The survey ofย 1,126 agents from 79 countries, carried out byย INTO University Partnershipsย in early November, found that four in five educational counsellors and agents had recorded shifts in the study abroad decision-making process.

Students and parents are โ€œincreasingly price-sensitiveโ€,ย 65% of agents suggested, and are focusing on scholarships and other forms of financial aid. A further 61% said clients are now more centred on career outcomes when compared to pre-Covid-19 and 49% suggested there is a stronger demand on return on investment.

When broken down into regions, the 219 agents fromย China, HK and Macau said the greatest change was the focus on career outcomes, with 68% nodding to that being a change. While only 19% of the agents from the region said that clients are looking for scholarships and bursaries, those in other regions suggested it was much more prevalent change.

โ€œAccommodating [study abroad aspirantsโ€™] demands is critical to continued recoveryโ€

Some 86% of the 94 South Asian agents, 82% of the 387 agents in East Asia and 77% of the 173 agents in the Middle East & Africa all agreed that students and parents are increasingly looking for scholarships and bursaries.

Photo: INTO

โ€œAs study abroad aspirants navigate the new terrain before them, theyโ€™re counting on international education to give them every advantage toward future success,โ€ saidย Olivia Streatfeild, CEO of INTO. โ€œAccommodating their demands is critical to continued recovery.โ€

Measuring opinions on how the UK, the US and Australia have performed during the pandemic, agents suggested that the UK had been most successful in terms ofย Vaccine roll-out, Quarantine, Borders and Welcome and safety.

Photo: INTO

An โ€œoverwhelmingโ€ 89% of education agents feel positive about how welcoming and safe the UK is for international students, INTO said, while 69% and 66% said the same of Australia and the US, respectively.

Some 81% of respondents expect toย send more students to the UK in the coming year, while 59% said theyโ€™d expect more to go to the US. A mere 38% said they anticipate sending more to Australia in the coming year.

Of theย 387 agents in East Asia responding to the survey, 39% said the UK can expect โ€˜significantly moreโ€™ students in the next near, while 24% said the same for the US and 15% for Australia.

Since the first two weeks of November when the research was carried out, Australia has however announced borders will be open for students from December 15.

Whileย 95% of respondents stated thatย student demand will return to primarily face-to-face learning moving forward,ย 72% suggested that more students now are interested in blended delivery than before the pandemic.

The interest in blended delivery โ€œdemonstrates how critical it is for the sector to build flexibility into education delivery โ€” and always adapt to meet studentsโ€™ needs where they areโ€,ย Streatfeild added.

Additionally, the research foundย 45% of agents have seen changes in subjects students are seeking to study, withย 24% pointing to aย greater interest in computer science and related specialities in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Someย 27% of agents said work opportunities inย destination countries is set to be the greatest factor onย decision-making over the next five years, while 21% saidย countriesโ€™ immigration policies will be key.

โ€œNational programs that empower international students to live and work in their destination countries after earning degrees arenโ€™t just nice to have โ€” theyโ€™re essential.ย  Not only do they enhance countriesโ€™ ability to compete for global talent, they protect the immense contributions of international students to local communities and national economies,โ€ Streatfeild concluded.

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