Provider guide to coronavirus

Regulatory requirements

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, we suspended some of our regulatory requirements while providers adapted rapidly to the changed environment.

Now that the peak of the disruption associated with the pandemic has passed, we are resuming these in phases. The latest guidance for providers can be found below.

Reportable events

Revised reportable events requirements for registered providers came into effect from 1 January 2022.

Read the letter on revised reportable events requirements.

Deadlines and data returns

We have extended some of our deadlines and data returns for 2021-2022 due to the continued impact of the pandemic. We wrote to providers on 20 July 2021 with further details of 2021 and 2022 returns.

Read the F3 and F4 letter.

Student protection directions

We have also introduced a new condition of registration, C4, which allows us to intervene more quickly and in a targeted way when we consider there to be a material risk that a registered provider may cease the provision of higher education.

Read the regulatory notice on student protection directions.

Quality and standards

Find out more about changes to our approach to regulating quality and standards.

Student and consumer protection

We published guidance for providers about how we approached the regulation of student protection during the period of disruption resulting from the pandemic.

We rescinded this guidance in May 2022. Providers should refer to the regulatory framework when determining how best to comply with our expectations, and see our information on student protection plans.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on consumer protection law that all providers should have regard to when developing and implementing policies.

Prevent

We wrote to registered and non-registered providers on 7 May 2020 setting out the Prevent monitoring requirements during the coronavirus pandemic.

From 1 January 2022, the way registered providers should report material changes (change of circumstances) and serious Prevent-related incidents has changed.

See Prevent guidance for providers.

Archived guidance

Time-limited condition of registration

Following a consultation on proposed measures to protect the integrity and stability of the higher education sector in England, we introduced a time-limited condition, Z3.

The condition allowed us to take action against higher education providers that used offer-making practices which would not be in the interests of students and the wider higher education sector in the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic.

This condition no longer applies from 30 September 2021.

Published 19 March 2020
Last updated 12 May 2022 + show all updates

12 May 2022: Guidance on student and consumer protection during the pandemic has been rescinded
27 April 2022: Page restructure
20 July 2021: FAQ updated
14 January 2021: Linked added to the January letter on regulatory requirements
01 October 2020: Common questions reviewed and updated to reflect current situation
14 September 2020: Page updated to reflect that the consultation on student protection directions has now closed
30 July 2020: Page updated following our letter to providers updating them on our approach to regulation
17 July 2020: Link added to proposed new student protection details.
03 July 2020: Details added about the new time-limited condition of registration.
30 June 2020: One FAQ removed
27 May 2020: Content updated to reflect that the consultation has closed
07 May 2020: Added link to letter on Prevent monitoring requirements during the coronavirus pandemic
04 May 2020: Content updated with details of our consultation on a new, time-limited, condition of registration
29 April 2020: Added link to our deadlines and forward look page
27 April 2020: Updated wording for the question about regulatory action
24 April 2020: Minor text update to question about access and participation plans to link to further information on student and disabled student premium funding
06 April 2020: Question about access and participation plans and link to the recent guidance on teaching quality and standards added.
01 April 2020: Contact information added
30 March 2020: Question about degree apprenticeships added.
26 March 2020: Revised FAQ on reporting requirements, vulnerable students and healthcare students

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Provider guide to coronavirus

Regulatory requirements

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