Students at Applied Business Academy (ABA) have been told that their higher education courses will be closed. ABA is registered with the Office for Students.
Up to 300 current and prospective students are affected. Students are primarily registered on, or applying for, business courses across two campuses in East London and Luton. ABA currently delivers courses through a subcontractual partnership with Leeds Trinity University and a validation arrangement with the University of Buckingham.
Leeds Trinity University and the University of Buckingham are responsible for ensuring students have good information, advice and guidance about their options for continuing their studies, as well as support for their wellbeing.
The University of West London was in a partnership with ABA until the end of the 2023-24 academic year, and is available to support students from those courses who have completed their studies and need information about their academic records, or who expect to resit examinations.
Responding to this news, Director of Regulation at the Office for Students, Philippa Pickford, said:
‘This is a difficult time for students at ABA, and it is very important that they are properly supported with information, advice and guidance about their next steps, as well as appropriate wellbeing support. Students must be given the opportunity to continue their studies at another university or college, or the option to end their studies and receive credit for their academic attainment to date.
‘We are grateful to colleagues at the University of Buckingham who have stepped in to offer transfer options to affected students.
‘The OfS’s role as a regulator is to ensure students’ interests are protected as far as possible in this challenging situation. We will continue to do this, working with the University of Buckingham, Leeds Trinity University, and the Student Loans Company in the coming days and weeks.’
Philippa added:
‘We have been engaging with ABA over the past year in relation to compliance with our ongoing conditions of registration, and it is currently subject to an OfS investigation which is ongoing.
‘The Department for Education instructed the Student Loans Company to suspend all tuition fee payments to ABA, until the OfS has completed its investigation into ABA.
‘Universities and colleges are responsible for running their businesses responsibly and it is essential that they have robust systems in place to safeguard public funding and to ensure students’ interests are protected.
‘Students affected by the closure of courses at ABA can find more information on our website.’
The closure of ABA does not affect students’ student finance entitlement. Once the student confirms which university they will study at, the university will inform SLC and tuition fees will be paid as per the normal process.
Notes
- The Office for Students is the independent regulator for higher education in England. Our aim is to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.
- In April 2024 the OfS opened an investigation in relation to ABA to consider whether it has complied with requirements to provide accurate information about its students and whether it has effective management and governance arrangements in place.