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Annual access agreement and monitoring guidance

Latest annual guidance

As well as our annual guidance there is a wide range of other guidance and useful information on our policies, expectations and regulatory processes on our Universities and colleges web pages.

Monitoring

Our most recent monitoring guidance is now available and refers to the monitoring of 2016-17 access agreements: How to complete your 2016-17 monitoring return: access agreements and HEFCE funding for widening access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, improving retention and improving provision for disabled students (jointly published with the Higher Education Funding Council for England). You can also download Sample 2016-16 access agreement/HEFCE funding for WA, IR and IPDS monitoring tables as a PDF. The deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday 17 January 2018.

Access agreements

Our most recent access agreement guidance publication Strategic guidance for 2018-19 access agreements was published in February 2017 and refers to the development of 2018-19 access agreements.

Also available:

Sample 2018-19 access agreement resource plan (PDF)

Presentation slides from the ‘Developing your 2018-19 access agreement conference’ held in February 2017

Previous guidance

The following is an archive of all previous annual guidance that we issued to universities and colleges to support them in developing access agreements and in submitting monitoring returns.

Please be aware that this previous guidance is no longer current, and has all been superseded by the latest access agreement and monitoring guidance (available at the links above).

2017

Title	Date	Reference
How to complete your 2015-16 monitoring return: access agreements and Student Opportunity allocation This document sets out the information that OFFA and the Higher Education Funding Council for England need from institutions for the monitoring of access agreements and Student Opportunity allocation for 2015-16	November 2016	OFFA 2016/08 HEFCE 2016/33

Title

Date

Reference

How to complete your 2015-16 monitoring return: access agreements and Student Opportunity allocation

This document sets out the information that OFFA and the Higher Education Funding Council for England need from institutions for the monitoring of access agreements and Student Opportunity allocation for 2015-16

November 2016

OFFA 2016/08

HEFCE 2016/33

2016

Title	Date	Reference
Strategic guidance: developing your 2017-18 access agreement Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2017-18.	February 2016	OFFA 2016/01

Title

Date

Reference

Strategic guidance: developing your 2017-18 access agreement

Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2017-18.

February 2016

OFFA 2016/01

2015

Title	Date	Reference
How to complete your 2014-15 monitoring return: access agreements, Student Opportunity allocation and the NSP This document sets out the information that OFFA and the Higher Education Funding Council for England need from institutions for the monitoring of access agreements, Student Opportunity allocation and end-of-year monitoring of the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) for 2014-15	November 2015	OFFA 2015/07 (HEFCE 2015/31)
How to produce an access agreement for 2016-17 Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2016-17. Q&As on developing your 2016-17 access agreement ‘Developing your access agreement 2016-17’ conference	February 2015	OFFA

Title

Date

Reference

How to complete your 2014-15 monitoring return: access agreements, Student Opportunity allocation and the NSP

This document sets out the information that OFFA and the Higher Education Funding Council for England need from institutions for the monitoring of access agreements, Student Opportunity allocation and end-of-year monitoring of the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) for 2014-15

November 2015

OFFA 2015/07 (HEFCE 2015/31)

How to produce an access agreement for 2016-17
Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2016-17.

Q&As on developing your 2016-17 access agreement

‘Developing your access agreement 2016-17’ conference

February 2015

OFFA

2014

Title	Date	Reference
How to complete your 2013-14 monitoring return: access agreements, Student Opportunity allocation and the NSP This document sets out the information that OFFA and the Higher Education Funding Council for England need from institutions for the monitoring of access agreements, Student Opportunity allocation and end-of-year monitoring of the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) for 2013-14 Download Sample 2013-14 access agreement/Student Opportunity allocation monitoring tables as PDF Download Sample NSP end of year 2013-14 tables as PDF	November 2014	OFFA 2014/07 (HEFCE 2014/28)
How to produce an access agreement for 2015-16 Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2015-16. Download sample PDF of resource plan (financial template) Q&As on developing your 2015-16 access agreement	February 2014

Title

Date

Reference

How to complete your 2013-14 monitoring return: access agreements, Student Opportunity allocation and the NSP

Download Sample 2013-14 access agreement/Student Opportunity allocation monitoring tables as PDF

Download Sample NSP end of year 2013-14 tables as PDF

November 2014

OFFA 2014/07
(HEFCE 2014/28)

How to produce an access agreement for 2015-16
Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2015-16.

Download sample PDF of resource plan (financial template)

Q&As on developing your 2015-16 access agreement

February 2014

2013

Title	Date	Reference
How to complete your 2012-13 monitoring return: access agreements, interim widening participation strategic statements and the National Scholarship Programme Sets out the information we and HEFCE need for our monitoring of access agreements, interim widening participation strategic statements (IWPSSs) and the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) for 2012-13. Download sample monitoring tables (example of monitoring return in PDF form, for reference only)	November 2013	OFFA 2013/05 (HEFCE 2013/32)
How to produce an access agreement for 2014-15 Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2014-15. Download sample PDF of Annex B (financial template) Q&As on developing your 2014-15 access agreement	January 2013	2013/01

Title

Date

Reference

How to complete your 2012-13 monitoring return: access agreements, interim widening participation strategic statements and the National Scholarship Programme
Sets out the information we and HEFCE need for our monitoring of access agreements, interim widening participation strategic statements (IWPSSs) and the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) for 2012-13.
Download sample monitoring tables (example of monitoring return in PDF form, for reference only)

November 2013

OFFA 2013/05 (HEFCE 2013/32)

How to produce an access agreement for 2014-15
Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic tuition fee in 2014-15.

Download sample PDF of Annex B (financial template)

Q&As on developing your 2014-15 access agreement

January 2013

2013/01

2012

Title	Date	Reference
How to complete your monitoring return: access agreements and WPSAs 2011-12, and NSP 2012-13 (in-year) Sets out the information we and HEFCE need from institutions for our annual monitoring of access agreements and widening participation strategic assessments (WPSAs) for 2011-12, and for in-year monitoring of the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) for 2012-13.	November 2012	OFFA 2012/10 (HEFCE 2012/29)
Monitoring return guidance for SCITTs How to complete your access agreement monitoring return for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.	October 2012	2012/09
How SCITTs should produce an access agreement for 2013-14 Guidance for school centred initial teacher training providers (SCITTs) and other non-HEI providers of initial teacher training. Download Annex C Word template	September 2012	2012/08
How to produce an access agreement for 2013-14 Guidance for universities and colleges that wish to charge above the basic level of tuition fees in 2013-14 for full-time and part-time courses, and in 2012-13 for part-time courses. Q&A for institutions on drawing up 2013-14 access agreements Download Annexes B and C Download sample PDF of Annexes B and C	April 2012	2012/03
How to include ITT students in your 2012-13 access agreement This document gives guidance to HEIs and FECs on how to include initial teacher training (ITT) students in 2012-13 access agreements. Download Annex A	February 2012	2012/02
How SCITTS should produce an access agreement for 2012-13 Guidance for SCITTs and other non-HEI ITT providers who wish to charge fees of more than £6,000 in 2012-13. Annex A – do you intend to submit an access agreement for 2012-13? Download Annex E Download Annex F	January 2012	2012/01

2011

Title	Date	Reference
Access agreements and widening participation strategic assessments: How to complete your monitoring return for 2010-11 Sets out the information we and HEFCE need from institutions for our monitoring of 2010-11 access agreements and widening participation strategic assessments (WPSAs).	October 2011	OFFA 2011/05 (HEFCE 2011/32)
Access agreement and widening participation strategic assessment monitoring: Outcomes for 2009-10 This is a joint OFFA/HEFCE monitoring report. It gives the results of OFFA’s monitoring of access agreements in 2009-10 and also the results of HEFCE’s monitoring against widening participation strategic assessments (WPSAs). Excel spreadsheet giving data for annexes A-C View press release	September 2011	OFFA 2011/04 (HEFCE 2011/29)
Access agreement data tables for 2012-13 (July 2011) Please note this data has been superseded by OFFA publication 2012/06.Tables showing estimated expenditure on access measures and fee levels (by sector, mission group and institution) for 2012-13 access agreements. Download data tables as Excel spreadsheet View press release	July 2011	2011/03
How to produce access agreements for 2012-13 Guidance to institutions who wish to charge fees of more than £6,000 in 2012-13 Download Annex A Download Annex B	March 2011	2011/01

2010

Title	Date	Reference
Bursary leaflet for HE advisors in schools and colleges (2011-12) Contains the key information you will need to advise your students about bursaries for 2011-12. Text-only version of above leaflet Student-facing presentation on bursaries Student-facing powerpoint presentation on bursaries	November 2010	2010/08
Access agreements and widening participation strategic assessments: How to complete your monitoring return for 2009-10 Sets out the information we need from institutions for our monitoring of access agreements and WPSAs in 2009-10.	September 2010	OFFA 2010/07 (HEFCE 2010/29)
What more can be done to widen access to highly selective universities? Report by Sir Martin Harris on access to highly selective universities. View press release Download Annex C, ‘Trends in young participation by selectivity of institution’, separately	May 2010	2010/03
Bursary leaflet for HE advisers in schools and colleges Contains the key information you will need to advise your students about bursaries for 2010-11. Text only version	April 2010	2010/02

2009

Title	Date	Reference
Good practice guide: How to increase awareness, knowledge and take-up of bursaries and scholarships This good practice guide for universities and colleges offers practical advice and tips on how they can increase awareness, knowledge and take-up of bursaries and scholarships. It is based on national research undertaken by Professor Claire Callender, Birkbeck, University of London and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.	December 2009	2009/06
Access agreement monitoring 2008-09 (SCITTs) Guidance for School Centred Initial Teacher Training providers on how to complete their access agreement monitoring return for 2008-09.	October 2009	2009/05
Access agreement monitoring 2008-09 (FECs) Guidance for further education colleges on how to complete their access agreement monitoring return for 2008-09.	October 2009	2009/04
Access agreement monitoring 2008-09 (HEIs) Guidance for higher education institutions on how to complete their access agreement monitoring return for 2008-09.	October 2009	2009/03
Access agreement monitoring: Outcomes for 2007-08 Our second monitoring report, giving the results of our monitoring of access agreements in 2007-08. View press release	March 2009	2009/02
Request for widening participation strategic assessments (re-directs to HEFCE website) This HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) publication gives guidance to institutions on what to include in their new widening participation strategic assessments.	January 2009	HEFCE 2009/01

2008

Title	Date	Reference
Access agreement monitoring 2007-08 (FECs and SCITTs) Sets out the information we need from further education colleges and school-centred initial teacher training providers for our monitoring of access agreements in 2007-08.	July 2008	2008/04
Access agreement monitoring 2007-08 (HEIs) Sets out the information we need from higher education institutions for our monitoring of access agreements in 2007-08.	July 2008	2008/03
Access agreement monitoring: Outcomes for 2006-07 Our first monitoring report, giving the results of our monitoring of access agreements in 2006-07. View press release	January 2008	2008/01

2007

Title	Date	Reference
Access agreement monitoring 2006-07 Sets out the information we need from institutions for our monitoring of access agreements in 2006-07.	March 2007	2007/01

2005

Title	Date	Reference
Producing access agreements: OFFA guidance to School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITTs) providers Guidance for SCITTs on how to produce an access agreement.	October 2005	2005/02

2004

Title	Date	Reference
Producing access agreements: OFFA guidance to institutions Our guidance to institutions setting out the information they need to include in access agreements.	November 2004	2004/01