Additional roles handed to England’s higher education regulator will result in higher registration fees for universities, the chair of the Office for Students has indicated.
Giving evidence to a House of Lords committee that is investigating the role and performance of the OfS, Lord Wharton of Yarm said “significant new functions [coming] as a result of the Freedom of Speech bill” would lead to more work for the regulator, whose £30 million-a-year budget would need to increase. Under new legislation, the OfS will oversee the activities of students’ unions and investigate alleged breaches of free speech on campus.
In addition, the OfS has taken over the Quality Assurance Agency’s role as the designated quality body to ensure academic standards in English universities.
“No one wants to put fees up, but for these reasons, I think it is necessary,” said Lord Wharton, adding that he “hoped the financial impact will be relatively small” even though “any increase will be seen as significant in these times”.
