A second college has had its application to the Office for Students’ register rejected.
According to the OfS, Newham College of Further Education did not satisfy condition B3, which refers to the quality of student outcomes.
College bids for HE provision
Being registered by the OfS, the independent regulator of higher education in England, is crucial for colleges wanting to be able to provide HE provision. It affects whether they can access public grant and student support funding and apply to recruit international students. It also determines the fee levels they can charge.
Background: FE college refused place on higher education register
Read more: Colleges left in limbo by Office for Students
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In July, it was announced that Waltham Forest College had been refused a place on the register due to quality. At the time, the college’s principal said that the OfS had failed to “fully appreciate the challenges some of our students face and their personal journey to overcome them”.
In May, the OfS said that 19 colleges had applied for registration - currently 387 HE providers are registered.
Kirsti Lord, Association of College’s deputy chief executive, said that it was disappointing to see a second college rejected.
“While regulation is of course required for the higher education sector, the Office for Students must consider the context of colleges and the role they play in communities. If it continues to use the same framework to judge higher education delivered in further education then colleges will naturally remain at a disadvantage.
“While we recognise that the regulator needs to ensure it acts effectively and efficiently, it must recognise the hard working students affected by heavy handed decisions. We hope the OfS will continue to work with colleges to ensure they do not miss out on opportunities to expand higher technical courses,” she said.
Newham College has been contacted for a comment.