The overseas education consulting industry in India has a structural problem: most consultants earn commissions from the universities they recommend. This is not a secret — it is the industry norm. But its implications for students are rarely discussed openly.
How the Commission Model Works
Universities — particularly in the UK, Canada, and Australia — pay referral commissions to agents who successfully enrol students. These commissions can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of rupees per student, depending on the university and programme.
The result is a straightforward conflict of interest: the consultant's financial incentive is to get you into a university that pays them, not necessarily the university that is right for you.
What This Looks Like in Practice
You may never know it is happening. The consultant may genuinely believe they are giving you good advice. But the shortlist you receive is filtered — consciously or unconsciously — through which universities have tie-ups with that consultant. Universities that do not pay commissions, or pay less, tend to appear less frequently in recommendations.
Students end up in programmes that are too expensive, not well-suited to their career goals, or simply not the best available option for their profile.
The Edvera Difference
Edvera Consultants accepts no referral commissions and has no tie-ups with any university. Our only source of revenue is the fee you pay us directly. This means every recommendation we make is driven entirely by what is right for you — your goals, your profile, and your budget.
This is not a marketing claim. It is a structural commitment. We believe it is the only ethical way to do this work.
If you are evaluating consultants, ask them directly: do you receive commissions from universities? The answer will tell you a great deal.