Eligible higher education providers

The following sections will give you an overview of the types of higher education providers whose courses are eligible for doctoral funding from Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales.

They'll also cover the rules around franchise and validation agreements.

English students

Postgraduate doctoral funding will only be available from Student Finance England (SFE) for courses provided by UK higher education providers that are either

registered with the Office for Students (OfS) and have research degree awarding powers (R-DAPs)
are authority-funded and have research degree awarding powers

Only providers with research degree awarding powers can award doctoral degrees. Those with only taught degree awarding powers cannot award doctoral degrees.

Validation arrangements

If an OfS-registered or authority-funded provider does not have research degree awarding powers (organisation A), they may enter a validation arrangement with an OfS-0registered or authority-funded provider that does have them (organisation B).

In this case, provider B approves a programme of study offered by provider A that contributes to the award of a doctoral qualification from provider B.

In validation arrangements, the degree-awarding body (provider B) is ultimately responsible for the academic standards of any awards granted in its name. It is also responsible for the quality of the learning programme.

Franchise arrangements

OfS-registered or authority funded providers with research degree awarding powers may enter into arrangements with third parties not registered with OfS, to deliver a course on the behalf of the lead provider.

The franchisee may deliver all or part of a programme approved and owned by the provider with research degree awarding powers. The franchising organisation (the provider with research degree awarding powers) keeps overall control of the programme's content, delivery, assessment and quality assurance.

If the course is provided by more than one university, the student must be registered with the university awarding the qualification.

Welsh students

Postgraduate doctoral funding will only be available from Student Finance Wales for courses that are automatically designated within the postgraduate doctoral regulations. They must also be provided by UK higher education providers that are either:

publicly-funded with research degree awarding powers
registered with the Office for Students (OfS) with an Access and Participation Plan with research degree awarding powers

Only universities or colleges that have been granted research degree awarding powers can award doctoral degrees. Those with only taught degree awarding powers cannot award doctoral degrees.

The Welsh Ministers may specifically designate courses at publicly-funded or OfS-registered providers that do not have research degree awarding powers and offer postgraduate doctoral courses. The Welsh Government and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) will tell us about any specifically designated courses.

Validation arrangements

If a publicly-funded or OfS-registered provider with an Access and Participation Plan does not have research degree awarding powers (provider A), they may enter a validation arrangement with a publicly funded or OfS-registered provider that does have them (provider B).

In such an arrangement, provider B approves a programme of study offered by provider A that contributes to the award of a doctoral qualification from provider B.

Franchise arrangements

Publicly-funded or OfS-registered providers with an Access and Participation Plan that have research degree awarding powers may enter into franchise arrangements with other publicly funded or OfS-registered providers that do not have them.

In these arrangements, the franchisee may deliver all or part of a programme approved and owned by the provider with research degree awarding powers. The franchising institution (the provider with research degree awarding powers) keeps overall control of the programme's content, delivery, assessment and quality assurance.

The Welsh Ministers may also specifically designate courses at alternative providers that offer postgraduate doctoral courses in Wales. The Welsh Government and HEFCW will tell us about any specifically designated courses at alternative providers based in Wales.

If an alternative provider has research degree awarding powers, the Welsh Ministers must designate and approve their courses to be eligible for support. These courses are not subject to automatic designation. Alternative providers with research degree awarding powers should not upload courses for Welsh-domiciled students until they've been specifically designated by the Welsh Government and HEFCW.

If the course is provided by more than one university, the student must be registered with the lead institution that is awarding the qualification.