Guidance

Release Practice Policy for Official Statistics

Updated 11 August 2026

Introduction

The Student Loans Company (SLC) is committed to publishing official statistics transparently and in line with the principles of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value set out in the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics. This policy outlines SLC’s approach.

Publication Principles

As part of our commitment to transparency and public accountability, we will:

• Publish all official statistics in accordance with the principles and standards set out in the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics. Further information is available in our Statement of Compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics’ on GOV.UK
• Maintain and publish a forward schedule of upcoming statistical releases and their planned publication dates, also on GOV.UK.
• Schedule publication dates as soon as reasonably practicable following the availability of source data and completion of the necessary quality assurance processes.
• Announce confirmed publication dates at least five weeks in advance wherever possible and be transparent about the reasons for any subsequent changes.

Pre-publication and Approval

To protect the integrity and independence of our statistics:

• All statistical publications must be formally approved by SLC’s Lead Official for Statistics before publication.
• Prior to publication, access to statistical outputs will be restricted to those directly involved in their production, quality assurance and dissemination.
• Any pre-release access granted will be limited, justified and managed appropriately to enable recipients to prepare responses to issues that may arise following publication.

Publication and Accessibility

SLC is committed to ensuring that our statistics are accessible and available to all users.

We will:

• Publish official statistics on GOV.UK at 9:30am on a weekday.
• Present information in a clear, accessible and user-focused format, including text, tables and charts designed to meet relevant accessibility standards and guidelines.
• Ensure that users can easily locate both current and historical statistical publications.

Transparency and User Engagement

To support informed interpretation and encourage user engagement, we will:

• Clearly communicate known caveats, data limitations and sources of uncertainty associated with the statistics we publish.
• Include contact details within all statistical releases, enabling users to provide feedback, ask questions and suggest improvements.
• Actively consider user feedback as part of the ongoing development of our statistical publications and dissemination practices.

Revisions and Corrections

Where revisions are required, SLC will follow its revisions policy to ensure that changes are made openly and transparently. Any corrections or updates to published statistics will be clearly communicated to users.

Retention of Published Statistics

To support transparency and public access to information:

• Historical statistical publications will remain available on GOV.UK wherever possible.
• Publications will only be withdrawn where there is a valid and documented reason for doing so, such as legal, regulatory or accessibility considerations.

Through this approach, SLC aims to ensure that its official statistics remain accessible, transparent, reliable and valuable to all users.