Non-Prescribed Higher Education: Where Does It Fit?

Overview & Synopsis

Some key findings from data analysis of student records and college surveys regarding non-prescribed higher education (NPHE) courses at further education (FE) colleges in England, many of which are not formally recognized as higher education, are as follows: (1) over half of enrolled students are over age 30 and enrolled part time; (2) there is no consistency among colleges in the use of the terms certificate, diploma, or award; (3) colleges wish to have stronger partnerships with the private sector but are constrained by limited funds; and (4) NPHE is invisible within most college hierarchies. Colleges and the LSC can raise the profile of NPHE by standardizing qualification levels and equivalences, eliminating funding disparities, and designating it as higher education in its own right. (Appendices include the survey instrument; a framework for higher education qualification; and the National Qualifications Framework; three tables; 17 references). (AJ)