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Before you sign anything

What does a education consultant actually cost?

Usually free to youReviewed July 2026

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

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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