Seven UK universities fail to file accounts on time

Times Higher Education (THE) has reported that seven UK universities have failed to file their annual financial accounts on time, with the deadline now months overdue.

In England, Southampton Solent University, Brunel University of London, the University of Kent, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama have been affected. Two Scottish universities, the University of the Highlands and Islands and the University of Dundee, are also listed by THE.

The University of Dundee has failed to submit its accounts for a second consecutive year. The financially-embattled university identified a £30 million budget shortfall in 2024 that has forced the institution into a £40 million bailout by the Scottish government.

An independent report subsequently accused the university’s previous leadership of overspending despite its worsening financial situation. A Dundee spokesperson told The Courier and THE that the institution hopes to publish the last two years’ accounts “in the first half of this year”.

According to Times Higher Education, 24 English institutions applied for an extension with the Office for Students to submit their accounts this year.

Universities have been punished for extended non-compliance before: the University of Buckingham was fined £37,000 by the OfS in 2022 for being two years overdue.

The OfS argues that such measures ensure it can adequately foresee financial difficulties and act accordingly to protect students’ interests. While Dundee is not subject to the English OfS agency’s deadlines, its continued failure to submit its accounts to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has left its charity status at risk.

While the OSCR has not yet taken formal action, a spokesperson maintained that the regulator began an inquiry into the university in the summer of 2025 and is currently “engaging” with the institution and relevant stakeholders.

The OfS grants extensions only in exceptional circumstances and requires institutions to outline how they will avoid future delays

The THE article has noted that 24 English institutions had applied for an extension with the Office for Students (OfS) to submit their accounts this year, with the five aforementioned English universities remaining outstanding.

While the OfS cautions that grounds for extensions vary and that no conclusions should be drawn around the reasons for why an institution may apply, this data coincides with a similar number of universities – 25 institutions – requesting extensions in early 2025.

Critically, the OfS grants extensions only in exceptional circumstances and requires applicant institutions to outline how they will avoid future delays. Whether the increasing number of extension requests represents a broader trend remains to be seen.