Higher Education and Research Act 2017

13 Other initial and ongoing registration conditions

(1) The initial or ongoing registration conditions may, in particular, include—

(a) a condition relating to the quality of, or the standards applied to, the higher education provided by the provider (including requiring the quality to be of a particular level or particular standards to be applied);

(b) a public interest governance condition (see section 14);

(c) a condition relating to the provider having a student protection plan which has the OfS’s approval (including requiring the provider to have such a plan and to publish it);

(d) a condition requiring the payment of a fee charged under section 70(1) (initial fee and annual fee for ongoing registration);

(e) a condition requiring the payment of a fee charged under section 28 or 67 (fees charged by designated bodies) or section 71(1) (other fees charged by the OfS);

(f) a condition requiring the governing body of the provider to take such steps as the OfS considers appropriate for facilitating cooperation between the provider and one or more electoral registration officers in England for the purpose of enabling the electoral registration of students who are on higher education courses provided by the provider.

(2) Where there are one or more sector-recognised standards, the condition mentioned in subsection (1)(a), so far as relating to standards—

(a) may relate only to the standards applied in respect of matters for which there are sector-recognised standards, and

(b) may require the application of sector-recognised standards only in respect of those matters.

(3) In this Part, “sector-recognised standards” means standards that apply to higher education and accord with guidance which—

(a) is determined by persons representing a broad range of registered higher education providers, and

(b) commands the confidence of registered higher education providers.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), “a student protection plan” is a plan for the protection of students if an event specified by the OfS were to occur (for example, the closure of a course).

(5) For the purposes of subsection (1)(f)—

• “electoral registration officer in England” means a registration officer appointed under section 8(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1983;

• “the electoral registration of students” means the registration of students on a register of electors maintained by such an officer under section 9 of that Act.