The Open University (commonly Open University or its initialism OU, but officially "The" is part of its name) is a distance learning and research[5] university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom. The University is funded by a combination of student fees, contract income, and allocations for teaching and research by the higher education funding bodies in each of the four countries of the UK. It is notable for having an open entry policy, i.e. students' previous academic achievements are not taken into account for entry to most undergraduate courses. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off-campus, but many of its courses (both undergraduate and postgraduate) can be studied off-campus anywhere in the world
The OU was established in 1969 and the first students enrolled in January 1971.
The first OU broadcast on the BBC on the 3 January 1971.
