The international education market has experienced some dramatic developments this year. Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S. are still the top destinations, but students are looking elsewhere too, the latest ICEF Agent Voice report shows.
74% of education agents have supported student applications to new destinations in the last two years (up from 63% in 2023) as interest in alternative destinations, such as Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and others, is surging. Agents say that the top decision-making factors for their students have shifted, and institutional reputation is no longer as much of a priority. Instead, how easy it is to secure a visa for a destination country, the cost to study and live there, and the work opportunities available to them both during their studies and post-graduation are their top concerns.
Promotion of online programs has declined again this year with most agents saying they would only consider them if it helped their students obtain an international study visa or a pathway to work abroad afterward.
When successfully enrolling students, agents put visa-related issues at the top of their list of pain points. Still, ICEF data shows visa approval rates have increased for most program types in 2024 meaning agents are adept at navigating these issues.
The ICEF data also uncovered several areas that, if improved, would deliver significant benefits for agents, students, and institutions alike.
- Training and information
Education agents are seen as valued advisors to international students and their families, so much so that many students return to their agents for counseling during and after their studies. But having accurate information, on which to base their advice is critical.
86% of agents said they would value more training and information for their staff from partner institutions. When it comes to how they want to receive this training, overwhelmingly, they said both face-to-face and online, which would facilitate more frequent sessions.
- Application Processing and communication
When asked what areas they would most value support from partner institutions, agents put fast application processing and providing quick responses to queries/issues at the top, clearly indicating efficiency is in demand. The course application process was identified by agents as the fourth most challenging aspect of successfully enrolling students, and application administration as the fifth most time-consuming process.
Currently, 8 in 10 agents are processing applications independently, using traditional methods of in-house solutions (up from 68% in 2023); nearly 70% also said that less than half of their students were enrolled using a digital platform. But, over half (57%) of agents think AI-powered solutions will help increase efficiency.
Using a digital solution like the Flywire Studylink platform can help to deliver a quicker and more transparent application process. When communication among agents, students and institutions is in one place, processes can be integrated and processes can be automated to drive efficiency and speed up decision-making.
- Payments
Payment is a critical, but often stressful step in the admissions process for all involved. ICEF Agent Voice data found that most agents assist students with payments, using the method chosen by the institutions (51%) or letting them pay themselves (22%). Issues occur when institutions aren’t clear about how to pay but, even if they are, unexpected transaction fees, FX volatility, and missing references can create problems with identifying and allocating payments.
Offering a digital platform that allows education agents to support students through the payment process, to request and remind them, and see the progress of payments, and allows students or family members to pay using familiar local payment methods, will mean institutions will receive payments in full and on time. The inclusion of student ID information means payments can be identified, and reconciled automatically, and confirmation can be issued to the student immediately upon receipt of the payment.
You can download the Agent Voice report here or hear more insights from the Agent Voice report in this recorded webinar.
