Proposed timeline for upcoming college financial returns
Updated 26 March 2025
Applies to England
漏 Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected].
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at /government/publications/college-accounts-direction/proposed-timeline-for-upcoming-college-financial-returns
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.
| Collection | Scope | Documents to submit | Publish date | Collection deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July annual return | All colleges | 鈥� CFFR 鈥� Commentary |
Target date for publication of CFFR and College Financial Planning Handbook: May 2025 | 31 July 2025 |
| Financial statements | All colleges | 鈥� Finance record 鈥� Financial statements 鈥� Audit committee annual report 鈥� Audit findings report 鈥� Non-dormant subsidiary financial statements 鈥� Additional evidence, as requested |
Finance record template publication date: TBC | 31 December 2025 |
Colleges may also be asked to submit additional returns, for example where they have received restructuring or capital grants.