The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. Established in 2017, its statutory role is to ensure that English higher education delivers positive outcomes for students, promoting equality of opportunity and protecting institutional autonomy.
As a non-departmental public body, the OfS sets conditions for higher education providers to access public funding, including student loan support. It operates a register of approved providers and monitors their compliance with requirements around quality, financial sustainability, and student protection. A significant part of its regulatory toolkit is the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which assesses and rates the quality of teaching and student outcomes at English universities and colleges.
The organisation's work is focused on England, where it oversees a diverse higher education sector comprising universities, further education colleges, and alternative providers. Its mandate is derived from the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
