Pursuing education overseas is a life-changing experience. However, without the right partners to assist students, it can quickly turn into a vicious cycle of grueling stages and rejection. This is where student recruitment agencies and student recruitment service providers come into play.
A student recruitment agency offers admission and application assistance to prospective international students. Unlike service providers, a student recruitment agent specializes in international student recruitment.
Key Takeaways:
- A student recruitment agency is a company that specializes in international student recruitment. A service provider is an organization that provides student services, usually as a form of assistance, not necessarily for recruitment or referral.
- A student recruitment agency earns through commissions from its partner HEIs. Meanwhile, a service provider earns through fees from the students and families they counsel.
- Both student recruitment agencies and service providers help prospective international students make the right decision.
Transacting with a student recruitment agency makes it easier for a prospective international student to apply to their dream school because of its local presence. Service providers often assist students only upon their arrival in the host country. Meanwhile, a recruitment agent helps students until they get into the school of their choice.
Here’s a closer look at student recruitment agencies and student recruitment service providers.
What is a Student Recruitment Service Provider?
A service provider is an organization that offers a wide range of fee-based services. The individuals that they counsel pay them directly for services such as academic process and admission support.
The goal of service providers is not only to recruit students for universities abroad. They also perform tutoring for tests and arrange travel services.
Most of a service provider’s services add value to a school’s international program. Usually, service providers have personnel to manage certain business processes, including marketing and invoicing.
What Can a Service Provider Do for Prospective International Students?
A service provider gives students insights into their study destination, university, and study program options. As mentioned, service providers offer a wide range of student services. These include the following:
- Assessment of a student’s profile
- Sorting through university options
- International student counseling in matters such as:
- Scholarships
- Tuition fees
- University intakes
- Accommodation options
- Cost of living in the host country
- Preparation and tutoring for various tests (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS)
- Document processing
- Assisting with foreign exchange currencies
- Helping with student loans
- Giving information on scholarships
What Can a Service Provider Do for Institutions?
A student recruitment service provider offers services that add value to an institution. These are:
- Assessing the readiness of an institution for international student recruitment
- Building admission contracts with institutions
- Developing institutional protocols for the international student program
- Delivering professional development
What is a Student Recruitment Agency?
A student recruitment agency is a company that focuses on student recruitment. It serves as a bridge between students and education institutions.
Prospective international students interact with recruitment agents in person. Agents help students sort through their options and assist with certain application processes.
Agents provide relevant information about an institution. Depending on the agent’s expertise, they can also advise about certain study programs.
Unlike service providers, a student recruitment agency derives income through commissions. Their partner institutions give them a commission for every successful application.
What Can a Student Recruitment Agency Do for Prospective International Students?
Student recruitment agencies specialize in international student recruitment. They match prospective students to the education institution that’s right for them. They also offer services such as:
- Providing accurate and valuable information about an institution
- Giving experience-based insights on application processes
- Offering assistance in choosing the right study program
- Helping students complete their application forms and verifying these for correctness
- Assisting in choosing affordable accommodation options
- Aiding in sorting through financial assistance options
- Helping in landing a part-time job in the host country
- Offering cheaper study program options from a university
- Aiding in the decision-making process of prospective international students
What Can a Student Recruitment Agency Do for Institutions?
Student recruitment agencies provide the following benefits for Institutions:
- Making international student recruitment efforts easier and more convenient
- Easing the problem of going through thousands of student applications
- Matching institutions with the right candidates
- Streamlining the student recruitment process
Student Recruitment Agency vs Student Recruitment Service Provider: Key Differences
Student recruitment agencies and service providers offer similar services. So why should students choose an agency over a service provider? The best answer is simple – transacting with an agency is free.
If a student wants to learn more about their options, they have to pay a service provider to assist them. Students and families must pay a service provider to guide them throughout the admission process. Yes, the process may be faster and more convenient, but the cost can be a burden to most students.
Meanwhile, a student recruitment agency earns only through commissions. They get their income once applications are approved. With an agency, prospective international students don’t need to flesh out money upfront to receive important services. Agents help them throughout the application process, and students are able to enter the right school without having to spend a lot of money getting there.
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Knowing the difference between a student recruitment agency and a service provider matters for students and institutions. Sign up as an Abcodo agent today so you can send prospective international students to their dream study destinations.
