This one day online conference will consider next steps for long-term funding models and the financial sustainability, resilience, and stability of the UK higher education sector, including priorities for policy, institutional planning, and risk management.

It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss opportunities for refining operating models in the context of tuition fee cap increases, reintroduction of maintenance grants, expanded research funding, and the forthcoming levy on international students announced in the 2025 Autumn Budget.

Delegates will also consider strategies for addressing pressures highlighted in the Office for Students’ annual financial sustainability report, including sector-wide financial stress, uneven impacts across providers, and the growing number of institutions at risk of insolvency. The agenda will bring out latest thinking on approaches to resource allocation, strategic trade-offs, programme portfolio management, and long-term institutional planning - alongside approaches to achieving wider sector stability and competitiveness.

The session will cover:
• Regulation, governance & forecasting
• Student finance, recruitment & market strategy
• Research, funding & commercialisation
• Diversification, mergers & engagement with key partners.