Colleges In London: Identify A Sham
If you are searching for colleges in London, it would not be surprising if you felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume on offer. Universities and colleges in London enrolled 426,175 students in 2008/9 according to recent research carried out. There are 60 publicly funded universities and colleges in London which are regulated by the Government through UK the UK Quality Assurance Agency. There are also a number of specialist Independent colleges in London which provide additional courses varying from Diplomas in Fashion Drawing to Masters in Business Administration.
Identifying A High Quality College In London
If you are searching for colleges in London from overseas you may have made your final selection online. Please be cautious and do your homework before you make any payments!
Check if the college is recognized to issue UK degrees and qualifications. Unfortunately, fraudulent independent colleges in London attract many International students each year by purporting to be either accredited or of university status.
UK Recognised Higher Education Awarding Bodies
The UK Higher education system maintains its acclaimed global reputation by adhering to strict regulations. For an educational institute to be able to call itself a university and to have UK degree awarding powers it must be assessed by the Advisory Committee on Degree Awarding Powers (ACDAP), part of the UK Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education (QAA) and is required to carry out regular and mandatory external quality assurance reviews. Quite a mouthful!
It is only after these reviews have been approved, that it may become a Recognized Body (authorized award provider) by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and issue certified qualifications independently.
Look Out For Bogus Colleges In London
Unlike universities, most private colleges do not have independent awarding body status and are not required by law to be regulated to the same quality standards. The following points must be considered by prospective students from overseas applying to any of the independent colleges in London.
Precautionary Checks
* It is not advisable to enrol at a college which does not have the stamp of approval from the British Accreditation Council (BAC) which is a recognized external body for monitoring quality standards in Independent colleges.
* Ensure the college is recorded by DBIS as a Listed Body, and affiliated with a recognized UK university.
* Check with UK NARIC that the awarding body connected to the college is internationally acknowledged.
* Check the Register of Regulated Qualifications (OFQUAL) to see that the college is awarding accredited qualifications by an approved qualification organization such as Edexcel.
* Avoid colleges without approval from the UK Border Agency if you are a prospective International student.
* Colleges which do not have Tier 4 licences certified by the UK BA cannot legitimately give out supporting visa documents, or CAS letters.
It is undeniable that there is a broad spectrum of courses and colleges in London to choose from it is certainly worth taking the time to do your research and ask the right questions before jumping in, so that you can take full advantage of studying in the most diverse and foremost cities of education in the world.
