In September 2007, BPP University made history by becoming the first publicly owned company in the UK to obtain degree awarding powers. This process involved making a detailed application to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education in the United Kingdom, which acts on behalf of the Privy Council. This application covered all aspects of BPP University's governance, management, educational provision, resourcing and quality assurance. "BPP University is a private university based in London dedicated to the study of business and the professions. The university is owned and run by BPP Holdings, part of the American higher education company Apollo Group. The university is a UK degree-awarding body with four schools: BPP Business School, BPP Law School, BPP School of Health and BPP School of Foundation and English Language Studies.Since 2009 BPP has been owned by the Apollo Group, the for-profit educational corporation in the US, that has had a history of controversy. It is also one of eight members of the newly formed Independent Universities Group, whose objective is to differentiate their academic credentials from what they consider the more commercial elements of the alternative sector."