OAT has new owners yes, but as far as I am aware they are already at maximum capacity.
And as the current job market is very poor they may well see a downturn in the self funded students, but their contracts with such as EPST and Netjets etc are filling the places nicely for them.
Why should schools reduce standards to attract students who may fail or struggle through their course. its not good for the student or the school concerned.
If you are self funding its surely better to know early that you can pass the course, or that a certain area needs improvement before committing all that money.
Thats the reason behind the assessment process.
I am a believer the assessment system works well and that if your offered a place at a school that does not have a selection process that you are taking a very high commercial / personal risk.
Its your money but we all seek to get the best training for our pound, dollar, euro etc.
in these days of commercialism everybody should give themselves the best possible start.
As to the person who had three differing assessments, maybe he / she just got better at them as he / she progressed which is a very positive sign for him / her.
The system has many variables but the experience of the schools offering assessment has shown what levels are best for the potential student at that school, which may account for the difference in entrance criteria.
The airline schemes require much higher standards so the entrance bar is set to a level where they only get the best of the best (probably), where as the level of the self funded student is set at a realistic level to satisfy the demands of the course.