Over 500 Fraudulent Applications Made to University of West London
Most relate to the Oxford Business College
Picture: UWL
April 1, 2025
Figures have been released showing that over 543 fraudulent applications have been made to the University of West London (UWL).
This is the highest amount for any higher educational institution in the capital and puts it in the top six for money identified as lost by the Student Loans Company (SLC) through fraud with a total of £6.2million.
About 70% of the fraudulent cases came through UWL’s association with Oxford Business College which it partnered with to offer courses including business studies. UWL which has campuses in Ealing and Brentford currently has 11,000 students over 2,000 of whom are from outside the UK.
The data came to light as part of an investigation by the Sunday Times into the issue of student loan fraud.
According to the Sunday Times report, the universities had failed to have proper input or oversight into student applications.
The arrangement between UWL and Oxford Business College was terminated in 2022 after the Department for Education launched an investigation into the for-profit college.
There was a total of £22 million in student loans and grants identified across the six institutions including UWL of which about £7million is unlikely to be recouped. For all the universities, the SLC suspended more funding before it was paid than the amount released and lost meaning that it was the universities that took the financial hit. The Sunday Times believes that the system has been targeted by organised networks with people recruited to take out loans and grants who had no intention of studying or ever paying the money back.
Chiswick College, which was based in a building close to Chiswick Roundabout, was a franchised course provider for the University of Northampton but the arrangement was terminated after claims from the university that a substantial proportion of the students recruited through the arrangement had submitted bogus CVs and had cheated on their exam and course work. This arrangement has also been terminated.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the Sunday Times that these losses “should be a wake-up call for any university franchising out courses”.
A spokesperson for UWL told the Sunday Times, “There is no suggestion that, and the University has not, retained sums obtained or profited from any fraud conducted by students enrolled on its courses.
“Immediately following termination of its contract with Oxford Business College, the University reviewed its processes and took a series of actions to ensure they are fit for purpose and as effective as possible in preventing abuse.”
“The numbers of illegitimately claimed monies have fallen dramatically since, and we anticipate this trend continuing.”
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