Private provision (UK)

BIS wants full list of alternatives

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has invited expressions of interest for a research project giving a “comprehensive picture of HE provision by private and alternative suppliers”. In its call, which closed on 4 January, BIS refers to figures showing that US private providers have a disproportionate number of low-income students and “higher default rates”. BIS says that the UK research should provide an “authoritative list of existing private HE providers”, plus data on tuition fee levels, student numbers and social class, graduate salaries, along with “a good understanding of the student experience in private HE”. Invitations to tender are scheduled to be issued in the week starting 9 January.

Source: Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=418601&c=1