Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the future sustainability of the Open University.

Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies. The government and the Higher Education Funding Council England (HEFCE) monitor the financial sustainability of the higher education sector. HEFCE monitors the financial sustainability of individual providers in receipt of public funding, including The Open University. However, a provider’s business model and financial plans are a matter for the governing body of that institution. The Office for Students will replace HEFCE and will have a duty to monitor and report on the financial sustainability of higher education providers that receive grant funding, or provide courses that are designated for student support, once the relevant provisions of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 are brought into force.

The government is taking steps to help people who want to study part-time, enabling individuals to gain new skills and advance their careers, and supporting the wider economy. Part-time study and distance learning are clearly central to The Open University’s business model.

We introduced tuition fee loans for eligible part-time students in 2012/13. We are working towards launching a new maintenance loan for part-time students studying, in attendance, on degree level courses in 2018/19. The government is considering extending this maintenance loan to eligible students studying distance learning courses part-time, more generally in 2019/20. This will be subject to the development of a robust control regime to manage the particular risks and challenges associated with this mode of study.