OfS to revoke Spurgeon’s College degree powers 27 Apr

The Office for Students has made a formal order to revoke Spurgeon’s College’s power to award degrees, with the change taking legal effect on Monday 27 April 2026. The statutory instrument-titled the Power to Award Degrees etc. (Spurgeon’s College) (Revocation) Order 2026-was made on 7 April and signed for the OfS by deputy director David Smy. The note to the order says the revocation follows the college ceasing to be a registered higher education provider in England. This is a legal housekeeping step that confirms no new awards can be made by the college after the commencement date. (Source: legislation.gov.uk record of the revocation order; OfS press material naming David Smy.) (legislationtracker.co.uk)

If you are reading this as a current or former student, you are probably asking a simple question: does this affect my degree? The answer is that awards you have already received remain valid. What changes is the college’s legal power to issue any new awards after the order comes into force. That distinction-between existing qualifications and future awarding-matters for employers, admissions offices and visa checks, and it is why the order spells out the revocation date. (Source: legislation.gov.uk explanatory note.) (legislationtracker.co.uk)

Why can the OfS do this? Under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the OfS may vary or revoke degree‑awarding powers if certain conditions are met, including if a provider is no longer registered. Parliament’s explanatory notes to sections 44 and 45 set this out in plain terms: revocation covers all holders of degree‑awarding powers, whether time‑limited or indefinite. In other words, the power is clear in law and the process must be notified. (Source: Higher Education and Research Act 2017 explanatory notes.) (legislation.gov.uk)

The context here is important. Spurgeon’s closed its higher education courses on 31 July 2025, with the OfS saying up to 200 students were affected and confirming it would coordinate with validating universities so students could continue or receive academic credit. Today’s revocation simply formalises the position that followed the closure. (Source: OfS press statement; Times Higher Education reporting.) (officeforstudents.org.uk)

So what happens next for students who were mid‑course? The OfS has an information page that explains your routes. If your course was validated by the University of Manchester, the university committed to contact students and support transfers. If your course was validated by Liverpool Hope University, your registration transfers to Liverpool Hope, which also agreed to supervise remaining dissertation periods. If your qualification was to be awarded directly by Spurgeon’s, you should already have received your award and can request records via the contacts listed by the OfS. (Source: OfS student information page.) (officeforstudents.org.uk)

If you need to complain about how the closure affected you, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education says Spurgeon’s students may complain until at least July 2026. The OIA also notes that, because the college has closed, remedies may be limited-but complaints about partner universities or a new provider you transfer to may still be considered. This is free and acts as an alternative to court action. (Source: OIA statement; OfS student information page.) (oiahe.org.uk)

International students have specific safeguards. The OfS explains that UK Visas and Immigration will review your permission after Spurgeon’s sponsor licence ends and typically grants a 60‑day period (from the date UKVI contacts you) to arrange a new sponsor. You do not need to leave the UK immediately and you can switch to a new provider if your new course starts within the permitted timeframe. (Source: OfS student information page.) (officeforstudents.org.uk)

For employers and admissions teams verifying qualifications, focus on the awarding body printed on the certificate. Where a Spurgeon’s award was validated by Manchester or Liverpool Hope, those universities hold the student record and can verify. Where Spurgeon’s itself conferred the award, students have been told how to access records, and standard checks can be made through the UK’s official degree verification service, HEDD. Using the awarding body pathway avoids confusion about the revocation date. (Source: OfS student information page; HEDD guidance.) (officeforstudents.org.uk)

One curveball in this story is timing. In July 2025 the OfS had already varied Spurgeon’s original order to extend its time‑limited degree‑awarding powers until 30 November 2028, a move made to protect students while assessments were paused during sector‑wide financial pressures. The subsequent course closures meant that extension became academic. Today’s revocation closes the loop. (Source: OfS ‘Orders made’ page.) (officeforstudents.org.uk)

If you are mapping the key dates, keep these three in mind: 31 July 2025, when the college told students its higher education courses were closing; 7 April 2026, when the OfS made the revocation order; and 27 April 2026, when the order comes into force. Knowing the dates helps you explain your circumstances to employers or a new university. (Source: OfS press statement; legislation tracker summary of the 2026 order.) (officeforstudents.org.uk)

Finally, a note on where responsibility sits. The OfS is England’s higher education regulator and uses HERA powers to protect students’ interests. Validation partners such as the University of Manchester and Liverpool Hope University handle records and confer awards for the programmes they validated. The OIA handles unresolved student complaints. If you keep those roles straight-and keep copies of emails and awards-you will be able to evidence your learning and move forward. (Source: HERA explanatory notes; OfS and OIA guidance.) (legislation.gov.uk)