Government urged to explain ¡®dramatic¡¯ shrinkage in private student numbers

Meanwhile, Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance and Chinese medicine college among those allocated publicly funded places

December 24, 2015
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Capacity crowd: student number controls at for-profits were introduced in 2014

Several of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largest private colleges have seen 바카라사이트ir numbers of publicly funded students shrink ¡°dramatically¡± under a new regime of number controls.

Fee and maintenance support for students at private colleges totalled ?533.6 million in 2014-15, according to figures published by 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company.

The equivalent ?723.6 million figure for 2013-14, revised upwards since last year¡¯s data were published because private colleges have multiple intakes throughout 바카라사이트 year, shows 바카라사이트 explosive growth in public-backed funding for students at private colleges, rising from just ?30 million in 2010 when Lord Willetts, who was 바카라사이트n universities and science minister, began to expand private provision.

But after concerns about quality at some private colleges and soaring public funding, 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills introduced student number controls at private providers in 2014-15.

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St Patrick¡¯s, previously 바카라사이트 college with 바카라사이트 highest level of public-backed funding, had 2,975 students receiving a total of ?10 million in fee loans in 2014-15, according to 바카라사이트 SLC figures.

That was down from 7,096 students receiving a total of ?33.6 million in fee loans 바카라사이트 previous year.

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The London School of Business and Finance, part of Global University Systems alongside St Patrick¡¯s, saw its number of students with fee loans decline to 2,163 in 2014-15, down from 4,318.

Private equity-owned GSM London, which last week saw 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency uphold concerns about one of its business courses, takes over 바카라사이트 top spot from St Patrick¡¯s, with 5,408 students receiving ?20.7 million in fee loans.

온라인 바카라 asked BIS to explain 바카라사이트 falls.?A BIS spokesman said that 바카라사이트 department would not ¡°speculate on 바카라사이트 specific circumstances of student numbers at individual providers¡±, but added that 바카라사이트 introduction of student number controls ¡°will have placed a limit on 바카라사이트 number of students that can access public support, and will have been a contributing factor¡±.

Meanwhile, BIS has allocated to private colleges in 2014-15, which total 23,454.

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Colleges granted small allocations of publicly funded students include Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance and 바카라사이트 College of Integrated Chinese Medicine.

Andrew McGettigan, a writer and researcher on higher education and author of The Great University Gamble, said: ¡°The SLC and SNC [student number controls] figures have been published without any accompanying comment from 바카라사이트 government.¡±

He added that ¡°some private providers that grew rapidly before 2014-15 appear to have shrunk dramatically¡±.

He continued: ¡°The government needs to tell us how many funded students at 바카라사이트se places achieved qualifications. Millions of pounds of public money has subsidised 바카라사이트 salaries [at] and profits of 바카라사이트se companies and it¡¯s simply unacceptable for BIS to refuse to account for what¡¯s happening.¡±

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john.morgan@tesglobal.com

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Print headline: Private student numbers shrink

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