The Office for Students has made an order revoking Spurgeon’s College’s authorisation to award degrees. Made on 7 April 2026 and coming into force on 27 April 2026, Statutory Instrument 2026/394 cancels the 2022 order that first conferred taught degree-awarding powers and the 2025 amendment that extended those powers. The Explanatory Note records that the college has ceased to be a registered higher education provider.
The legal basis is straightforward. Under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the OfS may by order authorise a registered provider to grant taught or research awards (section 42) and may vary or revoke that authorisation by order (section 44). The Act sets a notification procedure, including reasons and an effective date, before variation or revocation takes effect (section 48). (legislation.gov.uk)
Spurgeon’s College received time‑limited taught degree‑awarding powers from 1 September 2022. The OfS subsequently varied that order on 2 July 2025 to extend the time limit to 30 November 2028 to ensure continuity for students while further assessment was pending. Both instruments are now revoked by the 2026 order. (officeforstudents.org.uk)
For students, the central issue is who awards their qualification. The OfS has previously confirmed that some Spurgeon’s programmes were delivered under validation arrangements with Liverpool Hope University and the University of Manchester, and said it was working with all parties to support affected cohorts. (officeforstudents.org.uk)
The OfS’s student guidance sets out practical next steps. Graduates with University of Manchester awards should contact the university for records; students whose qualification was issued directly by Spurgeon’s should already have received their certificate. The guidance also explains routes to raise a complaint, including access to the independent scheme until at least July 2026. (officeforstudents.org.uk)
International students should check their immigration position. The OfS notes that permission to stay is linked to a provider’s sponsor licence, so students may need to take action if they transfer or if their sponsor status changes. (officeforstudents.org.uk)
For providers, the order is a reminder that degree‑awarding powers are contingent on registration. Section 42 authorisation is available only to registered higher education providers, and section 44 enables the OfS to revoke that authorisation via secondary legislation, following the statutory notification process. (legislation.gov.uk)
From 27 April 2026, Spurgeon’s College will no longer have legal authority to confer new UK degrees in its own name. Where teaching continues through teach‑out or transfer, awards would need to be granted by a validating partner or receiving institution, as the OfS has previously signposted. (officeforstudents.org.uk)
No impact assessment accompanies the instrument; the Explanatory Note states there is no impact on businesses, civil society, or the public sector. The regulatory significance lies in the mechanism: when a provider exits the OfS register, the regulator uses its HERA powers to tidy up degree‑awarding authorisations and provide clarity for students and partners.