It has been announced that the British Academy of Jewellery have told students that their higher education courses will be closed.
Students at the British Academy of Jewellery (BAJ) have been told that its higher education courses are closing and that the academy is now in liquidation. We understand that this will be a difficult and worrying situation for students.
The Office for Students (OfS) has been working with BAJ, its validator and awarding body to protect students’ interests and support them to understand their options.
Students should have received information directly from Kingston University or Pearson Education, depending on who validates or awards their course. As BAJ is now in liquidation, students are no longer able to contact the academy directly.
Students should contact the validator or awarding body for their course if they have questions about continuing their studies or the options available to them.
If you have a complaint relating to the closure of BAJ, you can contact us. However, because BAJ has closed and is now in liquidation, there are significant practical limits on what we may be able to achieve through our complaints process. We may not be able to carry out a full review and, even where we were able to uphold a complaint, the ways in which matters could be put right are likely to be very limited.
We therefore encourage students to talk to us before submitting a Complaint Form so that we can explain whether and how we may be able to help.
You can contact our enquiries team on 0118 989 9813 or at enquiries@oiahe.org.uk.
We have set out some additional information below.
You should look carefully at the information you have received from the organisation that validates or awards your course.
If your course is validated by Pearson, you should contact Pearson if you have not already received information about your options.
If you are studying the BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Production, Kingston University will support you to consider your options, including transferring to Kingston University.
Your first step should be to contact the validator or awarding body for your course and discuss the options available to you.
BAJ is now in liquidation, so students are no longer able to contact the academy directly.
If you are considering transferring, your validator or awarding body should be able to help you understand the available options. You can also look at other courses through UCAS.
If you receive student finance, you should make sure that the Student Loans Company knows which provider you will be studying with once your arrangements have been confirmed. The provider accepting you will normally provide the necessary information to the Student Loans Company.
You might be able to complain about the BAJ.
However, BAJ has closed and is in liquidation. This means there may be significant limitations on our ability to review a complaint and, importantly, on what could practically be done to put matters right even if a complaint were upheld.
We recommend contacting us before completing a Complaint Form. You can call us on 0118 989 9813 or email enquiries@oiahe.org.uk, and we can talk to you about your circumstances and whether we may be able to help.
If your concern relates instead to Kingston University, another university or college you transfer to, or another provider that is a member of our Scheme, you should normally raise your concerns through that provider’s complaints process first. You may then be able to bring a complaint to us once that process has finished.
Pearson is regulated by Ofqual and complaints specifically about Pearson may need to be considered through the relevant Pearson and Ofqual processes.
If you paid some or all of your course fees yourself rather than through a student loan, recovering money you have paid may take longer because BAJ is in liquidation.
A liquidator will deal with claims made by people and organisations that are owed money. Further information about the liquidation arrangements should therefore be followed carefully as it becomes available.
If you paid fees using a credit card, you may also wish to check whether you are able to make a claim under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
The Student Loans Company pays tuition fee loans directly to universities and colleges.
If you transfer to another provider, once you have confirmed where you will continue your studies the accepting provider should notify the Student Loans Company. Tuition fee payments can then continue through the normal process, provided the course and provider are eligible for higher education student finance.
If you have an Advanced Learner Loan, the Student Loans Company will contact you with information about the steps you can take, including finding alternative provision
If you are concerned about the impact on your student finance, you should contact the Student Loans Company.
You should also speak to the university, college, validator or awarding body supporting you with your transfer about any financial support that may be available.
If you have incurred additional costs because of the closure, it is sensible to keep records and receipts in case these are relevant to any future claim.
We recognise that the sudden closure of a course can be extremely upsetting and can create uncertainty about your studies, finances and future plans.
Students whose courses are validated by Kingston University can contact health@kingston.ac.uk for wellbeing support and information about other useful resources.
Pearson has also said that it will provide students on its courses with information, advice and guidance, including support for wellbeing.
You may find it helpful to contact another organisation that can give you some additional support.