It comes as expectations around agent transparency come to the fore in the UK, which now requires institutions to include agent details on the international students’ CAS where a third party was used in their recruitment.
They must also commit to the principles set out in the Agent Quality Framework (AQF), including keeping records of how they use recruitment partners.
Meanwhile, in Australia, providers must make sure they keep up-to-date agent information and ensure that the recruitment partners they use give prospective students accurate and timely information.
ICEF said these requirements were only increasing the importance of how institutions record, manage and present the agent networks they use.
It pointed out that students often have trouble finding information on which agencies are officially appointed by institutions they are considering applying for, with details hidden away in PDFs, long lists or web pages that can be difficult to find.
Students need information that is relevant to their location and clear enough to support confident decision-making
Markus Badde, ICEF
In comparison, it said that Appointed Agent Locator helps institutions to present agent information more clearly on their website, meaning that students can search by country, city and agent name without exposing the institution’s full network. Recognised agency and counsellor credentials can also be accessed, such as ICEF Agency Status, AIRC and others.
However, it stressed that the tool does not certify agents, guarantee their conduct or replace due diligence from institutions.
Markus Badde, CEO of ICEF noted that transparency over agents was going “from a policy ambition to an operational requirement”.
“A long global list may technically make information available, but that does not necessarily make it useful. Students need information that is relevant to their location and clear enough to support confident decision-making.”
