England¡¯s regulator?has confirmed plans to reopen?applications for new higher education providers to join its register after an eight-month pause that has been widely criticised for stifling alternative provision.

The Office for Students (OfS) will restart assessing applications for new registrations, degree-awarding powers and university titles in August on a ¡°staggered basis¡±, a statement said.

In December 2024,?all this work was halted?to allow the regulator to focus on the financial sustainability of institutions and the wider English sector.

August has always been earmarked as the restart date, although the OfS had been keeping this under review.

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Institutions affected by the pause have previously said they will have to go back to the beginning with their applications as a lot of the data will be out of date come the restart. Many fear that a backlog built up over the past few months will also mean it takes longer for applications to be assessed.

Registration is necessary for providers to access public funding via the Student Loans Company.

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The OfS move was also criticised by politicians including former universities ministers Jo Johnson, who said it?could block universities¡¯ merger plans, and David Willetts, who feared it could?prevent new global providers setting up bases in the UK.

Sector groups have stressed that the pause?could make financial sustainability in the sector worse?because obtaining rights such as degree-awarding powers is used by providers to strengthen their offer to students.

The OfS¡¯ processes have long been criticised for being too slow and the regulator has?launched a consultation?on its approach to registration, including changes to the initial conditions institutions must meet.

It said the proposed changes will apply to those submitting new applications from August.

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The regulator¡¯s assessments for degree-awarding powers could also soon be streamlined, with a reduction in the amount of evidence required.

Further changes that require providers partnering with universities as part of franchise agreements?to be registered with the OfS?coon soon bring dozens more applications for the OfS to process.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com