This year, following an investigation by The Herald, into both Commonwealth College and Great Regent College, the latter was struck off an official government list allowing it to recruit overseas students. The college is also under investigation from the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) for offering degree-level programmes for which they have not been accredited.

The existence of a network of hundreds of unlicensed private colleges across the UK has already fuelled fears that fake institutions are being used as a front for bringing illegal immigrants into the country under student visas, in exchange for thousands of pounds. Those already in the country can stay longer simply by "applying" to do another course.

Companies House documents show in September this year, shortly after being struck off, the company name of Great Regent College was changed to West George College. At the same time, the two previous owners stood down and two new directors were appointed.

One of these, Azeem Rahat Khan, said West George College was a legitimate operation with no connection to the previous college, other than the fact it was the same company. "We took over this company, but we are not the same, and we are a legitimate organisation trying to set up a proper college and putting in place everything we need to begin recruiting local students and overseas students in the future," he said.

"When I bought the company, I was not aware of the previous bad publicity surrounding Great Regent College. We accept we made innocent mistakes in terms of Glasgow University and the IAM, but those mistakes have now been rectified. We are not a bogus college and we are not selling visas."

But the way the company behind the college has changed its name and is now reapplying for permission to recruit overseas students has set alarm bells ringing with the body that represents Scotland's publicly-funded colleges. The Association of Scotland's Colleges believes more needs to be done  to protect the term "college."

Source: http://www.theherald.co.uk/