Our network of agents
At Keele, our international applicants have the option to apply with the assistance of one of our education counsellors, commonly referred to as agents. We have a wide network of these, and there are some differences between the agents we work with, but all are committed to a high standard of service for our applicants. This page will tell you what an agent is, what to expect from them, and how to find one that’s right for you.
What is an Agent?
Choosing a university abroad is a big decision. Every year, hundreds of thousands of international students apply to over 100 universities in the UK. With this much choice, it’s important to get good advice, to help make your decision. Educational Recruitment Agents offer a counselling service to applicants, informing them about many aspects of the application process, including:
- Advise on different universities and their entry requirements
- Knowledge of the different courses on offer, and what might suit your interests and education history
- Help making an application, and providing knowledge of the process for your chosen university
- Support for you through the process of getting a visa to study in the UK
- Provide information on accommodation options, and help make applications
An agent will work with a number of UK universities where they will place students. Those universities pay the agents commission upon the successful placement of a student. This means that it usually costs a student little to work with an agent, and in most cases, it is free.
How to choose an agent
Finding the right agent for you is in itself an important decision and will affect how easy you find your application process. The following steps will help you ensure that you pick the right one for you.
- Approved by Keele. The first place to look for an agent is right here on our website, scroll down to find a recruitment agent that has passed our checks and is regularly trained in the most up-to-date Keele info! You can work with other agents if you wish, but they will not have received the training that our approved agents will have.
- Local versus virtual office. Some recruitment agents might have an office nearby to you that you can visit to get advice in person. Others may work with you virtually, supporting you via WhatsApp and video calls. Each will suit different people, so find out how your agent will work with you before committing.
- Student Feedback. Use social media to find some feedback on an agent. A few bad experiences might be expected, but any serious trends might alert you to a problem.
- Accredited by the British Council. This accreditation is usually compulsory for an agent working with a British University, and includes the basic training required to advise students coming to the UK. You can check an agent here.
- Beware that some agents might claim to be authorised by Keele when they are not. You can check if an agent is really authorised by looking at our list below, or by emailing international@keele.ac.uk.
Agent quality framework - what makes a good agent?
Your agent should be accessible, helpful, and critically, give you accurate and appropriate advice. At Keele, we have made a commitment to maintain the highest standards in our approach to managing our agents. We have signed the UK’s Agent Quality Framework, and developed our own Agent Framework. These documents govern the way we work with our agent partners, committing agents and the University to maintaining a transparent and fair relationship.
Your agent should:
- Be knowledgeable about the different universities you are considering, including their entry requirements, fees and scholarships
- Be able to provide clear instructions on your next steps whilst making an application
- Let you know if your documents will meet the university’s requirements
- Not overly pressure you into a decision
- Be honest with you about whether a decision is right for you
If you would like to provide some feedback, good or bad, on an agent you have worked with, we would be very happy to hear from you. Please email international@keele.ac.uk and we’ll use it to develop our processes going forward.
Our approved agents
The below agents are our official representatives. They are contracted to help you to choose a course, submit an application, find accommodation, and apply for a visa as appropriate to the prospective student’s circumstances. If you enrol with us, we pay the education agent a commission. You can choose to use other education agents if you wish, but we spend resources training and helping these education agents to offer the best possible service, and we strongly encourage you to only use one of our official education agents listed here. An agent that is not contracted to us will not receive commission from us, and may therefore charge you a lot more.