The Office for Students (OfS) launched a call for evidence in March 2024 on its approach to public grant funding, seeking views on the activities funded, how funding allocations are determined, and the factors prioritised in decision making.
The consultation ran from 14 March 2024 to 23 May 2024.
Our response
We welcomed OfS engagement with the sector on its approach to public grant funding, strongly agreeing that the funding model needs to be revisited in light of the considerable changes in the sector over the past decade and the evolution of the OfS register.
A key strand of our response is that student choice and equality of opportunity should be the first priority in funding decisions. Funding should lead to the expansion of the higher education offer, by supporting the growth of new providers and enabling the development of quality provision that meets student and industry needs.
We urge the OfS to ensure that small and specialist providers are not disadvantaged in funding allocations and that their distinct strengths in driving innovation and advancing equality of opportunity are recognised in the funding model. Our response also emphasises that funding needs to be proportionate to the burden of receiving it – including giving providers the choice to opt out of grant funding in exchange for a reduction in regulatory requirements.
Other points we raised in our response include:
- That allocations of course-based funding should be reviewed with a revised assessment of "strategic importance" and teaching costs, especially in relation to creative courses.
- That student-based funding should be aligned with the OfS’s Access and Participation approach, creating a clear and joined-up model of funding for student access and success.
- That there is a need for a more level playing field for capital funding, so that it can benefit all institutions and not advantage those with more experience and resources.
- That specialist funding be reoriented so that student choice and equality of opportunity are at the core of how it is allocated, rather than maintaining the status quo and giving further advantage to already world-leading institutions.
Read our full response using the download link below.