The sudden closure of Abbey College, Dublin on 5/8/11 has caused distress and disruption of studies to hundreds of international students. ICOS has been liaising with language sector bodies, Irish immigration and regulatory authorities over this matter and is providing more information on this page as it becomes available.
Academic Bonding arrangements required by the Qualifications Acts will offer many Abbey College students on FETAC programmes the chance to switch to courses elsewhere. The Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) requires all providers to have Protection for Learners arrangements in place for all courses over three month's duration, without a requirement for learners to pay additional fees. Abbey College had such arrangements in place with a number of providers and FETAC met with the management of Abbey College Ltd on 10th August to ensure the implementation of protection for learner arrangements.
Students on non-FETAC programmes will not be covered by these arrangements.
Transfer to another college for FETAC students
Abbey College Ltd agreed with FETAC that it would notify all their enrolled learners by text message on Wednesday 17 August 2011 of the alternate provider to contact in order to complete their programmes.
FETAC asked learners to make direct contact by email with their assigned provider, by the deadline date specified, using the email address supplied in their text. Each individual learner would be required to provide proof of identity, receipt of payment and relevant details about the programme in which they were participating. These alternate providers were to offer similar programmes to that offered by Abbey College Ltd but learners were asked to note that the providers are not obliged to offer identical arrangements to those previously in place. Amongst other things, dates, duration and times of courses could vary.
On 16th September, FETAC advised that the assignment of all Abbey College learners covered by Protection for Learners arrangements was complete and that there would be no further assignments to alternative providers.
Abbey College Ltd has supplied attendance records to the relevant authorities for those learners transferring to other providers and details of start and finish dates and attendance records have also been supplied to the provider to which each learner is being assigned.
Immigration and Visas
The Department of Justice has indicated that Abbey College students whose immigration permission is due for renewal will be given a three-month temporary registration to enable them to sort out their status and that the immigration authorities would "be as helpful as possible".
Collection of Certificates
FETAC has made alternative arrangements for former Abbey College learners to collect their component certificates.
Learners who successfully completed their courses before April 2011, and who had not yet received their FETAC certificate from Abbey College Ltd, were advised that they could collect their certificate from FETAC's offices at East Point Plaza, East Point Business Park, Dublin 3.
Equally, for all students with assessments outstanding, FETAC staff began working on all available material (exam papers, course work etc) from Abbey College in August and completed processing it for the October certification period. FETAC made these certificates available for collection from its offices from 7th November.
Please note that it is essential that anyone collecting a certificate from FETAC presents evidence of identity including their PPS number.
FETAC will provide information on collection days/times and any additional updates at the following webpage:
http://www.fetac.ie/fetac/learners/AbbeyCollegeLtdupdate.htm.
Updated: 21/11/11