How to Better Your University-Agent Relationships with Digital Marketing

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Covid-19 has given rise to a new working relationship between universities and agents. One that blends ‘traditional’ face-to-face student advising with new technologies, pushing the HE sector somewhat unwittingly into a new era of international digital recruitment.

While most institutions choose to keep their relationships with agents and third-party recruiters behind closed doors, the impact of this well established university-agent relationship on enrollment figures is irrefutable. It’s estimated that 45%-55% of international non-EU students at UK HEIs in 2018-19 used the services of an education agent.* The NACAC’s Admission Trends Survey 2017-18 paints a similar picture in the U.S. with 36% of surveyed admissions officers admitting that they use commission-based agents to recruit international students.** But with Covid-19 since limiting international travel and face-to-face recruitment, agents are now considered a vital part of HEIs international recruitment processes.

Digital marketing is one way that universities can redefine their relationships with some of their best advocates. Equipping agents with the right marketing tools will ensure they’re set up to recruit some of your ‘best fit’ students. Here’s how to create marketing materials that put students first, promote transparency and ensure a measurable ROI for your agents.

Putting students first

Putting prospective students first is the unwritten rule of education counselling. It’s therefore unsurprising that the integrity of agents, aggregators and third-party recruiters is one of the biggest concerns for HEIs. Can independent counsellors be trusted to maintain impartiality and recruit the ‘right’ students, while acting in the student’s best interests?

With the number of young people wanting to study overseas only increasing and HEIs desperate to get their international enrolment figures back after Covid-19, agents are needed now more than ever to find new applicants and process their enquiries. Because of this, not working with third parties and new technology is no longer an option. As David Pilsbury, Chief Development Officer at Oxford International Education Group puts it, “we can’t put the genie back in the bottle”.***

HEIs must therefore adapt and create a hybrid recruitment model that blends the expertise of in-country agents with tech innovations to transform the way we think about recruitment. Without the right digital tools, agents won’t be equipped to promote HEIs in the right way.

• Customising your marketing materials to each country or city will mean that your agents are best placed to advise on market-specific enquiries about scholarships, safety, visas, language requirements and cultural differences.

• Training your agents properly will ensure that they know exactly what your HEI is looking for. With detailed information about what it’s like to be an international student at your university, they’ll be more confident in selecting the ‘right’ students for you.

• Create marketing materials with built-in forms. This will give your agents the freedom to manage their own enquiries and offer applicants a personal, professional response.

Promote transparency

It’s incredibly important that HEIs are open and honest about who they work with and who they employ to represent their brand overseas. Having a transparent relationship with agents is the key to developing a strong relationship that’s built on trust. By working together, your main marketing team can spread awareness of in-country agents in your target markets and encourage students to get in contact. By making it clear that you trust your agents, your prospective students will too. To ensure transparency, create a clear comms plan for your agents’ marketing resources and update them regularly to ensure accuracy.

• Personalising your agents’ marketing materials to include their contact information will make it easier for them to have a presence in their market.

• Be honest with interested students about who has access to their data. How will it be used, who will contact them and why?

• Allow your agents to have input into their own marketing materials and blend their market knowledge with your promotional material. This is invaluable to prospective students and will create hybrid resources that are the best of both worlds.

Ensure a measurable ROI

When working with agents and third-party recruiters, it can be difficult to guarantee that your marketing budget is well spent. How do you know if agents are finding enough students for your university and (more importantly) the right students for your university? It all starts with strategy. By supporting your agents’ recruitment strategy and providing them with unique marketing materials, you can collect data and measure their performance.

• Use market data to create publications that meet the wants and needs of your prospective students. In other words, give them what they’re looking for.

• Track your marketing materials. By doing this, you can see where they go, how many people open them and get a good grasp of your student demographic.

• Use your marketing materials to collect leads and drive traffic to your website. This will allow you to quantify and measure the success of your agents’ performance.

Covid-19 has changed the agent-student-university relationship for good. But like every crisis, it has created a lot of opportunities for change and reflection. As HEIs start to navigate their way out of the pandemic and the global movement of international students increases, they’ll require greater assistance from agents and third parties to do a lot of the heavy lifting. By embracing this relationship, institutions can fully make the most of their best advocates. After all, working side-by-side with agents is far better than being three steps behind.

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Learn more about eduKUDU.

*BUILA, UKCISA (2021) A Partnership for Quality: A route to a UK Quality Framework with Education Agents. [Link]

**Admission Trends Survey (2017-2018) National Association for College Admission Counselling.

***David Pilsbury, DVCI at Coventry University. Webinar: The Rise of Student Recruitment 4.0. ThePIE, 23 June 2021.

Understanding Current Travel Restrictions

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Useful Resources for understanding the current travel restrictions:

U.S. Center for Disease Control Travelers Prohibited from Entry to the United States

U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs

U.S White House Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Non-Immigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting Coronavirus Disease

What you should know about the Thrive Act 2021

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To Recap:
The U.S. Congress recently passed the THRIVE Act, which updates Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) training and education policies and programs. An overarching goal of this new legislation is to improve veteran employment and codify the VA’s Principles of Excellence program through amendments to the Isakson-Roe Act. One amendment limits “providing a commission, bonus or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding award of financial assistance.”

This new language is clearly not in alignment with the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended, codified at 20 USC 1094(a)(20), which allows incentive compensation for the recruitment of “foreign students residing in foreign countries who are not eligible to receive Federal student assistance.” Because U.S. institutions receive funding for helping to educate veterans through the GI bill, there is concern that the THRIVE Act may impact GI bill funding to institutions if incentive compensation is paid for the recruitment of any student, including international students.

AIRC is now working with other associations and groups to call for corrections to the THRIVE Act. As an AIRC member, your institution has an important role to play.

How AIRC Members Can Help? Act Now:
AIRC members can play an important role on this issue through the following steps:

1. Review information on NAFSA’s website: https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/thrive-act-veterans-benefits-provision-poses-unexpected-challenge-use
2. If you work at a U.S. higher education institution, speak with your institution’s federal relations officer about the potential impact of this legislation on your institution. Explain the specific impact on the recruitment of foreign students.
3. Ask the federal relations officer to reach out to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to request a technical correction be made that aligns the THRIVE Act with the language included in the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, codified at 20 USC 1094(a)(20).

Below are links to the members of both the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. It is particularly important for members in states that have representatives on one or both committees to reach out to the Committee members.

• Senate Committee Members: https://www.veterans.senate.gov/

• House Committee Members: https://veterans.house.gov/about/members

Talking Points When Reaching Out to Committee Members:
1. Emphasize the economic impact that international students have on the state and the congressional district where your institution is located: https://www.nafsa.org/isev/reports/state
2. Describe the positive impact of international students on your institution. Explain what percentage of international students come from agency, pathway and other recruitment partners.
3. 1 in 5 international students responding to last year’s QS survey indicate that they used the services of an educational agency: https://monitor.icef.com/2020/11/students-relying-more-on-education-agents-for-assistance-with-study-abroad-decisions/
4. The AIRC/NACAC survey from earlier this year indicates that 49% of U.S. institutions partner with educational agencies: AIRC - NACAC Survey Provides Insights Into Institution – Agency Partnerships — AIRC (airc-education.org)
5. The THRIVE Act fails to align with the language in the Higher Education Act of 1965.
6. Review any decline in international student enrollment that your institution has experienced over the past few years. How will this new legislation have a further negative impact on international student enrollment?

Next Steps
1. AIRC will continue to advocate for a Technical Corrections bill that would modify the THRIVE Act so that it does not adversely impact institutional – agency partnerships and the recruitment of international students.
2. AIRC will keep members informed and let you know what you can do to assist in these efforts.

Thank you for your active membership in AIRC. Please feel free to contact, AIRC Executive Director, Brian Whalen, directly if you have any questions.

AIRC 2021 Annual Conference Travel Grant Program

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Update: We have now closed out the Submission Phase for Travel Grants. Congratulations to all members who were approved for a travel grant this cycle.

AIRC is pleased to offer financial support for AIRC colleagues with demonstrated financial need to attend the 13th Annual Conference (Hilton Downtown Miami December 8 – 11, 2021).

Purpose

The Annual Conference Travel Grant Program provides financial support to AIRC member colleagues who, without this support, would be unable to attend the conference.

Eligibility

Colleagues who have financial need and are employed by an AIRC member institution/organization may apply for an Annual Conference Travel Grant. The Grant Application must detail the amount of support needed, the rationale behind the request, and how the grant funding is to be used. Those who have already registered for the conference are eligible to apply.

Awards

Individual grant awards will be disbursed on a reimbursement-for-expense basis after the Annual Conference. Awards are expected to range from $300 up to $1,000. Selection will be based on demonstrated financial need and the anticipated benefit of attending the conference. Preference will be given to grant applicants whose institutions/organizations are providing at least some financial support.

Grant Process

1. Submit Grant Application.

2. Grant applicants notified of Award within 10 business days.

3. Awardee attends entire conference.

4. Awardee submits within 30 days after the conference a report describing how the conference benefitted them along with a detailed expense report and scanned receipts.

5. Upon receipt of the report and receipts, grant funds will be disbursed within 10 business days. Grant awards are disbursed only as reimbursement for documented expenses that are outlined in the grant application.

Application Deadline

Applications will be accepted up until all the grant funding is committed.

The Pros and Cons of Setting Placement Targets for Educational Recruitment Agencies

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Sales goals have long been a common tactic used by all types of businesses. Because the pandemic has put stress on institutional budgets and resources, educational agencies may be seeing an increase in institutions requesting the establishment of goals or targets. Specifically, institutions may request or require that agencies produce a certain number of student enrollment referrals.

PROS of Establishing Targets

•  Goals focus attention on what is important and provide employees direction about how to perform their jobs. Goals energize people and motivate them to succeed. In the business world, it is common for companies to link sales team incentive pay to goal achievement. This makes effective goal setting a common strategy for directing and motivating sales teams and controlling costs. (Harvard Business Review 6.14.2019).

• For institutions that have a strong track record of partnering with agencies and a portfolio that includes multiple agencies in various markets, enrollment targets help to streamline operations and focus on the agencies that are high performing and producing higher numbers of student referrals.

• When institutions set targets that are then met, agencies are rewarded with any added incentives and sustained, long-term institutional relationships.

• Institutions that use targets to focus on their partners that provide best student fit can focus on successful partnerships and refine their overall agency portfolio by terminating contracts of partners that are not performing.

CONS of Targets

• Superior agency performance is not just about numbers: it includes quality matching of student profiles to the institution.

• Educational agencies may feel pressure to meet targets and refer poorly matched students to the institution. Repercussions of this poor placement may include student academic failure, student transfer, and harm to the agency’s and the institution’s reputation.

• Target setting should be approached with caution by an institution that is new to agency partnerships and not as well known internationally. In this case, setting student referral targets may be unrealistic and impractical until that institution has time to build its brand and develop a marketing plan with and train the agency partner.

Best Practices for Establishing Targets

When institutions and agencies choose to partner together, they must undertake a commitment to devote resources and acquisition costs to that effort, including staff time dedicated to contract negotiations and partnership management. There are also costs for production of recruitment materials, other marketing, and costs to train agency counselors. For the benefit of both institutions and agencies, AIRC has outlined below some best practices when considering targets and establishing targets.

•  Conversations around goal setting are critical and should be had early in contract negotiations. For example, agencies should be able to generally predict if they have right-fit student clientele for institutional prospects. Would additional resource commitments from the institution be required to meet goals?

• Poorly matched institutional-agency partnerships may result in few or no student referrals. The question should be asked in advance: Is there a clear rationale for the agency to contract with a particular institutional partner?

• Instead of simply stating the targets and rewards, align the targets with stated goals for best-fit student referrals and the promise to provide the tools to the agency to help them represent the institution, such as regular training, frequent communication, and quick, responses to inquiries.

• Consider measuring and setting goals not only for the “outputs” (i.e., Student referrals) of a partnership, but also for the “inputs.”  For example, set goals for the activities that bring referrals, such as training. How many counselors attended training? Were those being trained assessed on their knowledge and praised when satisfactory results were achieved?

• If targets are used, start with small goals and increase them over time. Evaluate performance regularly and have open discussions about the targets and the need for making any adjustments.

• Consider using targets only in markets that are already producing strong referrals. Allow newer or smaller markets the time necessary to build your institutional brand in them.

Blog post by:

Jennifer Wright, AIRC Director of Certification and Associate Director

George Burke, SUNY University at Albany

Brian Whalen, AIRC Executive Director

Catherine Marte, AIRC Member Services Manager

What should a prospective international student know about international credential evaluation?

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Leigh Lane Peine, Senior Director of Marketing at Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), writes about the importance of credential evaluations, a vital piece of the application process for international students looking to study abroad.  

Q. What is credential evaluation?  

A. A credential evaluation (referred to as an assessment in Canada) compares academic and professional degrees earned in one country to academic and professional degrees earned in another. Colleges, universities, employers, and governments use credential evaluations to evaluate foreign education as part of the admission or hiring process. 

Acquiring a credential evaluation will ensure your foreign education is fully understood by colleges, universities, and employers within the United States and Canada.  The documents used for an evaluation are verified for authenticity, so the institution will also have an assurance that your background is legitimate.  

If you are a student, once the credential assessment report is prepared it is sent to the institution that you are applying to so that they can understand your academic achievements when considering you for admission.   

Q. Who needs a credential evaluation?  

A. Looking at it from the perspective of a student interested in study abroad, you will need a credential evaluation to apply to most higher education institutions in the U.S. and Canada.  Credential evaluations explain your previous coursework and grades earned so that they can be considered as a part of your application for admission. You will be told by your university adviser that you are required to have an assessment, and it will likely be listed as part of the checklist for applying on the university’s website.  

In addition, agents use credential evaluations to validate the qualifications of students they present to their institutional partners.  

Q. What’s in the report? 

• Depending on the type of report you choose; it can include information such as: The name of the credential or degree you earned in another country, 

• What the credential or degree is equivalent to in the United States or Canada,  

• The courses you had taken or completed for the study program and the U.S. and Canadian equivalent credits and grades,  

• The equivalent grade point average in the U.S. or Canada, 

• And any additional comments or explanations about the credential or degree program.  

Q. What type of report should students order?  

A. Before applying, you should talk to your school adviser to determine first if you need a credential evaluation report, and if so, what type of assessment report they require. The most common report type is a Course-by-Course, but you should confirm what your chosen university requires.  

Q. What kinds of documents do applicants need to provide?  

A. You will want to check the website of the credential evaluation organization that you are using to make sure that you provide the correct documents.  At ECE our document requirements vary by country of study to be the most secure yet reasonable to obtain.    

Q. What should students look for in an organization that provides credential evaluations? 

A. First, and very importantly, make sure that the school to which you are applying accepts the report from your chosen evaluation provider.  Universities may accept reports from only one, multiple, or all providers.  Most will advise you which organizations’ reports are accepted, but if you are not sure, ask. You don’t want to spend the time and money on a report that the university you want to attend does not accept. 

In the United States, credential evaluations are unregulated by the government, and there are many providers, both nonprofit and for-profit. However, the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) holds organizations to strict standards in the credential evaluation community. This seal of approval is trusted and often required, by universities throughout the U.S. 

Look for organizations with a long history of helping students and the higher education community. The organization should be staffed with experts in the field, and their evaluators should have many years of experience. For example, at Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) we have been around since 1980, and our evaluators have an average of 12 years of experience. 

And consider the level of customer service you can expect from a provider. You may have questions along the way. Does the provider have full-time customer service staff available to help you? How quickly will they get back to you? Once the evaluation is completed, can you or a university representative talk to the evaluator who prepared the report if needed? 

Also, check the independent reviews by other applicants, such as Google reviews. If an organization does not allow reviews to be posted on social media, that may be a red flag. Work with an assessment provider that understands how stressful the process of applying to universities overseas can be and will make the evaluation piece as simple as possible and will be there for you if you need help. 

Q. Any final thoughts? 

A. I would like to mention one more thing. A credential evaluation should not be taken lightly.  It is an extremely important part of the process to study in another country. When a stranger halfway around the world has the report in their hands, they’re looking at your accomplishments and the potential you have, so it’s imperative that you be given proper recognition so that person sees you in the most positive light. 

It is inspiring to see the individuals ECE serves given the opportunity to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and, quite frankly, the world. We want and need the talents of qualified and passionate people now more than ever.  

©Copyright 2021 Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
This is a sponsored post.

AIRC's Recommendations to the Biden Administration

AIRC has sent recommendations to the Biden administration advocating for the international student recruitment industry and outlining how AIRC can work with the new administration to develop a national strategy to rebuild international student enrollments and promote the U.S. as a welcoming destination. The recommendations call on the administration to address several policies to make it easier for international students to study in the U.S.

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For Your Students: AIRC's Talking Points Regarding Events in Washington DC

You may be receiving numerous calls of concern from students and families about the events in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. AIRC has produced the following Talking Points found here, which may be useful in helping your students, families and constituents understand the scope of the event and what we can hope for in the next U.S. administration.
Please feel free to reach out to AIRC Staff with comments or concerns.