78.Section 26 provides for the quality assessment functions in Part 3 of the Act to continue in certain circumstances following an institution’s fee and access plan ceasing to be in force (either at the end of the period to which the plan relates or as a result of HEFCW withdrawing the plan’s approval).
79.HEFCW’s quality assessment duty will continue for as long as an institution is providing courses for which students are eligible to receive statutory student support provided by the Welsh Ministers. It is proposed that the Welsh Ministers will continue to designate courses for student support purposes in respect of those students who began a course before the fee and access plan ceased to be in force.
80.The ongoing duty on HEFCW under this section to quality assess education seeks to offer ongoing protection for students who commenced their courses at a time when an institution had a fee and access plan in place.