Registration for undergraduate modules starting in February 2025
Jan9th
Registration closed on 9 January 2025
Enrolment Process For Students in Prisons
Prospectus - Each academic year The Open University produces a new prospectus for Students in Secure Environments (SiSE) which contains all the qualifications and modules available to new and existing students. A paper copy can be requested via phone or email. Alternatively, please click on the following link to download a copy - A Guide for Learners in Secure Environments
Module Information Sheets - To ensure that a module is suitable for the student and can be completed at your establishment (IT requirements can be met, study hours are achievable etc.) please refer to the specific module information sheet - Module Information Sheets 2024-25 .
If there has been no previous study at undergraduate level before, or if a student has not studied for many years they may want to consider starting with one of the Open University's introductory Access modules. These are funded by the Prisoners' Education Trust (PET) under the banner of Steps to Success and have been specially designed to help students find out what it’s like to study with the OU, get a taste of different subject areas, develop study skills, and build confidence. Please click the following link for more information about Steps to Success.
Students who have already studied at university level or equivalent may be able to count this study towards an Open University qualification, saving time and money by reducing the number of modules they need to complete. This is called credit transfer and applications can take up to 6 weeks to process. For example, the deadline to apply for this for an October start is August.
Any applications for credit transfer must be made before starting the registration process.
Below is the 2 stage registration process.
Step 1 - Reservation
SIFT checks should be carried out prior to making any reservations. Consideration should be given to the student's funding options as these could be affected by previous levels of study, residency and and any previous funding methods used.
- Check that reservations have opened for study in the academic year you are registering for, as stated at the top of this page.
- Request a printed reservation form by phone or email from, the SiSE Registration team, alternatively, you can download one by clicking the following link - Reservation form
- The reservation form will be sent along with guidance notes to assist with completion of the form. It will only be emailed to the authorised OU contact at the prison.
- Further information about sources of funding.
- A module fact sheet will also be sent and this provides information about the requirements of the module allowing you to check that it can be facilitated at your prison.
- Once completed, the reservation form should be be returned to the SiSE registration team via email or post. The student will then have a place reserved on their chosen module and registration documents will be sent out along with guidance notes for completing them and the appropriate funding application forms corresponding to the funding method indicated on the reservation form.
Step 2 - Registration
- Completed registration documents should be returned to The Open University and completed funding applications should be sent to the appropriate funding body .
- The registration agreement must be signed by the student or the form will be returned.
- Registration can only be completed with a payment method in place. For this reason, we would always encourage education staff to begin the registration process as soon as possible as it often takes a few weeks to complete.
Please do not hesitate to contact the SiSE registration team if you have questions at any stage during the registration process.
Important Notes
- All completed registration forms must be received by Final Enrolment Date (FED) to ensure that students are guaranteed a place on the module. This date will be provided once the reservation is made but a rule of thumb is that it is usually about a month before the module start date.
- Any registrations received after FED cannot be guaranteed a place and registering students late can have a knock on effect throughout the length of their module. The deadline for the first TMA is often due within the first 4 weeks of the module starting and submitting the first one late can mean that they never manage to catch up. Module materials can only be despatched once registration is finalised and may take up to 10 days to arrive.
- Students who are not UK nationals or have visa requirements may need to provide evidence of their residency. This should be factored in as it can delay the enrolment process.
- We understand that prisoners can be transferred at short notice and it is important that the OU is made aware of this, particularly if the student is part way through the registration process.
Important Documents