Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the registration process for independent higher education providers has been suspended by the Office for Students; and when they plan to recommence registrations.

The registration process for higher education providers is managed by the Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of higher education in England.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the current unprecedented circumstances, the OfS has decided to suspend new registration applications. This is due to a reprioritisation of resources that enables the OfS to focus on urgent COVID-19 response work.

The OfS is responsible for deciding when to resume new registrations and will do so as soon as circumstances allow. The OfS is continuing to process applications already submitted for both registration and degree awarding powers and has offered to discuss with individual potential providers wherever there might be exceptional circumstances.