In the last academic year, the Office for Students (OfS) distributed a total of £1.4 billionExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) to higher education providers. The Student Loans Company (SLC) paid out nearly £20 billion in student supportExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) for 1.5 million students in England during the last academic year on which it reported (2020-21).
Any sector that attracts such significant public investment is vulnerable to fraud, and we all need to continue to be vigilant on behalf of taxpayers.
At the OfS we’re extending our regulatory work in this area. We continue to work closely with colleagues at the SLC, exchanging intelligence about individual providers that may be drawing down public funding for students who are not genuinely committed to their course.
