Glyndwr Wins Back ‘Highly Trusted Sponsor’ Status

After months of uncertainty Glyndwr University has today had a verdict from the Home Office – with the university’s Highly Trusted Sponsor Status reinstated.

In an official statement released this afternoon, the University states: “Glyndŵr University welcomes the Home Office’s decision to reinstate its Highly Trusted Sponsor status. This decision will allow the University to resume the sponsorship of international students.”

One indication to the cause and ongoing points of discussion is hinted at with Glyndwr adding: “The University has committed to relinquishing the lease on its Elephant and Castle campus in London and will move to new premises by July 2015. The lease break will be enacted this December.

“Glyndŵr University will only recruit sponsored students to its Wrexham campus in the first instance and plans to further develop its activities in London and its security controls before applying for recommencement of international recruitment for London-based delivery in the future.

“It will continue to review compliance procedures and implement processes to ensure strict controls over continuing students.”

Professor Michael Scott, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Glyndŵr University, said: “We are pleased that the UKVI has now lifted the suspension of the University for the sponsoring of international students.

“The University is fully committed to continuing its support for a more robust student visa system and in that regard is undertaking a number of changes to its London campus during the coming months, including a locational move.

“The University will continue to work closely with the UKVI, which shared its concerns for students legitimately studying at Glyndŵr University, in accordance with legal regulations.

“The students are the University’s primary concern, and the majority are hard-working and dedicated. They have not infringed immigration or University rules and regulations and should not suffer because of the misdeeds of a few.”

Professor Scott added: “The lifting of the suspension and the new structure we have put in place this year point to a very positive future for Glyndŵr University.”

Glyndwr University had its Highly Trusted Sponsor Status suspended in June this year following allegations that around 230 had submitted fraudulent English Language certificates. Since June there has been further extensions to the suspension as various issues appear to have been ironed out.

The suspension of the Highly Trusted Sponsor Status prevented the University from sponsoring any new international students.

There has been no detail given to the UKVI’s issues, however looking at the minutes from an audit meeting three months before the suspension earlier in the year where a UKVI compliance briefing was requested an insight can be gained. Discussions included a note saying: “The University was aware also that some overseas agents were using sub agents who were difficult to control. It is believed that the UKVI recognizes a group of agents which they would like to see Universities using. The University has recently reviewed and reduced its agents to a smaller group of proactive agents with tighter revised contracts, but further work needs to be done on the management of the agents and this will take time. ”

Around a third of Glyndwr’s 9000 students are non-EU, with around 2000 of those based in the London campus.

The Times noted that in the year 2012-13 tuition fees from full-time international students made up over a fifth of Glyndwr’s revenue, with the previous minutes giving a student population break down of 42% Welsh domiciled, 15% from the rest of the UK, 13% from the EU and 30% from outside the EU.