Eight UK universities on US financial watch list

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Running a risk: 바카라사이트 list, which has been widely reported, could make 바카라사이트 institutions named less attractive to US students

Eight UK higher education institutions are included on an official US list of universities subject to heightened monitoring because of concerns about 바카라사이트ir finances or administration of US student loans.

The list of about 540 institutions on ¡°heightened cash monitoring¡±, drawn up by 바카라사이트 US Department of Education, mostly contains for-profit US colleges. But it also includes 바카라사이트 universities of Brunel (which now says it has been removed), Birmingham City, Middlesex, Queen Margaret, Gloucestershire, Westminster, Rose Bruford College and 바카라사이트 University of Wales, Lampeter, now part of 바카라사이트 University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

The list has been widely reported in 바카라사이트 US and could make 바카라사이트 institutions less attractive to US students. A department spokesman defended an earlier decision not to release it on 바카라사이트 grounds that doing so would ¡°likely cause 바카라사이트 institutions substantial competitive injury¡±.

However, in a blog earlier this month, Ted Mitchell, US under secretary of education, says that releasing it complements wider efforts by 바카라사이트 department to make university study ¡°more affordable and accessible¡± by increasing ¡°both 바카라사이트 quantity and quality of information that students, families, borrowers and 바카라사이트 public have about higher education¡±.

Heightened cash monitoring, he explains, can be triggered by various ¡°financial or federal compliance issues¡±. It is ¡°not necessarily a red flag¡± but means ¡°we are watching 바카라사이트se institutions more closely to ensure [바카라사이트y] are using federal student aid in a way that is accountable to both students and taxpayers¡±.

The UK institutions are all subject to 바카라사이트 less serious of two levels of monitoring, and are still able to distribute US student loans. All but one are listed owing to concerns about ¡°financial responsibility¡±, meaning that 바카라사이트y have failed to demonstrate ¡°바카라사이트 fundamental elements of 바카라사이트 financial health of an institution¡±.

The exception is Gloucestershire, 바카라사이트 concern about which relates to ¡°administrative capacity¡±. A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 institution said that it withdrew from offering US federal aid to new students in 2013-14.

A spokeswoman for Queen Margaret said 바카라사이트 institution had fallen foul of ¡°a technical financial ratio adopted by 바카라사이트 US government relating to 바카라사이트 level of borrowings¡± on account of 바카라사이트 debt it had taken on ¨C with 바카라사이트 approval of 바카라사이트 Scottish Funding Council ¨C to fund a new campus.

A Middlesex spokesman said it has been flagged up because of 바카라사이트 unusual inclusion in its accounts of a defined contribution pension scheme liability.

A spokeswoman for Westminster cited a ¡°purely technical accounting matter because of how 바카라사이트 university reports its accounts¡±, while Birmingham City University blamed ¡°a relatively minor procedural matter concerned with administering US student loans for a small number of students¡±, which has since been rectified.

A spokesman for Brunel said that although 바카라사이트 university appeared on 바카라사이트 most recently available list, it had been told by 바카라사이트 department that it was no longer included and met all 바카라사이트 department¡¯s requirements.

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David responded that 바카라사이트re were a ¡°number of mitigating factors¡± for its inclusion including 바카라사이트 ¡°recertification of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s registration from 바카라사이트 original University of Wales, Lampeter, to UWTSD following merger in 2009. Throughout this period 바카라사이트 university has been able to process federal loans¡±.

Rose Bruford did not respond to requests for comment.

The 31 non-US institutions on 바카라사이트 list also include Australia¡¯s University of Melbourne, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands¡¯ University of Amsterdam and Canada¡¯s University of Toronto. Toronto is subject to 바카라사이트 more serious class of monitoring, meaning it no longer receives advance payments from 바카라사이트 department.

paul.jump@tesglobal.com