UK universities pay agents for international students in millions; The University of Greenwich gave over Rs 280 crore last academic year; Agents are paid between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 8 lakh per student
A good share of the UK’s export earnings comes from the education sector. Many people have already said that the high fees charged from foreign students is what makes the work of many universities move forward smoothly. Now, news is coming out that agents who bring students to universities are also making good money. The Guardian newspaper reports that one firm spent £28m on agent fees last year alone.
This figure released by the Observer speaks to the potential of the student recruiting sector. The sector is growing rapidly with many universities having to rely on foreign student fees to operate. Last year, the UK issued less than 5 lakh student visas. This is 23 percent more than the previous year.Currently, one-fifth of universities’ income comes from foreign student fees, according to the Guardian newspaper.
Foreign students have to pay higher fees for the same courses than UK students. The British Council estimates that an overseas student pays an average of £22,000 a year in fees. Fees for postgraduate students will be higher. Therefore, the universities pay generously to the agents who bring foreign students here.Some universities pay the agent a fixed fee per student while others pay a fixed percentage of the first year fee.
Figures from universities indicate that agents can earn between £2,000 and £8,000 per student. A decade ago it was £1,000. According to figures published by the Observer, the University of Greenwich spent £28.7m on agents in 2022/23. In 2021/22 it was £ 18.3m and just £3.3m in 2017/18. That money was given to 230 agencies that recruited 2,986 postgraduate students and 500 undergraduate students.
According to this figure, the University of London pays the agent an average of £8,235 per student. De Montfort University in Leicester paid out £17.1 million in commissions to agents, according to the figures. In 2021/22 this was £10.5m. This amount was for 4,457 overseas students which means the agent receives an average of £3,829 per student. Five years ago it was £2,388.
Universities UK, which represents 142 institutions, says agents’ fees are rising because of the increase in overseas student numbers. At the same time, there has been concern among academics about relying on agents, who fear that it could lead to unethical practices. However, universities say they have strict requirements to ensure that agents maintain ethics.
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