▁based ▁on ▁English ▁public ▁school ▁model ▁( Ro yal ▁College ▁Col om bo , ▁S . ▁Thomas ' ▁College , ▁Mount ▁Lav in ia , ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁K andy ) ▁these ▁along ▁with ▁several ▁Catholic ▁schools ▁( St . ▁Joseph ' s ▁College , ▁Col om bo , ▁St ▁Anthony ' s ▁College ) ▁tradition ally ▁carry ▁their ▁name ▁as ▁colleg es . ▁Following ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁free ▁education ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁large ▁group ▁of ▁central ▁colleg es ▁were ▁established ▁to ▁educ ate ▁the ▁rural ▁masses . ▁Since ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁gained ▁Independ ence ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁many ▁schools ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁established ▁have ▁been ▁named ▁as ▁" col lege ". ▁ ▁Other ▁ ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁educational ▁institution , ▁the ▁term ▁can ▁also ▁refer , ▁following ▁its ▁et ym ology , ▁to ▁any ▁formal ▁group ▁of ▁colle agues ▁set ▁up ▁under ▁stat ute ▁or ▁reg ulation ; ▁often ▁under ▁a ▁Royal ▁Char ter . ▁Ex amples ▁are ▁an ▁elect oral ▁college , ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Ar ms , ▁a ▁college ▁of ▁can ons , ▁and ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Card inals . ▁Other ▁colleg iate ▁bodies ▁include ▁professional ▁associations , ▁particularly ▁in ▁medicine ▁and ▁al lied ▁prof essions . ▁In ▁the ▁UK ▁these ▁include ▁the ▁Royal ▁College ▁of ▁N urs ing ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁College ▁of ▁Phys icians . ▁Ex amples ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁include ▁the ▁American ▁College ▁of ▁Phys icians , ▁the ▁American ▁College ▁of ▁Sur ge ons , ▁and ▁the