline to bid: 30 November 2020
We sought views on proposals for how to distribute additional funding provided by the Department for Education to providers. We also invited providers to bid for the additional capital funding.
Publication date: 4 May 2020
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 26 May 2020
We launched a consultation on the integrity and stability of the higher education sector in England.
Proposals included a new, time-limited condition that would allow us to take action against higher education providers that engaged in conduct which would not be in the interests of students and the wider higher education sector in these exceptional circumstances.
Read more about this consultation
See the analysis of the responses and equality impact assessment
Publication date: 7 February 2020
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 6 March 2020
The Office for Students will be updating its terms and conditions of funding for 2020-21. Changes from the Terms and conditions of funding for 2019-20 (OfS 2019.12) are minimal and are mainly to dates and references to documents.
We invited views on the proposed changes. We will publish the final 'Terms and conditions of funding for 2020-21' in spring 2020.
Publication date: 17 January 2020
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 17 February 2020
The government’s grant to the Office for Students to fund recurrent teaching in higher education providers is reducing by £58 million in financial year 2020‑21.
We set out proposals for how we may make savings in our allocations to providers and invited views.
Publication date: 9 July 2019
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 5 August 2019
We announced, and invited comment on, changes that we intended to make to the collection of data to inform funding for 2020-21.
Read about the proposed changes
See our response to the feedback received and confirmation of our approach
Publication date: 11 February 2019
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 11 March 2019
We invited comments on draft terms and conditions of funding for academic year 2019-20 for registered higher education providers in receipt of financial support from the OfS under Section 39(1) of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
We also invited comment on our approach to funding for 2019-20, in particular for formula-based capital grants, and on a revised approach relating to recruitment against intake targets for pre-registration medical and dental courses.
Publication date: 7 September 2018
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 12 October 2018
We invited comments on our proposed approach to access and participation in higher education as part of a wider review of how we regulate access and participation.
Publication date: 7 September 2018
Status: Closed
Deadline for responses: 5 October 2018
We invited comments on the principles guiding the way in which the OfS counts student numbers for regulatory purposes.
Last updated 26 March 2024 + show all updates
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 published our consultation on a proposed new name for the University of Bolton.
23 February 2024 - We have closed the consultation on a proposed new name for University of Central Lancashire.
25 January 2024 - We have launched an open letter consultation on a proposed new name for University of Central Lancashire.
10 November 2023 - The consultation on the the inclusion of higher technical qualifications in Office for Students’ student outcome measures has closed.
27 July 2023 - The page has been updated to profile the consultation on separating higher technical qualifications (HTQs) from other Level 4 and 5 qualifications in our student outcomes measures.
20 July 2023 - We have now published the analysis of responses and decisions for our consultation on paying fees for investigations.
26 May 2023 - The consultation on the approach to publishing results from the NSS has closed.
29 March 2023 - Consultation on a new approach to regulating equality of opportunity - analysis of responses and decisions published
29 March 2023 - Added details of consultation on the approach to publication of results of the National Student Survey.
09 March 2023 - The consultation on payment of fees for investigations has been added to the page.
23 February 2023 - Details of the consultation on harassment and sexual misconduct have been added.
10 November 2022 - Updated to close the consultations on a new approach to regulating equality of opportunity in English higher education and a proposed new name for Newman University.
06 October 2022 - Consultation on a new approach to regulating access and participation in English higher education published
30 September 2022 - Consultation launched for proposed new name for Newman University; Analysis of responses and decisions published for Consultation on publication of information about higher education providers
06 September 2022 - The consultation on specialist provider funding method has closed.
05 September 2022 - The consultation on the National Student Survey has closed.
15 August 2022 - The time of the deadline to respond to the NSS consultation has been clarified as 1700 on 1 September 2022.
28 July 2022 - Details added for the consultation on changes to the National Student Survey.
26 July 2022 - Outcomes published for our three consultations on student outcomes and teaching excellence.
14 July 2022 - Consultation on specialist provider funding method published
28 June 2022 - The consultation on the suitability of Jisc as the designated data body has closed
12 May 2022 - Details added for the supplementary consultation on the publication of information about higher education providers and for the consultation outcomes of our consultation on Data Futures and data collection.
18 March 2022 - The following consultations have closed: Consultation on a new approach to regulating student outcomes; Consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework; Consultation on constructing student outcome and experience indicators for use in OfS regulation.
04 February 2022 - The consultation on Data Futures and data collection has closed.
20 January 2022 - Details of our three consultations on student outcomes and teaching excellence added
06 January 2022 - The consultation on the OfS strategy for 2022-25 has been closed.
02 December 2021 - The consultation on funding for specialist providers has closed.
11 November 2021 - Consultation on OfS strategy for 2022-25 added
20 October 2021 - Consultation on an approach to world-leading specialist provider funding added
28 September 2021 - Updated to close the consultation on quality and standards conditions.
20 July 2021 - Details added for the consultation on quality and standards conditions.
07 May 2021 - Consultation on recurrent funding closed
05 May 2021 - Consultation on capital funding closed
31 March 2021 - Response to the consultation on student protection directions added.
26 March 2021 - Consultations on distribution of capital funding and recurrent funding added
15 March 2021 - Page updated to reflect the closure of the consultation on publishing information about providers
08 March 2021 - Page updated to reflect the closure of the consultation on monetary penalties
01 March 2021 - Page updated to reflect the closure of the consultation on reportable events
17 February 2021 - The deadlines to respond have been extended for the three open consultations.
09 February 2021 - Page updated to reflect the closure of the harassment and sexual misconduct consultation.
26 January 2021 - Page updated to reflect the closure of the quality and standards in higher education consultation.
21 January 2021 - Page updated to reflect the closure of the Uni Connect consultation.
15 December 2020 - Details added for the consultations on reportable events, monetary penalties, publication of information, and Uni Connect.
17 November 2020 - Details added for the consultation on regulating quality and standards in higher education
15 October 2020 - Consultation on additional recurrent and capital funding for 2020-21 and monitoring of medical and dental intake targets published
25 September 2020 - Information updated about the status of the consultation on admissions.
14 September 2020 - Consultation on student protection directions now closed
17 July 2020 - Consultation on student protection directions published
27 May 2020 - Consultation on the integrity and stability of the higher education sector in England now closed.
04 May 2020 - Details of new consultation on the integrity and stability of the higher education sector in England added.
16 March 2020 - Extended deadline for consultation on harassment and sexual misconduct and updated page introduction.
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