OfS won’t unfreeze register and degree awarding functions until August

The higher education regulator has confirmed it will reopen its register of providers and restart conferring degree-awarding powers in August.

The Office for Students (OfS) suspended a range of regulatory activities in December to allow it to prioritise struggling university finances. 

Alongside closing its register, the office also paused applications for degree-awarding powers and a university title. 

While the regulatory hiatus was always billed as temporary, the August deadline would “remain under review”, according to the OfS’s original announcement. 

However, the watchdog has now confirmed it will not resume these activities before August. 

In a statement on Thursday, it said: “These temporary changes will end in August 2025, and the OfS will reopen for new applications and resume paused assessments on a staggered basis.” 

Registrations were paused for 18 providers, with degree-awarding applications halted for 20. 

Waltham Forest College, which was affected by the registration closure, told FE Week at the time that it forced “carefully planned” courses developed in response to employer demand in limbo.

Affected providers had been contacted, the OfS said.