Education agents have a big role in the recruitment of many international students in different countries. For example, in Australia, it was found out that education agents have facilitated 75 percent of all its international enrollments. Meanwhile, in the UK in 2018/2019, around half of its international students who came from outside the EU used education agent assistance to get admitted to UK institutions.
The data just shows how crucial education agents are in international education. This also makes the field more competitive, and its evolution, continuous.
Read below to learn how to become an education agent.
Key Takeaways:
- Education agents have become crucial in recruiting a huge number of students in various top study destinations, such as Australia and the UK.
- Education agents can usually get certification to recruit from training, seminars, or through universities.
- Aside from working with prominent institutions, education agents also get competitive remuneration by recruiting students. In fact, in the UK, the average remuneration from recruiting one student costs around USD 2,725.
- Different countries have different requirements for their education agents. However, the most common way to become an agent in a country is by getting certified or accredited through accreditation bodies and training.
- Among the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia, Australia is the only country that has a government body involved in managing the training and exams of education agents.
Education Agent Requirements
So, how do you become an education agent, and how do you get certificates and authorizations to practice being one?
There are actually two ways to do this.
The first one is by joining an education agency that is already in partnership with various institutions in different countries. Because of their institutional partnerships, education agencies can give agents access to a huge number of colleges and universities worldwide. Aside from that, education agencies also usually offer the following assistance to their agents:
- Agent training and seminars
- Marketing tools and materials
- Accurate and updated information on study programs and the admissions process
- Efficient system and tools for tracking and managing student application
The second way is by applying directly to a university. Although many universities directly partner with education agencies, some also partner directly with individual agents.
Certification and Qualifications Through Agent Training Bodies and Education Agencies
University agents usually get an agent certification or qualification by undergoing education agent training or courses offered by various agent training committees and bodies. They can also get certification from training and seminars offered by education agencies.
Certificate from Higher Education Institutions
When applying to get certification from certain higher education institutions (HEIs), here are some of the most common requirements you usually have to pass:
- Contact details of two references
- Proof of education agent training and qualifications
- Business registration from your country
- Proof of academic qualification or professional recognition
- Accomplished agent application form from the institution
After passing the requirements and getting approved by an institution, that’s the only time an agent can get a certificate or license to recruit students on the institution’s behalf.
Usually, if you are already in partnership or part of an education agency, you have immediate access and authorization to recruit for its partner HEIs.
Finding a Good School to Recruit For
There are various ways to find good HEIs to work with and recruit students for: through an education agency, by applying online, and through word of mouth or referrals.
Through an Education Agency
The first and usually easiest way is through an education agency, especially for agents who are just starting out in the business. In most cases, education agencies already have an array of institutions where they have already partnered with.
Online
Agents can also look and apply to become education agents for specific institutions online, which allows them to have a greater and more worldwide reach when it comes to recruiting. Some institutions may have their own requirements, but the most common include proof of their training, accreditations, business registration, and an accomplished application form.
Word of Mouth
Agents can also find good universities through word of mouth, or through referrals from other individual agents or agencies.
Benefits of Being an Education Agent
When you become a university agent, here are some of the benefits you are sure to get.
Work with Prominent Schools
The first one is that you get to work with prominent schools, not only in your home country but worldwide.
For education agents, working in prominent schools can help increase their reputation as agents, and at the same time, help them earn competitive incomes.
Moreover, with a worldwide reach, you are sure that you will get a steady and stable source of income.
Competitive Remunerations
Remuneration for education agents is usually competitive.
Education agents earn money through commission-based remuneration. This means that education agents earn when they are able to successfully recruit students. In fact, in the UK, for example, between the years 2013 to 2014, the average payment education agents received per student was around USD 2,725. HEIs in the UK are known to invest a lot of money on their agents because they know the value of agents’ work.
Becoming an Education Agent for Top Study Destinations
The most popular destinations in the world in terms of international education are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. All of these countries boast a high population of students from all over the globe.
United States
In the United States, the use of education agents in student recruitment is less common compared with other top study destinations. However, in recent years, more and more HEIs have grown to rely on recruitment agents to make their campuses more diverse.
To become a U.S. education agent, you need to get accredited or certified by international bodies or local organizations, such as the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC). Education agencies who were accredited by these organizations ensure they have undergone a rigorous process, external review, and meets certain certification standards. You can also apply directly to an institution as an agent partner.
United Kingdom
To be an education agent in the UK, you have to go through its main international education certification body, the British Council.
The British Council offers a British Council Agent and Counsellor Training Suite. The Suite includes courses through practical and professional training for agents to be well-equipped in recommending the UK as a study destination.
Undergoing the training can get you certified to become a British Council Certified Trained Agent/Counsellor.
The price for training starts at £200 per course.
Canada
Canada does not have its own education agent certification body. However, you can get training and accreditation from third-party organizations, such as Abcodo.
Moreover, agents can also directly apply to HEIs or through their education agency and pass necessary requirements such as proof of training and qualification, proof of academic and professional recognition, and so on.
Read more on how to become education agent in Canada.
Australia
In Australia, its government, through the Australian Department of Home Affairs, manages the Education Agent Training Course (EATC). The EATC is a standardized online training course for education agents covering the following areas:
- All about Australia,
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
- Career trends
- Legislation and regulations in Australia
- Ethics and professional standards
- How to work effectively in international education
After finishing the EATC, agents can take the Qualified Education Agent Counsellor (QEAC) exam, be listed in its database, and recruit students on behalf of Australian institutions.
Read the full article on how to become education agent in Australia.
