NCG, the country’s largest provider of HE in an FE college, has been awarded Foundation Degree Awarding Powers.
This represents a major breakthrough for the Further Education sector and puts colleges on a similar footing to universities, which have monopolised the degree awarding market up to now.
NCG offers more than 85 Foundation Degrees and Honours Degrees in a wide range of subjects and has a successful track record of providing learners with fantastic learning experiences.
This groundbreaking development follows on from an intensive and rigorous scrutiny process by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, who recognised that NCG’s HE provision provides a high quality offer to students equivalent to that of a university and that NCG is a mature organisation capable of regulating its own quality standards.
NCG will to use its new powers to build on its strengths as an outstanding HE provider. Through the development of its own degrees that meet the needs of employers and provide higher level skills, thousands of people will secure employment and progress through their careers for the benefit of the economy.
NCG announced its very competitive HE tuition fees recently. It has set its maximum HE tuition fee at £5,800, which is significantly lower than that of many other HE providers and ensures that students have the choice of a high quality degree at a price they can afford.
Dame Jackie Fisher, Chief Executive of NCG, said: “We are delighted to be able to award our own Foundation Degrees. Foundation Degree Awarding Powers creates a platform for us to forge ahead with our plans for Taught Degree Awarding Powers and gives us the opportunity to provide students with degrees that will give them the skills to get jobs and progress in their careers.”
