Access Agreements for 2013-14: What
has changed?
Jessica Woodsford
OFFA Policy Adviser
Office for Fair Access
• Independent NDPB
• Established in 2004 HE Act alongside the introduction of variable
fees in 2006-7
• Aim is to safeguard and promote fair access to higher education.
• All English universities and colleges that want to charge higher fees
must have an Access Agreement with us.
Our priorities for 2012-13
• Importance of outreach in achieving long term social mobility
• You should concentrate on access and retention measures with a
proven success record.
– welcome efforts to try new approaches, provided that you build
in effective evaluation and monitoring from the start.
• Importance of evaluation
• Inclusion of expenditure retention and student success activities
• Welcome/expect collaboration
2013-14 Access Agreement
What will change?
• 2013-14 access agreements follows similar
guidelines to 2012-13.
• There are some material differences:
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Inclusion of part-time and ITT
Consultation with students
Equality and diversity
Collaborative working and collaborative targets
Inclusion of part-time and ITT
ITT
• For 2012-13 ITT submitted as a separate annex
• For 2013-14 ITT incorporated in main agreement
Part-time
• 2013-14 access agreement will cover 2012-13 as well
• Regulations cover:
– 25% FTE or above
– Basic fee of £4,500 in an academic year
– Maximum fee of £6,750
Consultation with students &
Equality and diversity
Consultation with students
• In 2012-13 the majority of institutions reported consulting
students.
• For 2013-14 require a statement on the extent you have
consulted students.
Equality and Diversity
• Demonstrate you have taken equality issues into
consideration
• Linking widening participation and equality and
diversity plans
Collaborative working and collaborative
targets
• Encouraging commitment to collaborative
working
• Some plans in a developmental stage
• More details available now plans have
developed
• Include collaborative IAG
• Collaborative targets give the opportunity to gain
recognition for work that may not contribute to
entrants to your institution
Time Line for 2013-14 Access Agreement
• Mid April: Guidance on 2013-14
– OFFA available to answer questions and offer support
• 31st May: Submission
• June – July: OFFA contacts within institutions available
for queries/amendments
• 31st July– OFFA announcement of decisions
Contact Details
Jessica Woodsford
OFFA Policy Adviser
0117 931 7097
Rachel Wright
OFFA Policy Adviser
0117 931 7274
jessica.woodsford@
offa.org.uk
rachel.wright@offa.
org.uk