Regulatory advice 14: Guidance for providers for the Annual Financial Return
This regulatory advice sets out guidance about the information that a provider is required to submit as part of its financial monitoring returns to the Office for Students (OfS).
The returns apply to providers that are registered with the OfS in either the Approved or Approved (fee cap) category of the OfS Register. However, where a provider is a further education college or a sixth form college under the primary regulation of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), it is not required to submit this financial data to the OfS. For such providers, the OfS works closely with the ESFA to ensure that it is able to undertake appropriate monitoring of financial viability and sustainability.
Non-interactive copies of the workbook templates can be downloaded for reference (please note that providers should not submit this document, as we will provide bespoke, pre-populated versions for providers to download, complete and submit).
- Ref:
- OfS 2023.17
- Date:
- 27 April 2023
Annual Financial Return (AFR) 2023
- We published a letter on 8 December 2022 outlining our approach to communicating our requirements for Annual Financial Return 2023 (AFR23)
- You will also have received a letter on 27 April 2023 with detailed requirements and your provider’s individual deadlines for AFR23
- All the information you require to complete the AFR23 is contained in the documents on this page.
Annual Financial Return (AFR) 2022
Previous years
Regulatory advice 14: Guidance for providers for the Annual Financial Return
Guidance for the 2021 Annual Financial Return
Guidance on completing the Annual Financial Return 2021 workbook
Guidance on what providers should include in the AFR 2021 workbook
Annex A: Annual Financial Return 2021 additional guidance
Additional guidance on research income and cost centres
Annex B: Glossary for Annual Financial Return 2021
Glossary of workbook accounting terms
Annex C: Sample template – Annual Financial Return 2021 workbook
Annex D: Sample template - Annual Financial Return 2021 commentary
Appendix 1: Annual Financial Return 2021 submission process guidance
Detailed information on submitting the AFR 2021, covering all stages of the submission process
Appendix 2: Comparison of AFR21 and AFR20 workbooks
A comparison of the tables in the Annual Financial Return 2021 with those in the Annual Financial Return 2020
Reporting access and participation expenditure: FAQs
Reporting access and participation expenditure in Table 14 of the Annual Financial Return (AFR) and Disclosure Note in Financial Statements for 2020-21 onwards
The Interim Financial Data Collection required providers to give summary information relating to the year ended in 2020 and forecast information about their expected financial performance and position relating to the year ended in 2021. This enabled the OfS to maintain an assessment of financial viability of providers as they continued to manage the implications of COVID-19.
Guidance on completing the Interim Financial Data Collection workbook
Annex A: Sample template – Interim Financial Data Collection workbook
Appendix 1: Interim Financial Data Collection submission process guidance
Regulatory advice 14: Guidance for providers for the Annual Financial Return
Guidance on completing the Annual Financial Return 2020 workbook
Annex A: Annual Financial Return 2020 additional guidance
Annex B: Glossary for Annual Financial Return 2020
Annex C: Sample template – Annual Financial Return 2020 workbook
Annex D: Sample template - Annual Financial Return 2020 commentary
Appendix 1: Annual Financial Return 2020 submission process guidance
Regulatory advice 14: Guidance for providers for the annual financial return
Model template - OfS annual financial return workbook
Model template - Commentary for financial tables
Annual financial return workbook: Guidance
Annex B: Glossary of financial workbook accounting terms
Appendix 1: Submitting the annual financial return
Appendix 2: Validation error checks in annual financial return workbook
Appendix 3: Validation warning checks in annual financial return workbook
06 September 2023 - Added 'Frequently asked questions about research grants and contract income'.
27 April 2023 - Annual update of information for providers on submitting the Annual Financial Return (2023)
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