The English sector regulator is pushing ahead with plans to charge universities for the costs of regulatory investigations, despite criticism of the proposals in a consultation.
However, the Office for Students said that it accepted that a provider’s ability to pay should be considered before a final bill is issued.
The charges will be levied on institutions that have been found to have breached a registration condition or have conditions imposed on their registration following an investigation.
In a document outlining consultation responses, published on 20 July, the OfS writes that the majority of respondents “considered that the definition of investigation and the activities that fell within it, and would therefore be included in the calculation of costs, was too broad” – in many cases representing “business as usual” for a regulator.
