University of Nottingham is first in UK to publish agent commission rates

23-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The University of Nottingham is to publish commission rates paid to international student recruitment representatives and agents — the first UK university to do so.

In general the University will now pay standard agency fees irrespective of subject area, rather the traditional approach adopted by UK and Australian universities of paying commission as a percentage of tuition fees.

The move comes as part of greater efforts to increase transparency of information for prospective students, their parents, sponsors and related stakeholders, following The QAA’s recently published guidance for UK higher education providers: International students studying in the UK.

An important role

Harriet Matthews, Head of International Student Recruitment at The University of Nottingham, said: “We think it’s important that prospective students have all of the facts when they’re choosing which universities to apply to, including which agents we work with and those we pay for their counselling services.

“Agents play a really important role in international students coming to the UK and we hope that this move will be helpful to them also.”

Last year 20 per cent of the University’s international student intake came through appointed agents, a figure down on previous years despite a growing intake.

Transparent and open

More information about recruitment agents and commission payments at The University of Nottingham is available via the International Office at:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/internationalstudents/meetus/overseas-representatives.aspx

All recruitment agents used by The University of Nottingham are carefully selected and appointed, and all are listed on the University’s website.

It is Nottingham policy not to pay commission for student referrals to teachers and school counsellors. Commission rates are published openly on the University’s website.

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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 40,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK’s Top 10 and the World’s Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘the world’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2011.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news

Story credits

More information is available from Vincenzo Raimo, Director, International Office, University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 951 5243, vincenzo.raimo@nottingham.ac.uk; or Harriet Matthews, Head of International Student Recruitment, International Office, University of Nottingham +44 (0)115 846 6888, harriet.matthews@nottingham.ac.uk

Tim Utton – Deputy Director of Communications
Email: tim.utton@nottingham.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)115 846 8092
Location: University Park

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