Increasing competition from universities is the biggest threat to college-based HE provision, colleges believe.
A survey by the Mixed Economy Group (MEG), a group of colleges offering HE, shows ninety per cent of respondents are most concerned about that prospect.
Many also remain worried about the uncertainty inherent in their dependency on universities to validate their degree provision - 57 per cent of the colleges said that this was one of their three biggest concerns.
While more than 240 colleges in England currently offer HE qualifications, only five have their own foundation degree-awarding powers. In June 2016, NCG became the first to gain full taught degree-awarding powers.
Other colleges rely on university partners to validate their degree provision - leaving them at the mercy of their partners. Last spring, 10 colleges were left looking for a new partner after Teesside University cancelled its validation agreements following a change in strategy.
Potential to do great deal of good
The Higher Education and Research Bill, which had its fourth reading in the House of Lords this week, is intended to make it easier for HE providers, including colleges, to gain the power to award their own degrees.
According to the MEG survey, nearly a quarter of colleges said that they planned to pursue full degree-awarding powers, while 43 per cent expressed an interest in acquiring the powers to award degrees at level 6. Only 14 per cent of the colleges that took part in the survey said that they had no plans to seek any new powers.
John Blake, head of education and social reform at the Policy Exchange thinktank, said that granting FE institutions degree-awarding powers had potential to do a great deal of good for students and the sector.
This is an edited article from the 07 April edition of Tes. Subscribers can read the full article here. This week’s Tes magazine is available in all good newsagents. To download the digital edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here
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