The study abroad industry has expanded considerably under the supervision of study abroad agents over the last few decades. Freshly graduated and undergraduate students go abroad for better employment prospects, exposure to different cultures, and better teaching and learning facilities. Nevertheless, Study Abroad Agents face challenges in consulting students.
Overseas Education consultants and Study-abroad agents face numerous challenges. Some of them are Managing student expectations and sometimes the expectations of their parents, Dealing with several numbers of visas, and several types of visas for the students.
Read More – Lead Generation Tips for Overseas Education Consultants
Here in this blog, we’ll focus on some key issues, with study abroad businesses may be grappling with and some solutions that might be helpful too.
Perhaps one of the largest concerns that companies face when they deal with the business of studying abroad is processing citizenship visas. Every country features its own rules for immigration and other connected aspects, and such rules can be quite volatile.
Visa application can be a confusing process for students. They have to ensure that they collect documents, get to know the application processes, and work with deadlines, which can be quite challenging. This situation makes the process tortuous, resulting in visa denials and disappointments for students and consultants.
A consultant dealing fully with study abroad services is aware of the current trends in visa regulations. Studying abroad consultants need to focus on getting an Overseas Education Agent CRM tool specially tailored to managing the numerous student applications.
Frequent workshops for your team members regarding the proper visas for each country will also guarantee that students will get accurate information. The added support lies in cooperation with immigration lawyers or specialists in visas.
The perceptions that learners have when they decide to study in foreign countries include quality education standards, employment opportunities, and quality of life. Many students feel that studying one’s self overseas enhances their chances of a well-paying job or a permanent residence status upon arrival, and definitely that is not always the truth. Failed expectations are bad for business, and people may even gather negative impressions of your business.
The first thing an overseas education consultant should do is explain clearly everything to students; it is the only way. Ensure they see reality in terms of the education systems available, the employment opportunities, and the cost of living in the countries of their choice, which is something that can be made easy through the hosting of webinars or Q&A sessions from guest speakers, alumni, or directors. This will assist in controlling their expectations and therefore guarantee long-term client satisfaction.
The study abroad industry is quite competitive, and hence stochastic modeling is important when identifying the best policy strategies. Choosing the right CRM and consultancy for each project can be a challenge to any client, given that almost every consulting firm proclaims to offer the same service. Also, students, aware of abundant information on the internet, have developed more reasonable criteria to choose consultants.
To be more competitive, there is a necessity to increase an online presence and work more on personal services. Make use of a creative webpage and ensure you are always posting content addressing students on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Additional services that can be included in the list and may become an advantage for your consultancy are pre-departure orientation, accommodation services, or help in finding scholarships. And also the recognition of other customers, who got an education in this way may be helpful.
Setting up a study abroad consultancy includes significant levels of capital outlay or investment. From the advertising costs to measurable outlay, expenses can be quite cumbersome, and these tend to hit small firms the most.
Furthermore, rapid changes in the forex markets also lead to an enormous cost implication when studying abroad, hence stalling students at the ultimate stage of completing their travel plans.
The issue of managing financial challenges calls for a good business model to be put in place. Expanding the revenue sources is the best way to balance your financial situation. For example, you could carry training in languages, career services, or links to local universities for more revenue streams.
It is also prudent to advise the students on how to balance the financial aspects of their exploits by offering to sponsor them through scholarships, or by making it possible for students to pay the fees in installations to study abroad.
Rules regarding studying abroad as well as in the home country are dynamic. These changes can be on a proforma visa or may alter visa processes and international students’ work rights. Sustaining compliance with these constantly changing regulations may be difficult for enterprises in this industry.
This means that maintaining proper relations with the paramount industry-related organizations, embassies, and educational institutions is critical in enhancing understanding regarding regulation changes.
Some of the ways of ensuring that your business is updated include subscribing to newsletters from international education boards, attending industry conferences, and joining professional associations. Such networks will help you to be more flexible and give necessary information to the students on time.
These are some of the lead-scoring challenges faced by study-abroad agents in their businesses. By addressing these challenges and implementing effective solutions, the study abroad business can continue to thrive and provide valuable opportunities for students around the world.