Version 1.0 - Last Updated: 25 Oct 2023

Provider attributes

Designation


This chapter shows the domiciles that your courses can be designated for. You can only add courses for the domiciles shown on your provider page.

For English providers only, your provider type or category of Office for Students (OfS) registration affects the domiciles you are designated for.

You must only add designated courses to the Courses Management Service (CMS).

English Providers

From AY 2019/20 English providers intending to access student finance must be registered with the Office for Students (OfS).

Once you are registered with OfS, all eligible courses are automatically designated for English students.

You will only be able to add your courses to CMS if you are registered with OfS.

There are 2 categories of registration:

  • Approved (fee cap) with or without an Access and Participation Plan (APP)
  • Approved

If you deregistered with OfS for any reason, you may need to seek ‘teach out’ at course level from OfS. This will give your returning students access to the student finance system.

English School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers need to be registered with the Department for Education (DfE) to add courses to CMS.

Franchise and validation arrangements

English providers that are registered with the Office for Students (OfS) can enter into validation and franchise agreements with:

  • providers that are registered with OfS
  • providers that are not registered with OfS

They can do this without seeking specific designation. All eligible courses run through validation or franchise arrangements are automatically designated. Eligible students will be able to access the student finance system.

If you are a higher education provider that is not registered with OfS, courses delivered via validation and franchise agreements by an OfS-registered provider are not eligible for student finance funding.


Validation arrangements

Validation arrangements are needed when a provider (Provider A) does not have the level of degree-awarding powers (DAPs) needed to run a course leading to a designated qualification. Such a provider can enter into a validation arrangement with another provider (Provider B) that has the DAPs needed.

Example

Provider B approves a programme of study offered by Provider A that contributes to the qualification awarded 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 and for the quality of the learning programme. Provider A would add the course to CMS.


Franchise arrangements

Franchise arrangements are used when a lead provider (the franchisor) enters into an agreement with another provider (the franchisee).

Under this agreement, the franchisee will deliver a course on behalf of the lead provider. The franchisee may deliver all or part of a programme that the franchisor (the lead provider) approves and owns.

The lead provider keeps overall control of the programme's content, delivery, assessment and quality assurance. The lead provider must add the course on CMS. Students will apply for funding at the lead provider and all tuition fee loan payments will be made to the lead provider.

Example

Provider C (franchisor) has entered into a franchise agreement with Provider D (franchisee). Provider D is delivering the course at its campus on behalf of Provider C. The lead provider, Provider C, must upload the course details to CMS under its provider details. The location of the course should be shown as Provider D.


Offering courses to students domiciled in the rest of the UK

If an English provider offers its own courses to students domiciled in the rest of the UK, the following designation rules apply.

Own courses are those wholly provided by this higher education provider.

 

Wales

NI

An English provider that is:

designation

designation

Approved (fee cap) with APP

Automatic

Automatic

Approved (fee cap) without APP

Automatic

Automatic

Approved

Specific (course-level) designation by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)

Specific (provider-level) designation by the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland (DfENI)

English providers offering their courses to Scottish students need specific designation at course level if their organisation:

  • was an Alternative provider in AY 2018/19
  • was a publicly funded provider that registers as an Approved provider with the Office for Students (OfS)
  • is a new provider

The Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) will only designate full-time courses that are not available at a provider located in Scotland.

If your organisation was publicly funded in AY 2018/19 and registers as an Approved (fee cap) provider with OfS, you have automatic designation for Scottish students for full-time courses only. Again, this only applies where the course is not available at a provider located in Scotland. This includes courses run through validation or franchise arrangements.

There are separate course designation rules for students domiciled in the rest of the UK for validation and franchise arrangements.

If you need specific designation at course or provider level, you need to request this from the relevant designating authority (DA) each academic year. We can request this on your behalf for Northern Irish and Scottish students. However, you need to contact HEFCW directly each academic year to seek designation for Welsh students. We do not request designation for Welsh students on your behalf.


Validation arrangements – Welsh students

There are course-specific rules for Welsh domiciled students attending a higher education provider in England.

From AY 2019/20, providers registered in the Approved (fee cap) category can automatically enter into validation arrangements with other registered providers. Approved providers, and those not registered with OfS, must seek specific course-level designation from HEFCW.

Before AY 2019/20, all publicly funded providers could enter into validation arrangements without seeking specific designation. From AY 2019/20, a provider that was publicly funded in AY 2018/19 and registers in any other category other than Approved (fee cap) must have all courses that are run through a franchise arrangement for new students specifically designated by HEFCW.

You must not add courses to the Courses Management Service (CMS) before HEFCW has granted designation. If HEFCW advises your courses are only designated for continuing students, you must set your course to returning students only when saving to CMS. 


Validated provision – Welsh students

The designation for full-time and part-time undergraduate courses depends on the provider's registration status with OfS:

  • Approved (fee cap) with plan – automatic designation
  • Approved (fee cap) with statement – automatic designation
  • Approved – specifically designated by HEFCW
  • not on register – specifically designated by HEFCW

Franchise arrangements – Welsh students

Only providers registered as Approved (fee cap) with an Access and Participation Plan (APP) are automatically designated to run franchised courses. All other providers must have these courses specifically designated by HEFCW.

Before AY 2019/20, all publicly funded providers could enter into franchise arrangements without seeking specific designation. From AY 2019/20, a publicly funded provider in AY 2018/19 that registers in any category other than Approved (fee cap) with an APP must have all courses that are run through a franchise arrangement for new students specifically designated by HEFCW.

You must not add courses to CMS before HEFCW has granted designation. If HEFCW advises your courses are only designated for continuing students, you must set your course to returning students only when saving to CMS. 


Franchised provision – Welsh students

The designation for full-time and part-time undergraduate courses depends on the registration status of both providers. 

If the franchisee (deliverer) is registered with OfS and the franchisor (lead provider) is: 

  • Approved (fee cap) with an Access and Participation Plan (APP) – automatic designation
  • Approved (fee cap) without (APP) – specific designation by HEFCW
  • Approved – specific designation by HEFCW

If the franchisee (deliverer) is not registered with OfS, the courses will need specific designation.

 

Example 1

Provider C is registered with OfS as Approved (fee cap) with an Access and Participation Plan. Provider C has a genetics course, but would like to run it at another location (Provider D) to use Provider D’s specialist laboratory.

Provider C is the lead provider. As it is an Approved (fee cap) provider with an Access and Participation Plan, the genetics course is automatically designated for funding. Provider C can add the course to CMS and set the location to Provider D.

 

Example 2

Provider E is registered with OfS as an Approved (fee cap) provider and does not have an Access and Participation plan. Provider E also has a genetics course and wants to enter into a franchise arrangement with Provider D to use their specialist laboratory.

Provider E must apply to HEFCW to have the course specifically designated for support. They should not add the course to CMS until HEFCW has given it specific designation.


Northern Irish and Scottish providers

The designation rules are different for authority funded and non-authority funded providers.

Authority funded (public) providers are maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds. These providers are automatically designated for all domiciles.

Alternative providers are any providers of higher education courses that:

  • are not maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds
  • do not receive any other form of direct annual public funding (for example, from a local authority or the Secretary of State for Education)
  • are not further education colleges

According to the regulations, courses run wholly or in part by alternative providers are not automatically designated. They will need to be specifically designated so that students may access student support.

Scottish alternative providers must have specific designation from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).

Northern Irish alternative providers must have specific designation from the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland (DfENI).

If you are an alternative provider and want to offer courses to students under other designating authorities, you must seek specific course-level designation from the relevant authority. We can request this on your behalf for Northern Irish and Scottish students. If you wish to seek designation for Welsh students, you must contact the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) directly.

English students will be automatically designated for Welsh and Northern Irish alternative providers if the home designating authority has designated the provider. Scottish alternative providers will need to be designated for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

We will administer course details on the Courses Management Service (CMS) on behalf of alternative providers. Only the domiciles for which they have specific designation will be available.

Non-authority funded providers

Authority funded providers can enter into validation and franchise agreements with providers that are not authority funded.

In these arrangements, students who are studying at the franchise location may be entitled to student finance.

Welsh providers

From 1 August 2017, the automatic designation of full-time higher education courses applies only to courses provided by 'recognised educational institutions'.

A 'recognised educational institution' is currently defined as either:

  • a Welsh-regulated institution, meaning an institution which has a fee and access plan approved by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) under Section 7 of the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015 while that plan remains in force

  • a provider operated by a charity within the meaning in section 1 of the Charities Act 2011 on behalf of a Welsh-regulated institution

If a higher education course is not automatically designated, HEFCW will need to specifically designate it. You must not add courses to the Courses Management Service (CMS) before HEFCW has granted designation. 

If HEFCW advises your courses are only designated for continuing students, you must set your course to returning students only when saving to CMS.

Only then can students apply for financial support from the Welsh Government. The Welsh Ministers might designate these courses on a course-by-course basis.

If you are a Welsh provider that is not a 'recognised educational institution' and want to offer your courses to students under other designating authorities, you must request specific course level designation from the relevant authority.

We can request this on your behalf for Northern Irish and Scottish students. English students will be automatically designated for Welsh alternative providers if Wales has designated the provider.