OfS seeks views on distributing funding for increased medical student numbers

Additional grant funding will be made available to support universities, colleges and other higher education providers who have since taken on more students studying high-cost subjects – for example, medicine, dentistry, healthcare courses and other laboratory-based subjects.

The OfS proposes to distribute the additional recurrent funding by formula, with additional capital funding distributed through a separate bidding process. This is to ensure that funding is effectively targeted to where it is most needed. 

As well as these additional allocations, the consultation also asks about the future monitoring of medical and dental intake targets following the decision to lift the cap on home and EU intakes to pre-registration medical and dental courses for 2020-21.

The OfS is particularly interested in hearing from higher education providers that are registered, or are applying to be registered, with us in the Approved (fee cap) category. We also welcome the views of representative bodies of higher education providers and their staff, and others with an interest in the finance arrangements for higher education.

The deadline for responses to the consultation is 16 November 2020.