Welsh government: no more public funding at for-profit colleges

The Welsh government will in future provide public funding only to students at providers with charitable status, meaning an end to public support at for-profit colleges.

The move, announced by 바카라사이트 Welsh government in an email on 21 January to private colleges with courses designated for public funding, appears to be aimed at stopping state money following Welsh students into for-profit institutions in England.

The policy change comes after criticism from 바카라사이트 Public Accounts Committee at Westminster of 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills¡¯ failure to control public funding at private colleges, also pointing to high dropout rates at some institutions.

Public funding at private colleges spiralled from ?30 million in 2010 to a peak of ?723.6 million in 2013, as former universities minister Lord Willetts undertook a policy to expand 바카라사이트 private sector.

Some of 바카라사이트 largest private colleges, such as St Patrick¡¯s College and 바카라사이트 London School of Business and Finance, are not charitable institutions.

It is unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Welsh government will make an exception to its rules for institutions with university status ¨C but BPP University and 바카라사이트 University of Law are not charities.

An email to institutions from Gregory Mat바카라사이트ws of 바카라사이트 Welsh government¡¯s higher education division said: ¡°With immediate effect, applications for 바카라사이트 designation of courses will only be considered from providers that have charitable status. This does not affect courses with an existing designation or 바카라사이트 support paid to students on those courses.¡±

A Welsh government spokeswoman said: ¡°Alternative providers have a role to play in delivering higher education to students from Wales, and, in?turn, we expect alternative providers to maintain high standards.

¡°Alternative providers effectively receive a subsidy via 바카라사이트 tuition fee loans to 바카라사이트 student. We consider that a provider in receipt of subsidy should demonstrably act for 바카라사이트 public benefit and that an appropriate way of ensuring this is to require providers to have charitable status.¡±

Geoffrey Alderman, professor of history and politics at 바카라사이트 private, charitable University of Buckingham, called 바카라사이트 move ¡°blatant prejudice against 바카라사이트 for-profit sector¡±.

He said that Welsh students would be ¡°prohibited from taking 바카라사이트 same type of career-oriented courses that English students at for-profit institutions will be able to access¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com