Latest on applying to register
From 16 December 2020, the Office for Students is open to new registration applications:
- All applications must be submitted via the registration application portal. In order to access the portal, applicants will require an access key.
- If you do not already have an access key, please send an email to [email protected] to ask for an access key request form. We will then send you a short form to complete and return to us, following which an access key will be generated and sent to you.
- The OfS is in the process of contacting recent enquirers to provide them with the access key request form: if you have requested one from us we will respond shortly.
Read the current guidance on applying to register
A higher education provider seeking registration with the OfS must make a correct application that contains all the required information.
We have published guidance on these requirements for current providers and new providers.
Which providers are eligible?
The OfS will register a provider where it:
- has applied to be registered in one of the categories of the Register
- is, or intends to become, an English higher education provider
- satisfies the ‘initial conditions of registration’ applicable to the relevant category of the Register
- has made a correct application that contains all of the required information.
Further information about eligibility and the meaning of these requirements is published in the regulatory framework and the guidance documents on these pages about how to register.
When should providers apply?
Providers can now apply to register at any time.
There are no absolute deadlines, but providers should time their application to ensure that they receive a decision in time to communicate with applicants in their next recruitment cycle about fee levels (where these will be subject to a fee limit) and the student support that will be available.
Tier 4 licences
The deadline to apply for or maintain a Tier 4 licence from 2019-20 has now passed.
Quality and standards review
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has published its guidance on the Quality and Standards Review (QSR).
Some of the providers seeking registration with the OfS will require a QSR in order to demonstrate how they meet the quality and standards conditions of registration (B1, B2, B4 and B5). This will most commonly apply to providers new to the higher education sector. The OfS will inform you during the registration process if you will require a QSR.
