Private education institutions are structured as businesses. The owner is a company, not the government. Companies may fail. Institutions may be forced to close down. The predicament of students enrolled in a college that is forced to close is not fully understood. The educational contract imposes long term obligations on the institution, up to the time it takes the student to complete his course of study, which can be several years.

The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 deals with the closing down of institutions and the position of students who may be affected by the closure. However, these provisions only deal with part of the problem.

This programme will provide participants with a clear understanding of the laws and regulations that apply and regulate the closing down of colleges and the personal legal consequences that may follow a closure. At the end of the programme, participants will be able to give advice on the steps that have to be taken when the closing of an institution is imminent and how to minimise any adverse reactions from students and their parents.