Today the Guardian published a further article on the plight of an international student affected by the closure of his college: “Last year, David Whittaker used half his life savings – about £5,000 – to move from his native South Africa to study in Britain. The 31-year-old had been told by teachers, friends and family [...]
This report recommends that international students should be excluded from overall net migration figures, as moves to limit incoming student numbers for the sake of long-term migration figures put a valuable export market – higher education – at risk. A survey of the top 10 countries for international students suggests there is no international rule [...]
The dust seems to be settling on many of the reforms announced in last year's HE white paper but one topic still seems to get backs up: the perceived privatisation of HE and the growing number of private institutions. So has the time come to stop seeing private providers as pariahs and accept them as [...]
A group of countries that are some of the most popular destinations for international students are acting to improve the integrity of education recruitment agents. The move aims to ensure that students receive a better service when they use agents to help them apply for school, college or university places overseas. Education officials from the [...]
With numerous obstacles facing the academic pathways sector in recent years, such as government curbs on student immigration and the need for pathway colleges to readjust to “Highly Trusted Sponsor” status in the UK, observers might have considered that private operations working in tandem with HE had had their fill of government restrictions. On the [...]
Ministers have introduced a system of "due diligence checks" for private higher education providers, it has emerged, as new figures show that the number of their students accessing state-funded loans has nearly doubled in a year. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has introduced the checks to oversee the financial sustainability of providers seeking [...]
Dear colleagues, It has been a busy time at the BAC office. Our Student Welfare and Satisfaction seminar took place on 18 April 2012, and was fully booked. Enthusiastic presenters and delegates alike made the event a success – a full report is available on the event page, and accredited colleges are able to obtain [...]
Dear colleagues, The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has commissioned CFE and the British Accreditation Council to provide a comprehensive picture of provision by privately funded institutions operating in the UK higher education (HE) sector. BIS recognise that the nature of privately funded provision is complex and dynamic, and are keen to develop [...]
Dear colleagues, By now you have probably seen the various media reports on the National Audit Office’s report on the implementation of the Tier 4 Points-Based System in 2009. The report was welcome and outlined a number of key findings, including: the Border Agency implemented Tier 4 before the key controls were in place; an [...]
Without satisfied, successful students, it is impossible to maintain a successful college or training provider, and miscommunication and escalating issues can cause problems for both students and colleges. In this one-day seminar, we discuss some of these issues, how to avoid some of the pitfalls and how to go the extra mile to ensure that [...]