Before you sign anything
What does a education consultant actually cost?
The university pays them 10–25% of your first-year tuition. "Free" means someone else is paying — ask who.
Most education consultants cost you nothing, because they are paid a commission by the institution you enrol in. Australian universities disclosed more than $530 million in agent commissions in a single year. That is not inherently corrupt — but it does mean the person advising you has a financial interest in where you land, and you are entitled to know which institutions pay them and which do not.
How they actually get paid
- The institution pays a commission on enrolment — commonly 10–25% of your first-year tuition, sometimes capped per student.
- The commission is paid after you enrol, which means the consultant is only paid if you actually go.
- Some consultants charge you a separate fee for visa assistance. If they do, that part is migration advice, and it must come from someone MARA-registered.
The fee structures you'll be offered
Commission-only (most common)
Free to you. The risk is not the price, it is the shortlist: an institution that pays no commission may simply never be mentioned.
Commission plus a service fee
You pay for application handling on top of their commission. Ask what the fee buys that the commission does not already cover.
Walk away if you see this
- Refusing to say which institutions pay them commission. This is the question, and evasion is the answer.
- A shortlist that only ever contains partner institutions, with no acknowledgement that alternatives exist.
- Pressure to enrol quickly, or to switch to a different provider after arrival.
- Bundling immigration advice without a MARN. Course advice and visa advice are different regulated activities.
Ask these before you sign
- Which institutions pay you commission, and how much?
- Are there good options for me that you are not paid to recommend?
- Is this recommendation based on my academic fit, or on your partnership agreements?
- Who is giving me the visa advice, and what is their MARN?
Where these figures come from
- PIER — education agent register
- Australian university financial statements (agent commission disclosures, 2024)
These are category benchmarks, not quotes. Individual fees vary — always get the total in writing before you engage anyone. Reviewed July 2026.
Now compare education consultants — every one checked against a register.
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