We are funded by subscriptions from higher education providers that are members of our Scheme. Our Board sets the level of subscriptions each year. There are two elements to the subscription fee, a core subscription and a case-related element.
For the purposes of subscriptions, our year runs from January to December. Where appropriate, rates will be pro-rated, for example where a provider joins our Scheme part way through a year.
The information on this page gives full details for 2020.
If you have any queries, please email subscriptions@oiahe.org.uk.
Core subscription fee rates
The information below sets out the core fee rates for 2020. For FE colleges and sixth form colleges which provide HE ("HE in FE Providers") there is a reduction of 30% in the core subscription fee. This is to reflect the different regulatory and funding environment in FE.
The Board agreed an increase in core subscription fee rates for 2020 of 5.0% for all providers.
| Student numbers | Band |
Core subscription fee (£) |
Core subscription fee (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to and including 200 students | AA | 457 | 320 |
| 201 to 500 students | A | 944 | 661 |
| 501 to 1,500 students | B | 1,905 | 1,334 |
| 1,501 to 6,000 students | C | 10,241 | 7,169 |
| 6,001 to 12,000 students | D | 20,320 | 14,224 |
| 12,001 to 20,000 students | E | 33,776 | 23,643 |
| 20,001 to 30,000 students | F | 51,055 | 35,739 |
| 30,001 to 50,000 students | G | 60,672 | 42,470 |
| 50,001 to 100,000 students | H | 74,662 | 52,263 |
| More than 100,000 students | I | 114,713 | 80,299 |
All providers of School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITTs) will pay the same core subscription fee for 2020 of £267.
Providers that are brought into membership of our Scheme because their HE provision is franchised from another provider and are not on the OfS Register, or because they are a provider in England who is not on the OfS Register but is providing a course leading to an award of another member who is in England, will pay a core subscription fee for 2020 of £267 per annum.
Data source and period
Where we require student numbers to put providers into bands we will use the most recent relevant published data by HESA or HEIFES data returns. For 2020 subscriptions this will include students reported through the HESA Aggregate Offshore record and will be using the 2017/18 reporting period.
Where a member does not report their numbers through these returns we will use self-reporting. We reserve the right to review and adjust self-reported figures following a cross-checking process.
Case-related element of subscriptions
Subscriptions may also include a smaller case-related element which is charged where the number of complaints we received from students at the provider in the previous year exceeded the band's point threshold. Each case that students bring to us above that number incurs "points" and then the number of points the provider is over the threshold determines the fee.
For cases received in 2020, there is one point for each case that is not eligible for us to review, two points where the case is settled or withdrawn before it goes to full review and five points where we fully review the case. Where we decide not to review a complaint because, for example, we decide that the complaint is intended to cause disruption or annoyance, it will not incur any points. Group and linked complaints will be dealt with on a case by case basis. We will make the final decision about which category any case falls into. We may need to make some assumptions at year end, which we will change later as appropriate (for example if we find we can settle a case that we had expected to fully review).
From 2020 each point over the threshold is worth £210.
| Band | 2020 points threshold |
|---|---|
| AA/Providers not on the banding system | 5 |
| A | 5 |
| B | 6 |
| C | 10 |
| D | 22 |
| E | 39 |
| F | 59 |
| G | 81 |
| H | 151 |
| I | 420 |
We will pro-rate the points threshold for providers joining our Scheme part way through the year. However, we will not reduce the points threshold below five points. This is to make sure that no provider pays the case element for the first case we receive during the calendar year.
We normally invoice for the case element each year in the Spring for the previous year's cases. We will provide interim statement information in-year to help with record keeping.
If you have any queries about this please contact subscriptions@oiahe.org.uk.