Steer clear of fly-by-night colleges

AS the class of 2013 scramble to secure a space at universities and colleges, an education expert has warned prospective students to ensure they carefully scrutinise institutions before signing up.

‘Thousands of newly matriculated young people are being turned away from universities due to space constraints. It is encouraging to see so many prospective students include private higher and further education institutions as they consider alternatives.

It is therefore most regrettable that there are still some unscrupulous people exploiting students’ difficult situations, for fraudulent and selfish financial gain,’ said Director of the Independent Institute of Education(IIE), Dr Felicity Coughlan.

The IIE is SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education institution, and Coughlan notes private institutions are required to adhere to the same quality assurance processes as state universities. Most private institutions operating throughout the country are registered and accredited and almost all offer a viable alternative for students seeking a post-school study opportunity.

‘Students unfortunately do not seem to realise just how easy it is to check the credentials of private institutions and deny themselves the protection of being sure about the status of the institution, and therefore the qualification, they are choosing,’ she added.

‘All the key information about the registration of an institution is available in the Register of Private Higher Education Institutions kept by the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the information is also readily available from reputable institutions.’

‘There are a few key questions to ask to which there are some simple answers, and if an institution is able to respond appropriately, it is worth considering.’

Before signing up, ask the institution to show you its certificate of registration with the Department of Higher Education. It should detail the campus, provider and the qualifications offered.

All higher education qualifications need to be accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education. If they are not accredited they will not appear on the certificate referred to above. There is no other document detailing the accreditation which is why checking if the qualification is on the certificate is an essential step.

All qualifications must be registered on the NQF by SAQA and students should ask for the SAQA NQF identity numbers.

‘By taking the time to ask these simple questions, you contribute to strengthening the private higher education sector by making it harder for scamsters to continue to operate.’