Registration fees payable to OfS - our response

27 March 2017

The Russell Group has responded to the Government consultation on registration fees that higher education providers will pay to the Office for Students (OfS).

Whilst we welcome the Government’s commitment to a risk-based and proportionate approach to the calculation of registration fees, the proposals outlined in the consultation do not deliver on this approach. Larger established providers would be expected to cross-subsidise smaller and new entrants without any reference to the risk posed by individual institutions. Indeed, this could be interpreted as a hypothecated tax on existing providers to help cut the cost of market entry for others.

We recommend that provider size and category of registration should not be used as the primary means by which to calculate registration fees.

Read our full consultation response here:

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