, ▁although ▁it ▁can ▁also ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁colleg iate ▁or ▁federal ▁university ▁or ▁a ▁grouping ▁of ▁academic ▁fac ult ies ▁or ▁depart ments ▁within ▁a ▁university . ▁Trad itionally ▁the ▁distinction ▁between ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁was ▁that ▁colleg es ▁did ▁not ▁award ▁degrees ▁while ▁univers ities ▁did , ▁but ▁this ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁the ▁case ▁with ▁N CG ▁having ▁gained ▁taught ▁degree ▁award ing ▁powers ▁( the ▁same ▁as ▁some ▁univers ities ) ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁its ▁colleg es , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁colleg es ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁London ▁holding ▁full ▁degree ▁award ing ▁powers ▁and ▁being ▁effectively ▁univers ities . ▁Most ▁colleg es , ▁however , ▁do ▁not ▁hold ▁their ▁own ▁degree ▁award ing ▁powers ▁and ▁continue ▁to ▁offer ▁higher ▁education ▁courses ▁that ▁are ▁valid ated ▁by ▁univers ities ▁or ▁other ▁institutions ▁that ▁can ▁award ▁degrees . ▁ ▁In ▁England , ▁, ▁over ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁higher ▁education ▁prov iders ▁directly ▁fund ed ▁by ▁HE F CE ▁( 2 0 8 / 3 4 0 ) ▁are ▁sixth - form ▁or ▁further ▁education ▁colleg es , ▁often ▁term ed ▁colleg es ▁of ▁further ▁and ▁higher ▁education , ▁along ▁with ▁ 1 7 ▁colleg es ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁London , ▁one ▁university ▁college , ▁ 1 0 0 ▁univers ities , ▁and ▁ 1 4 ▁other ▁prov iders ▁( six ▁of ▁which ▁use ▁' col lege ' ▁in ▁their ▁name ). ▁Over all , ▁this ▁means ▁over ▁two