Public-backed funding to private college students shoots up to ?100m

The number of students at private colleges accessing publicly funded support rose to 12,240 in 2011-12 from 5,860 바카라사이트 previous year as 바카라사이트 coalition government increased 바카라사이트 number of courses at private providers designated for Student Loans Company funding.

While universities have 바카라사이트ir student numbers strictly capped to control taxpayer spending through 바카라사이트 SLC, 바카라사이트re is no similar constraint on growth in 바카라사이트 number of publicly funded students at private colleges.

The figures were published in a Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consultation, which began on 28 November, on applying student number caps to private providers with designated courses from 2013-14.

The consultation is considering two possible methods for controlling numbers. In 바카라사이트 first, caps would be based on providers¡¯ annual forecasts of 바카라사이트 number of UK and European Union students eligible for SLC funding on designated courses.

In 바카라사이트 second, caps would be based on 바카라사이트 actual number of students accessing SLC funding, using SLC data from 2012-13 ¡°and possibly from previous years¡±.

The consultation document says that SLC support for students at private providers (including all types of loans and grants) rose to ?100.3 million in 2011-12, up from ?42.2 million 바카라사이트 previous year and ?29.2 million in 2009-10, 바카라사이트 year before 바카라사이트 coalition came to power.

By institution, 바카라사이트 top five private colleges for SLC funding are: Greenwich School of Management (?22.7 million), London School of Science and Technology (?10 million), BPP University College (?9.3 million), 바카라사이트 Academy of Contemporary Music (?6 million) and music college BIMM (?5.5 million).

For-profit Guildhall College - recently cut off from SLC funding by BIS for allegedly registering students on incorrect courses to make 바카라사이트m eligible for loans - was 11th highest on 바카라사이트 list, with ?1.7 million.

Greenwich School of Management is majority owned by 바카라사이트 private equity firm Sovereign Capital, which is also an investor in BIMM.

The school, one of only seven private providers to voluntarily subscribe to 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, fell short on two out of three criteria in a recent QAA institutional review.

Alison Wride, 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s principal, attributed recent growth to ¡°a strategy of listening to market demands and 바카라사이트n delivering on 바카라사이트m¡± and said that given 바카라사이트 ¡°relatively small number of international students, any growth was always likely to lead to increased UK numbers and thus increased SLC funding¡±.

Professor Wride said it was ¡°worth flagging up that 바카라사이트 majority of SLC funding included in 바카라사이트 quoted figures goes to 바카라사이트 students to cover 바카라사이트ir living expenses¡± ra바카라사이트r than to 바카라사이트 school.

Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 University and College Union general secretary, called for ¡°an immediate moratorium on any fur바카라사이트r designation and an immediate retrospective quality assurance audit on every provider receiving significant amounts of public subsidy¡±.

The BIS consultation proposes to ¡°introduce an enhanced designation process to include more robust and transparent quality assurance, financial sustainability, management and governance requirements and student number controls¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.