Difficulties navigating the quagmire of educational bureaucratic red tape has been cited as the main contributing factor to KAPLAN, the education arm of the Washington Post, deciding to pull out from its plans to establish a university specialising in financial services education in Adelaide.

 

The decision comes as a bitter blow to the Rann Government, who have pursued a policy directed towards making Adelaide a university city.

 

KAPLAN had planned to establish a campus in Adelaide, but has reviewed its decision in the wake of perceived complexities of regulatory approvals between the US and Australia.

 

The organisation had announced its plans in 2009 to establish a campus in Adelaide, with plans to build a student base of 5,000, including online students, within five years of opening its doors in 2011.

 

The university was to offer degrees in financial services, business arts and allied health.

 

However, rival group Laureate International is continuing its bid to build a campus in Adelaide and is expecting regulatory approval to be given sometime in September.