Having gone through the recent higher education White Paper with a fine-tooth comb, I was surprised to find very little mention of further education or college-based HE.

As rightly pointed out by shadow skills minister Gordon Marsden, it “consistently talks simply about universities and possible new universities - yet it ignores the role of FE colleges and providers, which currently deliver at least 10 per cent of all HE participation”.

College-based higher education (CBHE) has played a significant role in broadening choices for local communities and providing access to degree-level and “access to HE” courses. Colleges are committed to creating opportunities for wider participation.

Rapid growth

In the UK, HE within FE colleges has grown rapidly, with a 37 per cent increase in undergraduate programmes in the past decade.

I remember the enthusiasm of staff and students last year when Bromley College’s HE provision was granted permission to be named Bromley College University Centre (BCUC). The renaming was the result of the broad expansion of what we had to offer students in a number of HE courses, along with the hard work of our senior management and staff.

This is an example of the commitment of an FE college to create an awareness of CBHE among staff, students and the local community. Following its merger with Greenwich Community College and Bexley College last month to create London South East Colleges, the college is the largest FE institution offering HE in the region. We have more than 1,000 learners studying HE and access courses.

These numbers should not be ignored; the majority of these students have opted for a local college for their degree because it provides them with an opportunity to access a university education on their doorstep.

A recent research project by an undergraduate business student at BCUC and a survey of current students both concluded that course-fit, location, price and reputation were the most significant factors in deciding to study at the college’s university centre.

The motivating factors for these students were centred around career progression, promotion and the support they received from tutors within small classes, with practical considerations such as location and timing of courses also being important.

When the new education secretary, Justine Greening - the first person to hold the post who comes from a comprehensive school background - went ahead with the second reading and debate of the Higher Education and Research Bill in July, it was of particular interest to FE and alternative providers.

In her opening statement, she said: “The creation of new universities is an undoubted force for good, both academically and economically. However, the current system for creating universities can feel highly restrictive, with new providers requiring the backing of an incumbent institution to award degrees.

“This bill levels the playing field by laying the foundations for a new system where it will be simpler and quicker to establish high-quality new providers.”

CBHE provision strives for collaboration; the new Teaching Excellence Framework will undoubtedly give FE colleges an opportunity to provide and create a quality specialist curriculum offer.

The news that NCG - the group that runs Newcastle College - had achieved taught degree-awarding powers was reaffirming. I have also visited Rose Bruford College, which has gone through the rigorous process of applying for these powers, and is awaiting the final decision. The sense of confidence and achievement in the team was evident.

These are stories that need to be told and celebrated to ensure that university education remains accessible to all. Worryingly, the Teaching Excellence Framework will allow some universities to raise their annual tuition fee threshold from £9,000 to £9,250.

Competition, social mobility and student choice should remain at the heart of our university education - a degree for all should be a right, rather than a privilege. The role of colleges, which have strived to create sustainable education and delivered HE at competitive fees, must be acknowledged.

Distinctive approach

At BCUC, staff and managers are committed to creating sustainable undergraduate education, despite the ongoing challenges of area reviews, mergers, funding cuts, competition and imminent Brexit.

This is also an opportunity for us to apply for our own foundation degree-awarding powers, while we also continue to work in collaboration with our validating partners.

Especially as colleges strive to achieve their own taught degree-awarding powers to achieve parity with universities, it is vital that we maintain our distinctiveness in delivering accessible, supportive and quality HE.

Ramita Tejpal is associate dean for higher education at Bromley College University Centre