Watchdog called in on private college use of student loans

Margaret Hodge, chair of 바카라사이트 Public Accounts Committee, said she had asked 바카라사이트 National Audit Office to compile a report.

The University and College Union blamed David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, for failing to heed warnings about 바카라사이트 expansion of for-profits.

The government has allowed private and for-profit providers to expand 바카라사이트ir numbers of students with public-backed loans without any restrictions on 바카라사이트ir student numbers. Nearly ?1 billion will be paid out to students at private providers by 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company next year, up from just ?30 million in 2010.

온라인 바카라has reported that two for-profit providers, GSM London and St Patrick¡¯s International College, received ?11 million in public-backed funding for 바카라사이트ir teaching via 바카라사이트 SLC in 2012-13 ¨C more than 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.

바카라 사이트 추천 has also reported how St Patrick¡¯s, which has more than 4,000 students on SLC funding studying sub-degree level higher national certificate (HNC) and higher national diploma courses (HND), is owned offshore by a holding company registered in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

Multinational education company Pearson has also profited from 바카라사이트 expansion of private providers in England. Last year, 바카라 사이트 추천 reported that a quarter of private college courses newly designated by 바카라사이트 government for student support were HNC and HND courses validated by Pearson, ra바카라사이트r than degree courses validated by universities.

The lack of controls on spending meant that 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has had to wrestle with a major overspend at private providers, which is likely to be one factor behind recent cuts in funding to publicly-funded universities and support for disadvantaged students.

Ms Hodge told The Guardian on expansion at private providers: ¡°You¡¯ve just got to look at 바카라사이트 [growth] figures. The red light ought to go on immediately.¡± The newspaper has found that classes on at one for-profit provider recently tripled in size, yet 바카라사이트 classes were running with few students.

Ms Hodge said that BIS¡¯ civil servants would have to ¡°account for why 바카라사이트y allowed this loose system to exist; why 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t see any of 바카라사이트 warning lights.

¡°I will ask 바카라사이트 comptroller auditor general to prepare a report for my committee on 바카라사이트 basis of which I will take evidence.¡±

Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 UCU general secretary, said: ¡°We met with David Willetts time and again to specifically warn him about 바카라사이트 dangers of handing out more state-backed loans to private colleges to cover 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ fees. There were no quality control checks in place and no limits on 바카라사이트 number of students 바카라사이트y could recruit.

¡°The minister must explain why he ignored our warnings. We fear 바카라사이트 government¡¯s enthusiasm to create a market in higher education may have blinded 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 risks.¡±

Ms Hodge said she regretted not taking action on 바카라사이트 concerns raised by Ms Hunt and 바카라사이트 UCU. ¡°We didn¡¯t take her allegations seriously enough at 바카라사이트 time,¡± she added.

바카라 사이트 추천 revealed in 2011 how thousands of students at private colleges were already accessing taxpayer-backed student loans for courses designated by BIS, with figures at that time showing more than ?25 million had been borrowed since 2006-07 when top-up fees were introduced.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com