When Sam started looking into studying abroad, it didn’t take long for his phone to start ringing. At 24, he was living with his parents in a small city in the eastern Indian state of Odisha and he’d been stuck in an entry-level job for four years. He hoped a master’s degree in the UK might lead to a high-flying finance job in London, or at least give him an edge when he came back home.
After filling in a few forms on study abroad websites, Sam soon started receiving calls from unknown numbers. Eventually, he answered one. The person on the phone was an education agent – a recruiter who helps students apply to foreign universities – pitching his services. The offer sounded appealing. The agency would help Sam decide which universities to apply to, advising on the most suitable courses and where he had the best chance of admission. They would help draft his application, and if he got in, assist with immigration. They would do all of this for free. “I was sceptical,” said Sam. “Like, why would you do that?”
The agent explained that they didn’t need to charge students because the universities paid a commission. Other agencies kept calling, too. Sam (not his real name) spoke to half a dozen, all eager to handle his application. Some immediately gave him a bad vibe. “It was all just for money, they wanted to get me admitted into any university at the fastest pace possible,” he said. In the end he went with an agent from Edvoy, a large firm, who seemed to give him more frank advice. The agent told Sam that his bachelor’s degree in commerce from a small-town university did not hold much value, so he needed to be realistic about his prospects in the UK. Sam wanted to go into the process open-eyed. He signed up.
