East Riding College has been given the green light by the government to offer higher education programmes to its largest ever number of students.
The move opens the door to the College to offer a wider range of full and part-time degrees and other higher level courses that are excellent value for money and offer a high level of contact time with lecturers.
As part of the government’s response to high university tuition fees, it has allocated thousands of additional student places to colleges and universities nationwide.
With about 260 HE students on roll this year, the College will be able to enrol in excess of 300 students for the first time from this September.
The move follows excellent HE student survey results, in which 87 per cent gave the College the highest satisfaction rating, compared to 83 per cent across all institutions and 78 per cent for colleges offering higher education.
An inspection by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, which will publish its findings in April, will underline the quality of provision offered by the College
Principal Derek Branton said: “This is excellent news for the College and for people in East and North Yorkshire who want to study for a higher level qualification without amassing a large debt.
“Combined with the new availability of tuition fee loans for part-time students, this makes higher education accessible to many more people who wish to improve their job prospects.”
He added: “Our HE programmes are run by friendly and knowledgeable lecturers who make themselves readily available to their students and our student satisfaction rates are very high.
“They can be studied at our campuses in Beverley and Bridlington, and are ideal for people who want a higher education experience but in a College environment.”
In addition to its existing degrees, foundation degrees and teacher training courses, the College is introducing a new full BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Policy and Practice. These courses are all validated by universities.
The College is also bringing in higher national certificates in business, public services, art and design (including graphics, fashion and art pathways), travel and tourism management, health and social care, hair and beauty management, and automotive engineering.
For more information, go to www.eastridingcollege.ac.uk or call 0845 120 0037.
