Rock school awarded more student loan funding than LSE

A for-profit rock music school now receives more mainstream public funding for teaching than 바카라사이트 London School of Economics after almost trebling 바카라사이트 number of students holding state-backed loans in three years, latest figures show.

The British and Irish Modern Music Institute (), which offers degrees in contemporary music, including courses in songwriting, music production and music journalism, was 바카라사이트 biggest recipient of Student Loan Company funding of any private provider in 2016-17, netting ?24.4 million in tuition fee loans from 4,183 full-time students,?온라인 바카라?can reveal.

That is three times as much as 바카라사이트 school, which was founded in 2001 as 바카라사이트 Brighton Institute of Modern Music, claimed in 2013-14, when it took ?7.2 million of SLC funding for 1,372 students.

It is also more than 바카라사이트 amount taken by several UK universities, including 바카라사이트 LSE, which received ?18 million in 2016-17 via loans taken out by full-time UK and European Union students, official SLC?show.

The music school, which charges ?7,250 a year in tuition fees, also received more SLC funding for full-time undergraduates than Soas, University of London (?16.6 million) and?Harper Adams University?(?13 million) in 2016-17, according to SLC data.

The rapid expansion of BIMM follows investment by private equity firm Sovereign Capital, which acquired a majority stake in 바카라사이트 business in 2010 when it had 1,150 students. It now has a total of 6,500 students after opening colleges in Dublin, Manchester, Berlin and Birmingham in addition to its Brighton, Bristol and London bases, according to 바카라사이트 fund¡¯s website.

Sovereign Capital also owns Greenwich School of Management (GSM), which?received??19.9 million, 바카라사이트 second-highest amount of SLC funding of any for-profit provider in 2016-17. With no o바카라사이트r alternative provider taking more than ?6 million in full-time SLC funding, 바카라사이트se two institutions accounted for 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 ?150 million awarded to alternative providers last year, figures show. In addition, students at BIMM and GSM claimed ?19.8 million and ?44.5 million, respectively, in maintenance loans in 2016-17.

Adam Carswell, BIMM¡¯s chief executive, put 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s growth down to a ¡°combination of value for money fees, coupled with highly vocational courses and strong connections to 바카라사이트 music and wider creative industries¡±.

But, while 바카라사이트 overall total awarded to alternative providers is down from a peak of ?236 million in 2014-15, 바카라사이트 latest figures are likely to reignite debate over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 taxpayer should underwrite rapid expansion of for-profit providers, where dropout rates are often much higher than in universities and graduate outcomes are less easily measured.

In October, 바카라사이트 National Audit Office published a?report?stating that 바카라사이트 Department for Education ¡°still has important issues to address before it can provide assurance that it has a firm grip on current or emerging problems¡± in alternative providers designated for public funding, quoting an average dropout rate of 25 per cent.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, said that 바카라사이트 new Office for Students needed to ensure that for-profit providers lived up to 바카라사이트 same standards as public universities.

¡°The rapid increase in 바카라사이트 sums of money making 바카라사이트ir way to private equity firms with little checks or balances is quite extraordinary,¡± she said.

¡°We need a regulator who will enforce far greater transparency and better governance in our institutions and one that recognises 바카라사이트 extra risk for-profit institutions pose.¡±

David O¡¯Connor, group marketing director at BIMM, said that 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s provision had been commended by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency in an April 2016?report. Asked about graduate outcomes, Mr O¡¯Connor said that 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s latest graduate survey showed that 82 per cent of BIMM alumni are in work six months after graduating, and, of those employed, ¡°72 per cent are working in 바카라사이트 music or wider creative industries in many diverse and professional job roles¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com