FRAUDULENT SCHOOLS IN THE UK

Below are some articles (mainly from the British press) connected with the issues OF FRAUD in higher education. They are listed in order of publication date. Fake schools are a big problem in the UK it seems and some of the victims are people studying for "prestigious" qualifications at DALC.

2001

"Foul language: shifty college boss who fleeces hard-up students" (Mirror, November 23, 2001):
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/investigates/2001/11/23/foul-language-89520-11440149

2003

"Bogus degree sites shut down" (BBC News, 7 Mar 2003)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2829237.stm

"Immigrant scam revealed" (Evening Standard, 2003)
http://www.bulgarianlondon.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=2440&sid=190da487f29b990ef834c7479d2c74ba

"Visa scam language school is closed" (Evening Standard, 23 June 2003)
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-5440144-details/Visa+scam+language+school+is+closed/article.do

"Evendine College in the UK closes all its schools" (Language Travel Magazine, September 2003):
http://www.hothousemedia.com/ltm/ltmbackissues/sept03web/sept03news.htm

2004

"Fake universities thrive on the web" (BBC News, 5 Jan 2004)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3369567.stm

"Exposed: the language schools that give visas to bogus students" (Daily Telegraph, 18 April 2004):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/18/nvisa18.xml

"Student visas - study or scam?" (Global Visas Press, 21 June 2004)
http://www.globalvisas.com/news/npage561_Student_Visas_-_Study_or_scam.aspx

"Raids smash student visa racket" (BBC News, 16 June 2004)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3810981.stm

"100 fake colleges in visa scam" (The Guardian, 22 June 2004)
http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/overseasstudents/story/0,,1244623,00.html

"Protect college title, heads say" (Times Higher Education Supplement, 30 July 2004):
http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2014869

"Paper tiger" (The Guardian, 12 October 2004)
http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/overseasstudents/story/0,,1324728,00.html

"One language school in four proves to be bogus" (Daily Telegraph, 20 October 2004):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/20/nscho20.xml

"Overseas 'students' are cheating system by staying in Britain" (Daily Telegraph, 29 December 2004):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/12/29/nstud29.xml

2005

"Language school visa scam" (BBC Inside Out, 14 March 2005):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/extra/series2/bogus-language-school.shtml

"Embarrassment at DFES over official college list" (Times Higher Education Supplement, 1 April 2005):
http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2020719

"Degree mills: an old problem and a new threat" (Council for Higher Education Accreditation, US, May 2005)
http://www.chea.org/degreemills/paper.asp

"Getting a visa without the graft" (The Guardian, September 27, 2005):
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1578509,00.html

"Valid excuse" (The Guardian, September 27, 2005):
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1578512,00.html

"I earn up to £350 per student" (The Guardian, September 27, 2005):
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1578510,00.html

Further articles by Radhieka Pandeya (September 2005):
http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1062595

Follow-up letters to the above (The Guardian, October 4 2005):
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1583779,00.html

"Crackdown fails to stop language schools visa racket" (Daily Telegraph, 7 November 2005):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2005/11/07/ncoll07.xml

"No lessons, but college paperwork helps foreign student to stay" (Daily Telegraph, 7 November 2005):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/07/ncoll107.xml

2006

"Language school checks to halt visa rackets" (Daily Telegraph, 18 April 2006):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/18/ncoll18.xml

"Big rise in student visas raises fear of scams" (Daily Telegraph, 14 June 2006):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/14/nimm114.xml

"Language schools have become illegal visa factories" (BBC Press Release, 28 June 2006):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/06_june/28/language.shtml

"Schools used as visa scam front" (BBC News, 28 June 2006)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5127222.stm

"Government urged to tighten registration rules for language schools" (Guardian, 29 June 2006):
http://education.guardian.co.uk/tefl/story/0,,1808984,00.html

"College above discount shop dashes hopes" (Times Higher Education, 8 September 2006):
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=205223&sectioncode=26

2007

"When will UK act to grind down the degree mills?" (Times Higher Education Supplement, 16 February 2007):
http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2035304

"Enforcing the rules: a strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws" (Home Office, March 2007) (see chapter 1, section 20)
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/6353/aboutus/enforcementstrategy.pdf [this is a PDF file]

"Degree mills bank on allure of UK names" (Times Higher Education Supplement, 20 April 2007):
http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2036276

"Students claim 'college' took thousands for bogus courses" (The Herald, 6 July 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1524602.0.students_claim_college_took_thousands_for_bogus_courses.php

"Uncovered: a tale of two colleges" (The Herald, 7 July 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1527851.0.uncovered_a_tale_of_two_colleges.php

"Mexican duped by 'college' ordered out of UK" (The Herald, 9 July 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1528891.0.mexican_duped_by_college_ordered_out_of_uk.php

"Visa probe into bogus colleges" (The Herald, 11 July 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1534902.0.visa_probe_into_bogus_colleges.php

"End to bogus colleges" (The Herald, 11 July 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1569734.0.end_to_bogus_colleges.php

"Threat of court action to owner of colleges" (The Herald, 14 July 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1545725.0.threat_of_court_action_to_owner_of_colleges.php

"Loophole of visas via bogus colleges will be closed" (The Herald, 25 July 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1569840.0.loophole_of_visas_via_bogus_colleges_will_be_closed.php

"UK language school closes doors to students" (Language Travel Magazine, September 2007):
http://www.hothousemedia.com/ltm/ltmbackissues/sep07web/sep07news.htm

"First lesson: how to enter the UK" (The Herald, 7 September 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1671727.0.first_lesson_how_to_enter_the_uk.php

"Bogus college exposed by The Herald is struck off visa list" (The Herald, 7 September 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1671729.0.bogus_college_exposed_by_the_herald_is_struck_off_visa_list.php

"Student leaders call for Holyrood purge of bogus colleges" (The Herald, 8 September 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1674577.0.student_leaders_call_for_holyrood_purge_of_bogus_colleges.php

"Bogus colleges operating in Scotland" (The Loop [NUS Scotland], September 2007)
http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/media/resource/the%20loop%20sept07.pdf [this is a PDF file]

"Police raid suspected bogus colleges" (Education Guardian, 4 October 2007):
http://education.guardian.co.uk/further/story/0,,2183804,00.html

"Three arrested after swoop on suspected bogus colleges" (The Herald, 5 October 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1737328.0.three_arrested_after_swoop_on_suspected_bogus_colleges.php

"67 students receive visas after paying £500 to bogus college" (The Herald, 8 October 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1742107.0.67_students_receive_visas_after_paying_500_to_bogus_college.php

"Privately-run college faces action over false adverts" (The Herald, 8 October 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1744826.0.privatelyrun_college_faces_action_over_false_adverts.php

"Bogus college couple held on fraud claims" (The Herald, 8 November 2007):
http://www.theherald.co.uk/search/display.var.1817216.0.bogus_college_couple_held_on_fraud_claims.php

"Bogus colleges in Scotland" (letter from Association of Scotland's Colleges)
http://www.ascol.org.uk/docs/mpboguscolleges.pdf [this is a PDF file]

2008

"Bogus education" (BBC London, 5 January 2008):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/features/my_london/bogus_education

"Director of bogus college hit with fine" (LACORS, 5 February 2008)
http://lacors.gov.uk/lacors/ContentDetails.aspx?id=18704