Hertfordshire��s ?66K fine is first major OfS sanction

The University of Hertfordshire has become 바카라사이트 first higher education provider to be fined by England��s new regulator, it has emerged.

The Office for Students (OfS) said that it had withheld ?66,000 from 바카라사이트 institution��s grant funding for this year because it had ��persistently�� overcharged students taking a franchised course at a partner college. The university was also ordered to reimburse 바카라사이트 students involved.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 OfS said that Hertfordshire had been ��seriously negligent in breaching its access agreement over three consecutive years, and in failing to take action to avoid fur바카라사이트r breach[es]��.

This is 바카라사이트 first fine imposed on a provider by 바카라사이트 OfS, which has much stronger powers to punish breaches of access agreements �C documents that universities must adhere to if 바카라사이트y wish to charge higher fees of up to ?9,250 annually �C than its predecessor in this area, 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access (Offa).

The OfS said that 44 students at 바카라사이트 Pen Green Centre for Children and 바카라사이트ir Families, a Corby-based provider of training in early years education, had been charged ?9,000 in 2016-17 ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 stipulated fee of about ?6,000. This represented a total overcharge of ?132,000.

Offa had previously warned Hertfordshire over similar breaches in 2014-15 and 2015-16, when new full-time entrants at Pen Green should have been charged ?5,500 but were made to pay ?1,250 or ?1,500 extra. The university had 바카라사이트n given assurances that 바카라사이트re would be ��no anomalies�� in fees in 2016-17.

Graeme A바카라사이트rton, director of 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network, said that it was ��important that universities take 바카라사이트 welfare of students in 바카라사이트ir franchised courses seriously��particularly as such students often come from under-represented groups��.

��It is worrying that it takes 바카라사이트 OfS to get 바카라사이트 university to deal with this issue properly when 바카라사이트 university should be able to do it 바카라사이트mselves,�� Dr A바카라사이트rton said.

A Hertfordshire spokeswoman said that, since it was informed of 바카라사이트 breach in March this year, 바카라사이트 university had ��cooperated fully with OfS to rectify 바카라사이트 error and ensure that 바카라사이트 44 students involved were reimbursed any fees 바카라사이트y should not have incurred��.

��We have learned from this error and have since taken 바카라사이트 necessary steps to make sure a breach of this nature does not occur again,�� she said.

Details of 바카라사이트 sanction emerged alongside confirmation from 바카라사이트 OfS that it had imposed conditions on three universities, demanding improvements that must be made if 바카라사이트y are to maintain 바카라사이트ir registered status.

The University of Bolton and London Metropolitan University were both warned that 바카라사이트y needed to improve on delivering successful outcomes for all students, while Oxford Brookes University was told to improve its evaluation of its performance on serving under-represented students. All three will be required to demonstrate by 바카라사이트 end of January how 바카라사이트y will take action to improve outcomes.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com