Exam body row dispute could mean 
no certificates for 32,000 students

My Distance Learning College (MDLC), in Rotherham, claims it has been brought to the brink of collapse after the NCFE (formerly the Northern College for Further Education) pulled its approval for their courses.

MDLC offers distance learning courses in a variety of subject areas and also provides bespoke training for employers.

NCFE has made the decision not to accredit MLDC courses in future and is also not issuing certificates for some students who have completed their course because it said the college had outstanding invoices owing.

MDLC’s director Joshua Cole said: “The real victims in this are my students. All I want is for them to get the qualifications they have worked so hard to get.

“In many cases, they need these to get the jobs or further education places they have been accepted for.”

An NCFE spokeswoman said: “Currently MDLC has outstanding invoices owing to NCFE. These relate to the registration fees that must be paid by MDLC in return for NCFE providing external quality assurance and certification to learners registered with MDLC.”

MLDC said it had offered to pay the fees for students who had completed their courses, as it had done in previous years.