 Until October 2012, colleges outside the UK were only eligible for BAC accreditation if they offered higher education courses and had a formal validation agreement or other link with a UK higher education institution, awarding body or BAC-accredited college.In October 2012, a new accreditation scheme was launched for certain overseas institutions that did not meet these criteria.Inspection reports are considered by the Accreditation Committee, which includes representatives from the British Council and the Council of Validating Universities.