Following on from our previous blog, we update our guidance for higher education institutions.
The position of the Office for Students (OfS) remains that higher education providers should follow the latest advice from Public Health England and make their own decisions regarding closure.
"Our expectation is that providers should make all reasonable efforts to enable students to complete their studies, for achievement to be reliably assessed, for qualifications to be awarded securely, and to enable a fair and robust admissions process for 2020-21 entrants." (OfS, Letter to Providers, 25 March 2020)
In particular, the key priorities should be:
International students, care leavers, estranged students, disabled students and those who live with people in high risk groups are all considered to be vulnerable and in need of the most urgent support.
This Includes:
"Providers will already be making these arrangements and we expect only to take regulatory action where we consider that reasonable efforts have not been made or where standards have been compromised. These are extraordinary times for the higher education sector – as for the rest of society – and it is right that we adjust our regulatory expectations accordingly." (OfS, Letter to Providers, 25 March 2020)
As of 25 March 2020, the changes made by the OfS include:
These changes will remain in effect until further notice.
The new reporting regime reflects the OfS turning its attention to the identification and management of financial risk and protecting student interests. Providers are no longer expected to report on sustainability and viability concerns over a three or five year timescale but instead they should notify the OfS:
It is also important to note that consumer law still applies and contractual terms and conditions for students need to remain fair and easily understood.
Term three tuition fee payments by the Student Loans Company are going ahead as scheduled, but considerable financial uncertainty remains.
In the absence of any specific schemes or plans to provide financial assistance to the HE sector, the OfS is working with the Department for Education and other stakeholders to assess the options available.
Some providers may be eligible for assistance through the government's support for business package.
The Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan MP, has directed HE providers to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help support staff wages and keep people in employment.
The OfS was already consulting on modifications to the university admissions system and the use of unconditional offers when the pandemic struck.
On 24 March 2020, the OfS responded to the government's announcement of the cancellation of all public examinations by calling for all higher education providers to stop making unconditional offers and amendments to current offers for at least two weeks. This is to give Ofqual time to develop a fair way to award A-levels. The logic is that students unsettled by the crisis should not feel pressured into accepting unconditional offers that might not be in their best long term interest.
The moratorium applies to all subjects and extends to:
New conditional offers can be made, but they must be responsible and in the best interests of students.
Ofqual published details of how A-levels (and GCSEs) will be awarded on 3 April 2020 and further guidance to the HE sector is expected shortly.
The DfE has set up a helpline to assist with education related queries. The helpline is open between 08:00 and 18:00 Monday to Friday and 10:00 to 16:00 on Saturday and Sunday. The helpline can be accessed by phone (0800 046 8687) and email.