Our Education Officer, Shaban Chaudhary and President, Goksu Danaci are working in collaboration with the Russell Group Students’ Unions (RGSU) to ensure the Office for Students (OfS) reflects your needs in its 2025–2030 strategy through consultation.
What is the Ofs?
The OfS is the independent regulator for higher education in England, responsible for ensuring you receive high-quality education and that universities are financially sustainable. Responding to this consultation is crucial because it helps shape the OfS’s priorities for regulating higher education in England over the next five years. Given the significant role the OfS plays in shaping the student experience, it's crucial that student voices are heard in these discussions.
What Are We Calling For?
We’re urging the OfS to consider the following in their 2025–2030 strategy:
- Strengthening Student Representation – An advisory panel of elected students’ union representatives replaces the current hand-picked student panel, ensuring student voices directly influence regulatory decisions.
- Enhancing the Student Experience – Increased funding supports student activities, wellbeing, and representation.
- Addressing Financial Pressures – Focus on the cost of living, fairer funding, and improved support for postgraduates and international students.
- Guaranteeing Quality Student Housing – All residential universities must provide appropriate, affordable, high-quality accommodation.
- Securing Research & Development – Postgraduate research students drive the UK economy, and the OfS must guarantee sustainable funding.
Goksu Danaci, Students' Union President
"We welcome many of the proposals put forward by the OfS and support a regulatory approach that puts student success, wellbeing, and experience at its core. However, the OfS needs to go further in truly prioritising students in its 2025–2030 strategy. Through RGSU, our response sets out clear and comprehensive recommendations to ensure that student voice and welfare are at the heart of decision-making.”
What's Next?
We have submitted our response to the OfS, and they will consider it as they finalise their 2025–2030 strategy. We will continue campaigning for your rights and ensuring your voices shape all relevant policy discussions.
For more details on our response, please visit the Russell Group Students’ Unions website. If you have any further questions, please do get in touch with us - su.democracy@ucl.ac.uk