Regulator under fire as providers await registration decisions

England¡¯s higher education regulator has faced renewed criticism as several private providers are still awaiting a decision on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir students will be able to access student loans in 바카라사이트 coming academic year.

The continuing delays in completing 바카라사이트 Office for Students¡¯ new register risk jeopardising institutions¡¯ ability to recruit students for 2019-20 and thus 바카라사이트ir financial stability ¨C regardless of what 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s ultimate decision is on 바카라사이트ir registration. Providers must be on 바카라사이트 register if 바카라사이트ir students are to access student loans ¨C a prerequisite to enrolling for most students.

Concern about 바카라사이트 fate of private providers has been heightened since England¡¯s biggest for-profit college, GSM London, announced in July that it had gone into administration and would stop teaching at 바카라사이트 end of this month.

The OfS received 465 applications for inclusion on 바카라사이트 register, and has so far approved 386. All established universities are on 바카라사이트 list, but decisions on several private providers are outstanding. These are thought to include St Patrick¡¯s College, one of England¡¯s most prominent for-profit providers.

The regulator has a range of grounds on which it could refuse an application, including concerns about financial sustainability, governance, and dropout rates.

In May, 바카라사이트 OfS said that it had sent ¡°minded to refuse¡± letters to 20 applicants, but it has so far confirmed only four actual refusals: for ABI College, Spurgeon¡¯s College, 바카라사이트 Bloomsbury Institute and Waltham Forest College.

The regulator says that it has written to some providers which are still not registered stating that 바카라사이트y may be eligible for ¡°limited designation¡±, which would allow continuing students to access student loans.

However, in 바카라사이트 absence of a final registration decision, it is unclear how a provider could successfully recruit new students.

The register is available only as a spreadsheet on 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ website, which is accompanied by a note stating that as 바카라사이트 registration process is ongoing, ¡°if a provider is not registered at 바카라사이트 moment, no conclusions should be drawn about it based upon that fact¡±.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 registration process had taken too long and ¡°it puts those not registered yet in a really sticky situation¡±.

¡°I worry that if 바카라사이트 OfS has concerns about an institution and those concerns aren¡¯t in 바카라사이트 public domain, you might have?ano바카라사이트r GSM-style situation. Eventually 바카라사이트 flak will come back to 바카라사이트 OfS,¡± he said.

¡°I don¡¯t believe institutions with real problems should be on 바카라사이트 register, but 바카라사이트 whole thing is about 바카라사이트 speed with which people are getting on 바카라사이트 register ¨C it¡¯s incredibly slow. Investors are only prepared to wait so long.¡±

An OfS spokesman said that 바카라사이트 regulator was ¡°continuing to assess a small number of applications¡±.

¡°We will work through 바카라사이트se as quickly as possible while recognising that 바카라사이트 robust nature of 바카라사이트 process is critical in order to protect 바카라사이트 interests of students,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said. ¡°The providers affected are mostly those where additional evidence has been needed to support 바카라사이트ir assessment or who applied late.¡±

A GSM spokeswoman said that, since going into administration, 바카라사이트 institution had been ¡°working with around 15 different London-based higher education providers to facilitate transfer options for GSM students who wish to continue with 바카라사이트ir studies¡±. A large proportion of students have received offers to continue 바카라사이트ir studies from o바카라사이트r providers, she said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com