New guidelines on how to tackle essay mills that help students cheat their way to a qualification have been released by the QAA.

An inspection of the London School of Business and Finance by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has concluded that the quality of some of the school's higher education offerings have failed to meet UK expectations.

The Quality Assurance Agency has published a guide this month for UK higher education providers to support and enhance the experience of international students.

In the wake of the huge UK exam fallout from last week that resulted in the suspension of licences at 57 private colleges and three universities, Director of Quality Assurance at the Quality Assurance Agency, Stephen Jackson, has said the UK's current regulatory landscape is not robust enough to prevent against the level of fraud detected.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education is conducting an independent inquiry into higher education delivered through London branch campuses, after an investigation by the Home Office found that some 45,000 immigrants may have fraudulently obtained English language test certificates.

The UK's higher education watchdog, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, has found only two of 11 UK campuses in the UAE are "readily recognisable" branch campuses. It has warned providers not to mislead students about what is being offered offshore and advises that providers "do more to introduce a UK academic culture".

The number of international students studying UK qualifications abroad rose by 4.9% last year. The findings come soon after QAA and the UK Higher Education International Unit have launched a consultation into strengthening the quality of transnational education.

A Premium Account Management Service and the prospect of online applications for UK-based student visa submissions are among the UKBA service updates on the horizon for the UK's Tier 4 student visa sponsors, as outlined at the Study UK 2012 annual conference last week in London.