Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what protections he plans to introduce for students studying at unregistered higher education providers.

The regulatory framework and the register of higher education providers are a matter for the Office for Students (OfS). In the recent Secretary of State guidance, issued to the OfS, we have asked them as a priority to:

“develop an understanding of providers and students in the currently unregulated parts of the higher education sector and consider ways of encouraging such providers to register and engage with good regulatory practice”.

More specifically, we have included the following as part of what we have asked OfS to deliver in 2018/19:

“In addition, I would like the OfS to start work to develop a thorough understanding of providers and students in the currently unregulated parts of the higher education sector, and to consider and determine how the OfS will most effectively have a role in protecting the interests of students at these providers. I would like the OfS to consider what barriers to entry to the regulated sector remain for such providers, and how more providers could be encouraged to seek registration and offer greater protection for their students”.

Any English higher education provider wanting to be officially recognised as providing higher education in England, access public grant funding from the OfS or UK Research and Innovation, access the student support system, recruit international students with a Tier 4 sponsorship licence or apply for its own Degree Awarding Powers and/or University Title must be registered with OfS.

Of those providers outside the OfS register, the majority are likely to be small and specialist institutions offering sub-degree provision and will include a number who are in sub contractual arrangements with providers that will be registered with the OfS, where the registered provider retains responsibility for the students, and for the quality and standards of provision.