Who Pays Your Education Agent? Commissions Explained

Chances are your education agent said their help costs you nothing, and part of you wondered how they make a living. This page is for students and parents who want to see the money behind the advice.

Most education agents are paid by the colleges and universities they send students to. The usual payment is a commission of about 10% to 15% of your first-year tuition, and some universities pay "as high as 30%" (University World News, 2023). That is legal in most countries. The problem is that you usually do not know about it. An Australian government analysis found that students "are not aware of these commission arrangements" (PM&C Impact Analysis, March 2024).

When an agent earns more from one college than another, their advice may not be about what is best for you. That is the short answer. Below is what official reviews found, real figures from the UK, Australia and Canada, and the questions to ask before you sign anything.

Key facts

How agent commissions work

A college signs a contract with an agency. Each time a student the agent sent enrols and pays, the college pays the agent. The payment is usually one of these:

• A percentage of first-year tuition. For example, Dalhousie University in Canada paid "a 10 per cent commission for the first five full-year students" and 15% for each one after that (CBC, 15 April 2019).
• A flat fee per student. Memorial University in Newfoundland paid between $1,100 and $2,000 per student (CBC, 2019).
• Bonuses for volume. The more students an agent sends, the higher the rate can go, as the Dalhousie contract shows.

Some agents also charge the student. So you may be paying a fee while the college is paying a commission for the same student.

Why it matters to you

A commission is not a scam by itself. Many agents give good help with forms, deadlines and housing. But a commission creates a conflict of interest:

• The agent may steer you. If College A pays 30% and College B pays 10%, the agent has a reason to push College A, even if College B suits you better.
• Volume can matter more than fit. In evidence to the Canadian House of Commons immigration committee, a witness said agents' "compensation depends on volume rather than quality" (House of Commons CIMM report, April 2026).
• The agent is paid once you enrol. What happens to you after that, including whether the course leads where you hoped, does not change their pay.

Ask yourself: if the agent was paid the same for every college, would they still recommend the one they picked for you?

What official reviews found

United Kingdom

In 2024, the Migration Advisory Committee told the Home Secretary that "some agents and subagents recruiting international students are mis-selling UK higher education and exploiting students". It recommended mandatory registration of agents, and that universities publish how much they spend on agents and how many students agents recruit (MAC, 14 May 2024).

Universities are "not legally required to disclose" their commission rates (Guardian, 7 April 2026). Indian agencies "typically receive between 15% and 30% of a student's fees", according to the same report.

A related problem sits in UK franchised courses. The National Audit Office found that 53% of the £4.1 million in student finance fraud detected in 2022/23 was at franchised providers, and that "some providers use agents or pay cash bonuses" (NAO, 18 January 2024).

Australia

Australia's 2023 Nixon Review found that about 75% of students use an agent, but regulators "play no part in the supervision of agents". It cited a 2015 ABC Four Corners estimate of "$250 million each year" paid to agents (Nixon Review, March 2023).

A government analysis in 2024 said the agents' peak body put the average higher education commission at "about 15 per cent of first-year fees", and that five Sydney-area universities spent "$147 million on agent commissions in 2022". Some providers pay "as high as 30 per cent", which "the Government is currently unable to verify". A parliamentary committee called the case for telling students about commissions "overwhelming" (PM&C, March 2024).

From January 2026, Australia banned commissions for agents who move students already in Australia from one provider to another. The new law also gives the government power to collect commission data (Department of Education).

Canada

In 2022, CBC's The Fifth Estate reported that agents in India earn "around $2,000 for each student", and that Ontario's public colleges paid more than $114 million in commissions in 2020-21. Ontario's Auditor General had found that none of four colleges reviewed had a formal policy for choosing or removing agents (Auditor General of Ontario, December 2021).

IRCC's guidance to colleges says they "should not offer financial rewards to education agents" for submitting study permit applications. It also says that anyone who advises you on a study permit for a fee "must be an authorized immigration representative": a lawyer, a Quebec notary or a licensed consultant (IRCC). There is no federal register for education agents who only help with admission.

Medical degrees abroad

The problem is sharper in medicine. ThePrint reported that some agents for medical degrees abroad are also appointed as "vice-deans of foreign students" at the universities they recruit for, and that students said agents "often charged them double the tuition fee for the first year", in cash without receipts (ThePrint, 9 March 2022). Our guide to MBBS abroad traps covers this in detail.

Questions to ask any education agent

Ask these in writing, by email or message, so you have a record:

1. Which colleges pay you a commission? A list, not "many".
2. How much will you be paid if I enrol at this college? A percentage or an amount.
3. Do you charge me anything as well? What for, and is it refundable?
4. Which colleges did you not show me, and why?
5. Are you licensed to give visa advice? If not, who will handle the visa?
6. Will I pay tuition directly to the college? The answer should be yes.

A good agent will answer. If an agent refuses, or gets angry, that tells you something.

How to check an agent

• UK: The British Council has a public agent database where you can see if an agent completed its training. It says it "does not formally endorse, accredit or validate agents", so treat it as one check, not proof.
• Canada: For visa advice, check a consultant on the CICC public register or a lawyer with the provincial law society.
• Australia: For visa advice, check that the person is a registered migration agent or a lawyer. Education agents who only help with admission do not need to be registered.
• Any country: Contact the college directly and ask whether the agent is one of its official representatives.

If the person handling your file will not give a real name or licence number, read our guide to ghost consultants.

If an agent misled you

• Save every message, receipt and contract.
• Complain to the college. Colleges are often responsible for the agents they contract, and many will end a contract after complaints.
• If the college does not fix it, you can take a complaint further: in Australia to the Overseas Students Ombudsman, and in England and Wales to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for university students.
• If you paid money for nothing, see our guide on what to do when an agent took your money.

This page is general information, not legal advice on your case.

Frequently asked questions

How do education agents get paid?

Most are paid a commission by the college when you enrol. It is usually a share of your first-year tuition, often 10% to 15% and sometimes up to 30%, or a flat fee per student. Some agents also charge students a fee.

Is it legal for colleges to pay agents a commission?

Yes, in most countries. Canada's IRCC says colleges should not reward agents for submitting study permit applications, and Australia has banned commissions for moving students between providers inside Australia. But paying agents for recruiting new students is normal and legal.

Does my agent have to tell me about their commission?

Usually not. In the UK and Canada there is no general legal duty to tell you. Australia now collects commission data, and a parliamentary committee said the case for telling students was "overwhelming". You can always ask, in writing.

Are free education agents a scam?

No. "Free" usually means the college pays the agent instead of you. The risk is not that the help is free, but that the agent's advice follows the money. Compare colleges yourself on the official lists before you decide.

Can an education agent give me visa advice?

In Canada, anyone who advises on a study permit for a fee must be a lawyer, a Quebec notary or a licensed consultant. In Australia, visa advice must come from a registered migration agent or a lawyer. In the UK, immigration advice is regulated too. Many education agents are not licensed for this.

What should I do if my agent pushed me into the wrong course?

Talk to the college about changing course first. Save all messages from the agent and complain to the college about the agent's conduct. If you were promised something false in writing, you may also be able to complain to a regulator or consumer body.

Related guides

• International Student Scams: How Students Get Duped Abroad
• Study Now, PR Later: The Promise That Broke When Rules Changed
• MBBS Abroad Traps: What Agents Do Not Tell Indian Students
• Ghost Consultants: The Adviser Whose Name Never Appears
• Migration Consultant Fees: What Is Reasonable to Pay
• An Agent Took Your Money: What You Can Actually Do
• Brijesh Mishra Case: Canada's Fake Admission Letter Scam