Provider is a relatively new term.    It is meant to cover any organisation which "provides" you with an educational opportunity.

This includes schools, universities or colleges, as well as commercial organisations.    And the services "provided" may be whole courses, or specific parts such as study materials, or tutor support.

According to the ODL QC Standards:

"Provider refers to whatever organisation is responsible for providing the educational service or provision under consideration.    It may be a self-contained organisation, a unit embedded within a larger organisation, one member of a partnership between one or more organisations, or one aspect of a more wide-ranging provision offered by a larger organisation.    In the latter case, some of these standards will apply directly to the provision, and some to the parent body.