The Office for Students (OfS) has today launched a call for evidence for views on how it applies its powers to distribute funding to universities and colleges in England.
Each year, the OfS distributes around £1.4 billion through the Strategic Priorities Grant, which supports teaching and related activities at universities and colleges. The OfS also distributes capital funding to support the building and renovation of facilities, including laboratories, specialist teaching suites and lecture halls, to support students’ education. Recently, the OfS allocated £450 million of capital funding for the 2022-23 to 2024-25 financial years.
The OfS’s existing method of distributing funding recognises the additional costs to universities and colleges that may be associated with teaching particular courses or supporting students, such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to access and succeed in higher education. The approach also accounts for strategic priorities in higher education, including supporting priority subjects and helping students to continue and complete their studies, and go onto successful outcomes after graduation.
