Written question asked by Lord Sutherland of Houndwood (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Henley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 28 June 2011.

Higher Education: Private Institutions

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 26 April (WA 67), what criteria are used by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in order to designate, for student support purposes, specific courses at private higher education institutions in England.

Answer: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills uses the criteria for automatic course designation in the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009 as amended, when specifically designating undergraduate courses at private institutions. For undergraduate courses, the course should be: mentioned in Schedule 2 of the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009; of at least one academic year's duration; intended for students of 18 years or over; and the minimum entry standard should be 2 passes at Advanced level of the General Certificate of Education or equivalent qualification. (Two passes at AS level will be regarded as equivalent to one pass at Advanced level). In addition all courses must currently be validated by a body with UK degree awarding powers to ensure consistent quality and academic standards are maintained. The only exceptions to this are Higher National Diplomas or Higher National Certificates which are awarded by Edexcel (formerly the Business and Technician Education Council) or the Scottish Qualifications Authority and initial teacher training courses which are subject to a separate approval process. We will be reviewing the process and criteria for designation of these courses in light of the proposals for regulatory reform which will be outlined in the forthcoming Higher Education White Paper.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 10257; 728 c405-6WA
Session: 2010-12
Related items: Higher Education: Student Loans
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Higher education Private education Loans Students
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk