Dodgy agents sacked

Melbourne based vocational education provider, Cambridge College recently sacked four education agents due to unethical practices or poor service levels.

Melbourne's Age newspaper reported that one of the agents was Mauritius based GRS. See full story

The story identifies the broader problem of dishonest or unethical agents whose main focus is placement numbers rather than the provision of good advice and service to their clients.

This story highlights the importance of ensuring that you are dealing with an honest and competent agents. This goes for both students and institutions.


Students need to ensure that they are working with a good education agent to ensure that they get the very best advice possible. After all, deciding to study abroad is a big decision.

For institutions the reputational cost of having your name associates with a dodgy agent could be very high. In a very competitive international recruitment market. This is a risk not worth taking.

How do you know if you are dealing with a good agent?

There several things you can do:

1. Ask if the agent is registered as an education agent in the country in which they are operating. If they are, ask for their registration number and check it with the relevant authorities.
2. Do a Google search on the agent's name and business name to see if anything concerning comes up.
3. Ask the agent for references and check them. You might be able to save time if the agent is listed on my edagent and has had their references independently checked.
4. Ask the agent for a list of the institutions they act for. If necessary ask for proof in the form of letters of authority. Students - at the very least you should ensure that the agent is authorised to act for the institution/s you want to attend.
5. Be clear up front about the fees that the agent charges. If the agent is going to charge you a fee, ask what it is for and shop around.

Whether you are a student looking for advice, or an institution looking to establish relationships with agents, following these steps will help you ensure that you are working with a reputable agent.

Currency volatility - implications?

The global financial crisis has brought with it significant volatility in the foreign exchange markets.

We've been watching this volatility with interests, with a particular eye on the interplay between the currencies of key source markets, particularly China and India, and those of the key providers of education to international students, namely the US, UK and Australia.

Perhaps the most striking characteristic of the recently currency market activity has been the rapid decline in the value of the Australian dollar against other leading currencies. The recent fall was so swift and steep that London's Financial times dubbed the Aussie Dollar the "whipping boy" of the foreign exchange markets.

Importantly the Australian dollar has fallen markedly against both the Chinese Yuan and Indian Rupee.

The fall is great news for Australian education providers seeking to recruit international students because Australia once again becomes a great choice for cash strapped parents looking to get value for money when sending their kids overseas to study.

UK institutions may also get some benefit from a strong Yuan that has made good gains against the pound.

US institutions may not be so well placed. Both the Rupee and the Yuan have depreciated significantly against the US dollar which makes as US education an increasingly expensive option.

Australian and UK institutions should think about capitalising on the the current exchange rate situation by actively marketing the value-for-money benefits of their courses to students in their key offshore markets.