What is the point of the Office for Students?
With the UK higher education sector in such a dire financial state and various reports emanating from the national press including this week’s expose of franchise provision and student loan fraud and the Office for Student’s most recent guidance published on the 20th March 2025, Monitoring of capital funding allocated in the financial year 2024-25: Guidance for higher education providers. One has to conclude that the OfS has been caught “asleep at the wheel” at best and negligent in its duty to protect the reputation and financial well-being of the UK higher education sector at worst.
The OfS analysis published in November 2024, which updates the annual financial sustainability report published in May 2024, finds reduced numbers of students entering higher education. Without taking steps to address financial risks, OfS modelling suggests that nearly three quarters (72%) of higher education providers will be in deficit by 2025-26, and 39% would have fewer than 30 days’ liquidity.
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