'Free' study-abroad counsellors: how they get paid, and what to ask

Many study-abroad offices in India say their counselling is free. For most of them, that is true for you. Someone else pays: the universities they send students to.

This is not a scam. It is a normal, legal model, especially for the UK, Canada and Australia. A good agent can save you a lot of time. But it helps to know how the money moves, so you can ask the right questions before you hand over your child's plans.

How a "free" agent gets paid

Universities sign contracts with agencies. When a student the agency sent actually enrols and pays fees, the university pays the agency a commission.

• The commission is usually a share of the student's tuition fee. A 2020 HEPI article by two UK researchers reported an average of about 15% of tuition per enrolled student at UK universities. Rates vary by university and are rarely published.
• The same article reported extra incentives, such as volume bonuses and trips to visit campuses.
• Some agents also charge families a fee on top. Australia's rules list "charging fees to both students and providers for the same service" as a conflict of interest that agents must declare.

Where the conflict of interest comes in

An agent is paid only by universities it has a contract with, and only when your child enrols. That can quietly shape advice:

• The shortlist may contain only partner universities, even if a non-partner suits your child better.
• A university paying a higher rate may be pushed harder.
• There is a pull towards enrolling somewhere, rather than telling you that waiting a year, or staying in India, is the better choice.

The Australian government's own student site puts it plainly: some agents are paid by certain providers to recommend them, so check whether options that suit you are being left out.

None of this means an agent will mislead you. Many are careful and honest. It means you should know whose list you are looking at.

What rules apply

United Kingdom. The UK Agent Quality Framework (AQF) was set up in 2022 by the British Council, BUILA, UKCISA and Universities UK International. Its principles include ethical practice, informed student choice, and more transparency. The British Council trains agents and keeps a list of UK-trained counsellors. In 2024, the government's Migration Advisory Committee said some agents were mis-selling UK degrees, called the AQF voluntary, and recommended a mandatory registration system for agents. The UK's May 2025 immigration white paper reportedly proposed that student visa sponsors must sign up to the AQF. Check the current status before relying on it.

Australia. Under Standard 4 of the National Code, universities must have a written agreement with each agent, and agents must act honestly and in the best interest of students. Universities must drop agents who recruit in false or misleading ways. From students accepted after 31 March 2026, universities cannot pay agents commission for students who switch from another Australian provider after starting study there.

India. There is no law that licenses study-abroad agents. So the questions below matter more.

Questions to ask any agent

1. Do you receive commission from the universities you are suggesting?
2. Which universities and countries do you not work with? Will you tell me if a better fit is outside your list?
3. Are you charging us any fee as well? What exactly does it cover?
4. Will you put in writing how many applications you will make, and your refund policy?
5. Who exactly will handle my child's file, and will that person stay the same after we sign?
6. Are you or your counsellors trained under the British Council's UK programme, or listed with the universities you name? Can I check that on the university's website?
7. If my child is refused admission or a visa, what do you do next, and is there any extra cost?
8. Do you ever suggest waiting, or a different country, even if it means you earn nothing?
9. Will you share every document you submit in my child's name?
10. Who do I contact if I am unhappy, and how quickly do you reply?

A good agent will answer all of these calmly. If someone avoids questions 1, 2 or 4, take that seriously.

How EasyApply works

EasyApply takes no commission from any college or university, in India or abroad. We charge a fixed fee that is published on our prices page, so our shortlist is not shaped by who pays us. If you want an independent list of 8–12 universities that fit your child's profile, timeline and budget, see our Abroad Strategy package.