Guidance

College financial handbook

For college governors, accounting officers, chief financial officers, governance professionals and auditors.

Applies to England

Documents

College financial handbook 2024

Details

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.

Colleges must comply with this handbook as a condition of their accountability agreement.

Read this handbook if you have responsibility for governing, managing or auditing a college or college group.

It is for:

  • college governors
  • accounting officers
  • chief financial officers
  • governance professionals
  • auditors

To provide feedback about this handbook or to contact DfE for guidance, use the .

Updates to this page

Published 25 June 2025
Last updated 23 July 2025 show all updates
  1. We have updated the thresholds for senior pay approvals to match the updated HM Treasury thresholds (paragraphs 2.25 to 2.27).

  2. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page