SC31-I: Education Agent Policy & Procedure

Domestic and International Students Contents                                  

  • Purpose
  • Definitions
  • Policy
  • Procedure
    1. Process new education agent application
    2. Confirm agreement
    3. Implement agent agreement

Purpose 

This policy is to ensure that OUR INSTITUTE uses education agents that have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the Australian international education industry and do not use education agents who are dishonest or lack of integrity. 

This policy will also ensure that intending students will benefit from the monitoring strategies of OUR INSTITUTE and from OUR INSTITUTE ability to terminate agreements with education agents who engage in false or misleading recruitment practices. 

 This ensures compliance with the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 standard 4.  

Definitions

DET means Department of Education and Training

Home Affairs includes Immigration and visa  

Policy

  1. OUR INSTITUTE will only work with reputable education agents who have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the Australian international education industry. 

  2. OUR INSTITUTE will only engage agents who have completed the Education Agents Training Course (EATC) offered by PIER (Professional International Education Resources) or a recognized equivalent and belong to a professional association representing education agents where one exists.

  3. OUR INSTITUTE develops and implements a written agreement with each education agent that is engaged to recruit students on its behalf. Written agreements will specify the responsibility of the education agent and the OUR INSTITUTE and the need to abide by the National Code 2018.  Written agreements include monitoring arrangements, as well as performance benchmarks. 

  4. A list of education agents with whom OUR INSTITUTE has a written agreement will be included on OUR INSTITUTE’s website. As a minimum. this information will include the agency name, name of the principal agent, legal entity and street address. 

  5. OUR INSTITUTE will not accept students from an education agent or enter into an agreement with an education agent where it is known or there are grounds for believing an education agent to be:
    • engaged in or have previously been engaged in, dishonest practices, including the deliberate attempt to recruit a student where this clearly conflicts with the obligations of OUR INSTITUTE as per National Code 2018 (OUR INSTITUTE Course Transfer Policy and Procedure).
    • facilitating the enrolment of a student who the education agents believes will not comply with the conditions of his or her student visa.
    • using the Provider Registration and International Students Management System (PRISMS) to create Confirmations of Enrolment for other than a bona fide student.
    • providing immigration advice where not authorized to do so under the Migration Act 1958. 
  6. Where OUR INSTITUTE suspects an education agent of acting unethically but does not have a written agreement with the agent, OUR INSTITUTE will inform both HOME AFFAIRS and DET of its concerns.

  7. The monitoring activities of OUR INSTITUTE will identify where an agent may be involved in any of the above activities. OUR INSTITUTE will also take into account reports from students where the number of students is a reasonable proportion of the students recruited by an agent (e.g. 3 in 10 students).

  8. Where OUR INSTITUTE has entered into a written agreement with an education agent and subsequently becomes aware, or reasonably suspects, that the agent (or employee or sub-contractor of that agent) has engaged in any of the activities specified in 4 of this Policy, OUR INSTITUTE will immediately terminate the written agreement with the education agent.   Where an employee or sub-contractor was responsible for this conduct and the education agent has already terminated the relationship with that individual, this paragraph does not apply. 

  9. Education agents will be provided with up to date and accurate marketing information that meets the requirements of OUR INSTITUTE Marketing and Advertising Policy.   

Procedure

1. Process new education agent application 

Procedure

Responsibility

A. Provide information to potential education agents

  • Email or post potential education agents with the Education Agent Information Kit and link to Education Agent Application Form for online completion.
  • Advise in a covering email or letter that the application process will take 6 – 8 weeks from receipt of the completed form. 

Admissions & Marketing

Manager

B. Assess application from agent

  • Acknowledge receipt of application. 
  • Review application for completeness. 
  • Where the application is incomplete, inform the agent of the additional information required and the requirement to provide this within 60 days or that otherwise the application will no longer be valid.
  • Consider information in application and contact referees as required. 
  • Assess application based on the responses from referees, the location that the agent will recruit from, the demonstrated understanding of Australian laws in regard to

student recruitment and agent experience in the recruitment of international students. 

  • Approve or refuse application. 
  • Notify agents in writing of the decision to approve or not approve the application and including reasons where the application is declined.  

Admissions & Marketing

Manager

2. Confirm agreement 

Procedure

Responsibility

C. Confirm agreement with new education agent 

  • Send two copies of the written agreement signed by DIRECTOR to agent for signing with one to be returned. The agreement will be valid for one year for new applications. 
  • Following receipt of signed agreement, send certificate as evidence of registration with OUR INSTITUTE to be displayed in agents’ offices to indicate to prospective students that they have a written agreement with OUR INSTITUTE.
  • Add approved agents to OUR INSTITUTE list of approved Education Agents and publish on OUR INSTITUTE web site. 

 

DIRECTOR/Admissions &

Marketing Manager

D. Renew existing agent agreements

•     For existing education agents and subject to effective performance, provide copies of renewed agreements for signing. Existing agreements will generally be renewed for a further three years.  

DIRECTOR/Admissions &

Marketing Manager

3. Implement agent agreement 

Procedure

Responsibility

E. Induct new agents

  • Provide an induction regarding OUR INSTITUTE course offerings
  • Provide an overview of OUR INSTITUTE current marketing
  • Discuss student enrolment and selection process
  • Provide approved marketing materials and discuss process for updating any revised marketing materials. 
  • Discuss and clarify National Code 2018 requirements and OUR INSTITUTE Education Agent Policy
  • Confirm dates for review of Agreement and targets to be achieved

 

Admissions & Marketing

Manager

F. Provide up to date information to agents

•     Provide up to date information to agents through:

  • Email newsletters regarding important information for agents.
  • Emails, phone calls, text messages or other informal communications regarding specific student issues

 
Procedure Responsibility
  • Delivering seminars and marketing events with agents when OUR INSTITUTE representatives are available in the agent’s region.
  • Publishing content on OUR INSTITUTE website and social media profiles o       All agents are provided with an Education Agent Online Portal (EAOP) as well as approved marketing materials

 

 

G. Monitor education agents 

  • Implement monitoring procedures as per written agreement including:If at any time, monitoring procedures show that the agent is not meeting the terms as specified in the written agreement, investigate the issue as shown below.
    • Documented face to face meetings and/or teleconferences with agents.
    • Analysis of quality and quantity of applications on behalf of prospective students
    • Analysis of conversion rates from lodging applications to studying at OUR INSTITUTE.
    • Requirement for a bi-annually report documenting the number of students interviewed by the agent either in their officers or at other venues such as education fairs. 
    • Documenting on the agent’s file instances where students claim to have been misinformed about their studies at OUR INSTITUTE.
    • Documenting on the agent’s file instances where the agent has shown a lack of knowledge of student visa requirements or other matter relating to the student’s stay in Australia.  
    • Surveying current and prospective students about the information provided to them by the education agent and the level of assistance given to the student to assist them in travelling to Australia. 
  • Where an agent is meeting the terms as shown in the written agreement, provide written feedback to agent indicating such. 

Admissions & Marketing

Manager

H. Investigate agents who are not meeting the terms of their agreement

  • Seek feedback from the agent on the issue. 
  • Discuss issue with CEO/DIRECTOR and decide on action as follows:  o Where it is considered that there was no breech of the agreement, write to agent confirming this. Where an agent is required to implement corrective or preventative action, monitor agent to ensure that actions are implemented according to agreed timelines. If actions are not implemented, terminate the agreement as above. 
    • Where corrective or preventative action is required, inform agent in writing of breech and action required and timelines. 
    • Where breech is considered to be major, inform agent of the reasons, terminate agreement and report to HOME AFFAIRS and DET. 
  • Keep all documentation on file. 

Admissions & Marketing

Manager