FE colleges in degree course funding boost

Sixty further-education (FE) colleges will, for the first time, receive direct governmental funding toward degree courses in a further shake-up of advanced education sector. The plans will now mean that 143 FE colleges will now receive extra degree places.

However, this will not make up for the reduction in university places, with the recent funding announcement that the temporary increase in places by 10000 will be discontinued, leading to a shortfall of over 19000 undergraduate places compared to Autumn 2011.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which considered the applications from several FE colleges and even an academy for over 36000 degree places, rejected bids from 24 additional FE colleges.

The government's White Paper, set out last summer, set out a vision of greater competition and fewer guarantees over funding, with the prospect of a wider range of providers offering degree courses.

But there has been continuing debate within government about how and when higher education legislation will be put forward - with suggestions that a higher education bill could be delayed

Read the original story at the BBC