Part 1The Office for Students

Powers to grant degrees etc

I150Validation by authorised providers

1

The OfS may enter into arrangements (“commissioning arrangements”) with an authorised registered higher education provider requiring the provider to offer to enter into validation arrangements in respect of—

a

all the taught awards that the provider is authorised to grant, or

b

such of those taught awards as are specified in the commissioning arrangements or are of a description so specified.

2

Commissioning arrangements may require a provider to offer to enter into validation arrangements subject to conditions specified by the OfS.

3

Commissioning arrangements may not require a provider to offer to enter into validation arrangements that the provider is not authorised to enter into.

4

In this section, “validation arrangements” means arrangements between one registered higher education provider and another registered higher education provider under which the first provider—

a

grants a taught award to a person who is a student at the other provider, or

b

authorises the other provider to grant a taught award on behalf of the first provider.

5

In this section, “authorised”, in relation to a registered higher education provider, means authorised to grant taught awards, and to enter into validation arrangements, by—

a

an authorisation given—

i

under section 42(1),

ii

by or under any other provision of an Act of Parliament, or

iii

by Royal Charter, or

b

an authorisation varied under section 45(1).