Private institutions offer alternative for state universities

Coughlan says that prospective students are often not aware of the additional choices available to them beyond approaching a public university, but adds that while many opportunities exist in the private sector, it is important to ensure enrolment at an accredited institution whose degrees and qualifications are widely recognised and respected.

"In a statement released by the minister of higher education and training before the matric results were released, the existence of higher education opportunities in the private higher education sector was acknowledged. The department however cautioned that students should check the status of the institution at which they wish to register prior to enrolling or paying any money," Coughlan advises.

Verify the status of the qualification

"This is sound advice, and should be extended to include cautioning students to also check the status of the actual qualification for which they wish to register, as well as the quality of the campus and service offered. Quality assurance and accreditation of qualifications and registration of private institutions are related but not identical processes, and it is possible that a registered private higher education institution's programmes may not all be fully accredited or registered higher education programmes."

Coughlan points out that this may not necessarily always be a bad thing, as several institutions offered tuition services towards qualifying for enrolment with other providers, while others offered registered and accredited further education programmes alongside their higher education offerings.

"It is imperative however that students check the status of their institution and its programmes before registering so they can make informed decisions. This is not difficult to do. A list of registered private higher education institutions is available on the website of the Department of Higher Education and Training, as well as the SAQA website. Furthermore, all private institutions are required to display their registration certificate in their reception areas," says Coughlan.

Ask for evidence of registration and accreditation

The status of programmes themselves can be checked on the SAQA website, but some caution needs to be exercised here as this register is not always 100% up to date and there is a delay between processes. "The best advice we can offer is that students ask the institution concerned for evidence of registration and accreditation which should be easy to provide. Students should never accept the presence of a so-called registration number as proof of registration," she says.

Private institutions are subject to all the same quality assurance requirements of public institutions and offer many of the same services and facilities. However they generally offer smaller campuses, smaller classes and qualifications that are more focused on the world of work. While some private institutions offer qualifications in niche areas only, others offer general academic and degree qualifications similar to public university qualifications, so it is important to understand both what you need and what is being offered.