State Dept. Draws Criticism Over Policy on Paid Recruiters of Foreign Students

"The U.S. Department of State has overstepped its authority in issuing a policy against the use of paid recruiters for overseas students.  That was the charge made during a panel discussion on Friday, the final day of the annual meeting of Nafsa: Association of International Educators. ... Reached for a response, Meghann Curtis, deputy assistant secretary for academic programs at the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, said that the department was aware that there is "a lack of consensus" on the use of agents. "Our directive to the State Department-funded EducationUSA centers applies to advisers within our network," she said in a written statement. "To meet the State Department's public-diplomacy mission, EducationUSA provides comprehensive information to international students about the entire range of accredited U.S. colleges, universities, and programs in our effort to help students find the best possible match with their abilities, needs, and interests. Working with commission-based recruiters is inconsistent with this public-diplomacy mission."  While Airc's standards were unanimously approved by its members, there is hardly consensus on the use of paid recruiters, an issue that remains one of the most contentious in international education and admissions circles." - Karin Fischer, Chronicle of Higher Education, June 1, 2012.