Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to ensure the legitimacy and integrity of student enrolment processes at private colleges.

All higher education providers are autonomous and privately run. This includes Higher Education Funding Council for England funded higher education institutions and alternative providers, which can be designated for student support purposes by the department. At the same time, some privately run institutions may be subject to obligations imposed on public authorities (e.g. the Freedom of Information Act 2000). As a result of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the Office for Students will regulate all registered English higher education providers through its regulatory framework, which is currently being consulted on.

It is for individual higher education providers to determine their own enrolment processes and minimum criteria for entry onto their courses. However, the UK Quality Code for Higher Education sets out the expectations that all providers of UK higher education are required to meet. It sets out the following expectations about recruitment, selection and admission to higher education:

“Recruitment, selection, and admission policies and procedures adhere to the principles of fair admission. They are transparent, reliable, valid, inclusive and underpinned by appropriate organisational structures and processes. They support higher education providers in the selection of students who are able to complete their programme.”