Agents are paid millions to secure international students

Education agents are earning record commissions sourcing international students for United Kingdom universities, with one institution spending £28 million (US$35 million) on agent fees last year alone, writes Shanti Das for The Guardian.

The figures obtained by the Observer give an insight into the lucrative student recruitment industry, which has grown rapidly amid a rise in international student numbers and increasing dependence by some universities on the income they provide.

In the past year, just under 500,000 sponsored UK study visas were granted – 23% more than the year before, and double the number in 2019. A fifth of income received by UK universities now comes from international students, a recent Guardian analysis found.
Full report on The Guardian site