Key takeaways
- Some education agents are free to the student because universities pay a commission for students who actually enrol, with the cost usually built into tuition.
- Authorisation is granted by each university: every university publishes its agent list, and you can ask to see the letter of appointment.
- No agent can guarantee the outcome of a Student visa application, an admission decision or the Saudi scholarship decision.
- The Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Australia requires an offer issued directly by the university, not through an agency.
- From 31 March 2026, a receiving provider cannot pay commission for a student transferring from another Australian provider after commencing study.
- Verify an agency’s official channels from its website, not from a message you received.
In this article
An authorised education agent usually charges you nothing for admissions help, because the university pays the agent a commission once you start studying. But "authorised" means something specific that you can check, and there are three things no agent anywhere can guarantee: admission, the visa and the Saudi scholarship decision.
Are education agents free? Who pays the agent?
The business model in Australia is transparent. Some education agents cost the student nothing because education providers pay them to recommend their institution, and that cost is usually built into tuition fees, according to Study Australia (1 May 2026). In other words, the university pays the agent a commission for a student who actually enrols, not for every application sent.
That does not make every agent free. The same page advises comparing service fees across agents, being cautious of agencies that seem very cheap or very expensive, and having a written contract that sets out fees, what is included and the refund policy.
How KD works
KD International describes its admissions service as free for students applying to scholarship-program fields at universities approved by the Saudi Ministry of Education. The company explained the model in an older post on X (August 2018): it is a partner of the universities, so it takes no payment from the student, and it is paid by the university after the student begins study, based on the service provided. What the service covers is set out on our how we work page.
What does "authorised education agent" actually mean?
Authorisation in Australia sits with each university, not with the country. Every university selects its own agents, signs a written agreement with them and publishes the list on its website. So the right question is not "is this agent authorised?" but "authorised by which university?".
Three things you can check yourself
- The university’s published agent list. Australian education providers, including all universities, publish a list of the agents they work with on their websites, according to Study Australia. The Australian National University, for example, offers a searchable directory of its authorised agents by country on its education agents page.
- The letter of appointment. You are entitled to ask the agent to show you its letter of appointment from the university you want.
- The QEAC list. You can check whether a counsellor appears on the Qualified Education Agent Counsellors (QEAC) list, according to Study Australia.
What universities owe you regarding their agents
The National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 devotes Standard 4 to education agents. It requires a provider to hold a written agreement with each agent, to monitor the agent’s conduct and to end the agreement if the agent fails its obligations, according to the Australian Government Department of Education. A new rule was added: a receiving provider is banned from paying an agent commission for a student who transfers from another Australian provider after commencing study, for transfers that occur after 31 March 2026, according to Study Australia (26 February 2026). The practical meaning for you: if someone urges you to switch universities after you have started, no commission is paid for that advice, so ask for the academic reason.
An education agent is not a migration agent
Giving visa advice in Australia is a licensed profession regulated by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), and every registered migration agent has a registration number you can verify on OMARA’s site. An education agent guides you through the requirements and documents and helps you organise them; anyone giving you legal advice about your visa should be registered. Ask. It is a fair question.
What can no agent guarantee?
| What an authorised agent provides | What no agent controls |
|---|---|
| Shortlisting universities and courses that fit your scholarship track | Admission: the decision belongs to the university’s admissions office |
| Preparing, lodging and following up your application | The visa: no agent can guarantee the outcome of your Student visa application, according to Study Australia |
| Explaining scholarship-track conditions and the Safeer platform | The scholarship decision: it belongs to the Saudi Ministry of Education via Safeer |
| Help with housing, health cover and certified translation | Changing a university’s entry conditions or raising your English score |
Two warnings from Study Australia are worth memorising: avoid agents offering guarantees, and be wary of anyone offering gifts, shopping vouchers, gift cards, cash or rewards to enrol.
The offer letter must come from the university
This point is often missed. The Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Australia (الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا) requires, when it attests an offer, that the offer is issued by the university directly and not through an agency, according to the Cultural Mission’s FAQ (as at September 2026). A reputable agent lodges your application with the university, and the offer arrives in your name from the university’s own admissions office; you can confirm it by writing to the university. Also confirm the university is recommended by the ministry through its recommended universities enquiry service. The agent recommends; the ministry decides.
How do you know the contact is genuine?
Impersonation of well-known agencies on social media happens, and the protection is simple:
- Start from the agency’s official website, not from a message you received.
- Compare the WhatsApp number and the X account with what the website publishes.
- Never pay into a personal account, and never send images of your documents through a channel you have not verified.
- Ask for a written agreement before any paid service.
KD advised in April 2025 that official communication with us happens only through the channels listed on our website: kdinternational.com.au, the application form, WhatsApp +966582357717 and the X account @kdiaus. Any other channel carrying our name is not ours.
When is an agent worth your time?
An agent saves you research time and reduces application errors, and its real value is knowing university requirements and Saudi scholarship tracks together. A scholarship applicant needs someone who understands that a final, unconditional offer is a condition for lodging on Safeer, as the track pages of the Ministry of Education state, which we explain in our guide to the Arruaad track and the overview of Saudi scholarship programs. Any talk of "guarantees" you can disregard.
The practical step: before sharing documents with any agent, open the website of the university you want and look for the agent’s name on its list. If you would like to ask about KD’s authorisation with a specific university, contact us and we will point you to the page where you can verify it yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Some are free to the student because universities pay them a commission for students who enrol; others charge service fees. Study Australia advises comparing fees and getting a written contract. KD describes its admissions service as free for students applying to scholarship-program fields at universities approved by the Saudi Ministry of Education.
The university the student enrols with pays the agent a commission after study begins. Study Australia notes the cost is usually built into tuition fees, so the student pays no more than someone applying directly.
It means a specific university has signed a written agreement with the agent and listed it on the agent list published on its website. Authorisation is per university, so ask: authorised by which university? Then check the list yourself.
Admission, the visa and the scholarship decision. Study Australia states that no agent can guarantee the outcome of your Student visa application; admission is the university’s decision, and the scholarship is the Ministry of Education’s decision through Safeer.
The Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Australia requires, when attesting an offer, that it is issued by the university directly and not through an agency. The agent lodges your application; the offer arrives in your name from the university’s own admissions office.
Giving visa advice in Australia is a licensed profession regulated by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). An education agent guides you through requirements and documents; anyone giving legal advice on your visa should be registered.
Start from the agency’s official website and compare the number and account with what is published there. KD advised in April 2025 that official communication takes place only through the channels listed on its website.
Official sources
- How to choose the right education agent for you — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- New rules on agent commissions for onshore student transfers — Study Australia — Agent Hub
- Standard 4: Education agents — National Code 2018 — Australian Government Department of Education
- Education agents — The Australian National University
- Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority — Australian Government
- الأسئلة المتكررة — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا
- استعلام عن الجامعات الموصى بها — وزارة التعليم السعودية
- منصة سفير — وزارة التعليم السعودية
Ready to start?
KD International helps you choose a university, prepare your admission and visa file, and answers your questions about Saudi scholarships and studying in Australia. Apply now or message us on WhatsApp.
Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
