Nearly two in three universities and colleges told to take action by regulator amid concerns

Too many institutions 'glossed over' possibility of closure in plans, regulator says

A-level results first, applications second, could become the norm (PA)

Nearly two in three universities and colleges have been told to take action by the higher education regulator amid concerns about teaching quality, low intake of disadvantaged students and financial viability.

Figures from the Office for Students (OfS) show that 65 per cent of institutions face additional monitoring requirements and extra conditions.

In many cases, the intervention occurred following concerns over access and participation plans for underrepresented groups, according its new report.

But a number of factors can trigger the regulator to intervene and call for action from universities – including student outcomes, management and governance and financial sustainability.

For example, institutions are required to set out how students will be protected in the event of a university closing. The OfS found that that many of these plans by institutions were “very poor”.

The findings comes at a time of rising concern about universities going bankrupt.

“The analysis shows, starkly, that universities must improve the work they do to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are supported not only to get into higher education, but to get on, too," said Susan Lapworth, director of competition and registration at OfS. “Too many providers glossed over the possibility of closure in their student protection plans, or relied on ambitious projections for student recruitment when making financial plans.

“Others have questions to answer about the quality of their provision, or high drop-out rates. These are not – by any means – insurmountable challenges but providers must now look honestly at areas of weakness and seek to make improvements.”

To be registered – and therefore ensure their students can access loan support – higher education providers in England must demonstrate to the OfS that they can meet a range of conditions.

The analysis shows 18 providers received specific conditions of registration, 252 providers were subject to enhanced monitoring and 297 received a letter highlighting areas of concern.

A Universities UK (UUK) spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the OfS’ registration process in England is progressing and that all of our eligible members are listed on its register. It is right that if the OfS has any concerns, closer attention should be paid to ensure institutions are on track to meet the conditions of registration and other relevant targets.

“UUK is already working collaboratively with the OfS across a number of areas and this work will help our members better meet the conditions of registration.”