Million Plus

MillionPlus has responded to the Office for Students (OfS) 2022-25 strategy consultation, reflecting on the clear shift in strategy since the OfS was founded in 2018.

The new strategy appears to represent a more interventionist approach to higher education regulation, which raises questions over the notion of a market of higher education, as was originally envisioned in the development of the regulatory framework. This has implications for the nature of the OfS as a “risk-based” regulator and how this will be applied over the next three years.

MillionPlus has emphasised the importance of the OfS carving out its own identity as a “critical friend” of government and the continued engagement with the sector through consultation on major policy change. MillionPlus has restated its concerns that a more contextualised approach to regulation is being abandoned and highlighted some of potential unintended consequences that this might cause. Finally there is also concern that the implementation of this strategy may result in extra bureaucratic burden for institutions that is unnecessary

Download MillionPlus consultation response - OfS strategy 2022-25 »