Education institutions usually offer reception and orientation services to make their international students’ arrival in the destination country as easy as possible. The comprehensiveness and cost of these services may vary considerably across different educational institutions in different countries. The student counsellor should know what reception and orientation services are offered by education institutions, and how well they fit the needs and expectations of arriving students.

Airport Pickup and Transfer

A representative of the education institution meets arriving students at the airport, and either transfers them to the institution’s campus, or directly to their temporary or permanent accommodation. The student counsellor should ensure that arriving students know whom and what to look for at the airport, and what itinerary to expect on the day of arrival.

Example A

At the airport, students identify the institution’s representative (e.g., via this person holding up a sign). The representative transports them directly to their homestay accommodation and introduces them to their homestay family. The family shows them their room and the house. The students spend the rest of the day getting to know the family and its routines. The next day, the homestay family transports the students to the educational institution, where they have an orientation session.

Example B

At the airport, students identify the institution’s representative. The representative transports the students to the educational institution, where they are welcomed and receive an initial orientation. Homestay families collect students from the institution. The students spend the rest of the day getting to know the family and its routines. The next day, the homestay family transports the students to the education institution, where they have a more detailed orientation session, followed by an orientation tour of the locality and bonding activities.

Example C

Students make their own way from the airport to the educational institution, where they are welcomed and receive an initial orientation. Students are shown to their on-campus accommodation, and spend the rest of the day settling in and exploring the campus. The next day they have a more detailed orientation session.

The student counsellor needs to find out from the education institution the airport contact details and the itineraries for students after arrival. This information should be given to students at their pre-departure briefing.

Orientation

The education institution conducts orientation sessions for international students to familiarise them with essential information about their courses, the institution, and the locality. Usually, the information given in the orientation is supplemented by a student handbook provided during the sessions. Orientation for international students may include information related to the education institution and practical assistance with the local environment.

The Education Institution	Orientation Information
Facilities	Students are informed of term start and finish dates, assessment dates, vacation dates, textbooks, class timetables, and any other course-related information.
Student support services	Students are informed of the support services available to them and how to access them. They may be introduced to the institution’s international support staff, including academic counsellors, international student counsellors, and international student office personnel.
Course events and dates	Students may be reminded of cultural differences which may affect their study. In particular, the educational institution may clarify potential issues concerning classroom behaviour and teacher-student relations, study habits, rules about plagiarism, etc.
Visa conditions	Students are reminded of student visa conditions, and informed of the institution’s responsibilities for monitoring them. Students are informed of requirements for attendance and academic progress, maintaining up-to-date contact details, and work restrictions. (Note: In some countries, students must register for a residence permit after arrival.)
Administration	Students are informed of administrative procedures and personnel, finalise any registration or other forms, and complete any other administrative business.
Cultural differences	Students may be reminded of cultural differences which may affect their study. In particular, the education institution may clarify potential issues concerning classroom behaviour and teacher-student relations, study habits, rules about plagiarism, etc.

The Local Environment	Orientation Information and Practical Assistance
The local environment	Students are informed about local geography, landmarks, facilities, and attractions. They may be taken for a tour of the local area to familiarise them with the streetscape and location of bus and train stations, shops, etc. They may also receive information about the local climate and other environmental factors.
Transport and directions	Students are informed about the locations, procedures, and cost of available transport, in particular mass transit/public transport systems. Students may receive assistance with transport timetables and directions to their accommodation or other important locations.
Financial arrangements	Students may be given information about the availability and cost of different types of accommodation, including homestay, on-campus accommodation, and off-campus housing. They may receive advice about legal and financial rights and responsibilities (e.g., rental agreements, bonds, contracts, etc).
Accommodation options	Students may be given information about the availability and cost of different types of accommodation, including home stay, on-campus accommodation, and off-campus housing. They may receive advice about legal and financial rights and responsibilities (e.g., rental agreements, bonds, contracts, etc).
Other relevant topics	Students are provided with any other relevant information needed to settle into studying and living in the destination country.

Extension Questions: For each relevant education institution:

What happens when students arrive in the destination country?
How are pickups and transfers arranged?
What orientation do newly arrived students receive? From whom?

During Study

After beginning their course, students may have little further direct contact with the student counsellor during their studies. However, the student counsellor may continue to be involved with students and their educational institutions indirectly. In particular, the student counsellor may be involved in the event of a crisis, or students withdrawing or changing enrolment. The student counsellor may liaise with parents or family for the education institution in the language of the home country.

Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, the student counsellor may be contacted by both the student seeking advice, the education institution reporting the emergency situation, and the student’s family seeking information.

Emergencies might include:

Medical: An accident or serious illness
Family: The student is needed in a family crisis
Financial: The student cannot pay their tuition fees or living costs
Visa compliance: The student has breached their visa conditions
Academic: The student fails or cannot cope with their course.

If contacted by students, the student counsellor should advise them of their options, and refer them to the appropriate personnel at the education institution.

In an emergency, the student counsellor may need to contact students’ parents or family and provide them with information about the emergency and whom to contact for advice or support. The student counsellor may act as a liaison and interpreter between the family and the educational institution in such situations.

Liaison

The student counsellor may liaise with education institutions in non-emergency situations. For example, he/she may get regular progress reports about school-age students from the institution to translate and provide to parents. He/she might receive feedback on student performance which he/she can use to improve future recruitment.

Students with complaints about their course or the education institution may contact the student counsellor initially for advice. The student counsellor should advise them of their options, and refer them to the appropriate personnel at the education institution or other appropriate organisation.

Change of Enrolment

Change of enrolment occurs when students withdraw from their courses and either return home or enrol in a different course. In either case, the student counsellor may be involved in refunds, adjustment of commissions and records, and advising the students.

Students might withdraw from a course if they:

Have to return home due to a family crisis
Become homesick
Are unhappy at the original institution or location
Find that the original course is unsuitable
Find a course that better meets their needs

Transfer of Enrolment

The education institution usually must inform immigration authorities when students are no longer enrolled. The students’ visas will be cancelled if they have not enrolled in another course. Students may contact the student counsellor for assistance in enrolling in another course or another educational institution.

The destination country may have restrictions on the transfer of enrolment by student visa holders. For example, students may have to be enrolled in the original course for a minimum period before a change is allowed. In some cases, no change of enrolment is permitted once a course has started. If a transfer is allowed, visa authorities usually require an official release from the original education institution plus an offer of full enrolment from the new institution.

Refunds

Students who cancel their enrolment may be entitled to a refund of the unused portion of their tuition fees. If they return home, this may be repaid to them in their home country. If they change to a different course, the money can be transferred to the new educational institution. (Note: students are rarely given cash refunds in the destination country.)

Students should have been informed of the education institution’s refund policy prior to enrolment. The institution usually only repays the tuition fees for sections of the course which the student hasn’t started, and may withhold an administration fee or penalty fee from the refund.

Adjustments

Commissions paid by the original institution may have to be adjusted. That is, the appropriate proportion of the commission may have to be repaid to the original institution, and recouped from any new institution. The student counsellor’s records should be adjusted to document the change of enrolment.

Extension Questions: During students’ study in the destination country:

How does the student counsellor liaise with students and the educational institution?
How does he/she deal with emergencies?
When and how can students change their enrolment?
How are refunds calculated, if necessary?
How does a change of enrolment affect commissions and student records?

After Completion of Study

The student counsellor can have further contact with students after they complete their courses.

Graduation

Students are eligible to graduate when they have completed all the requirements of their course. Usually, the student counsellor has no active role in a student’s graduation in the destination country. However, he/she may be involved in organising or attending graduation ceremonies conducted by educational institutions in the student’s home country. Note: The student counsellor should adjust students’ records to document their graduation.

Follow Up

Further Enrolments

After graduation, some students may contact the student counsellor for advice about future options. In particular, they may wish to enrol in further study which follows on from the course they have completed. For example, students completing a bachelor’s degree may want to continue on to postgraduate study, either in the same destination country or a different one. When recruiting, the student counsellor could actively contact former students who might be interested in further study.

Endorsements

The student counsellor can approach former students for endorsements. The endorsements of satisfied customers can be an influential marketing tool.

Analysis and Review

Students should be surveyed (or interviewed) after they have completed their courses. Such surveys can provide valuable feedback on students’ satisfaction with a course, an education institution, a destination country, and the service provided by the student counsellor. Obviously, if a high proportion of former students indicate dissatisfaction in any of these areas, the causes of the problems must be identified and corrected. On the other hand, high satisfaction levels can be used in promotional material and other marketing.

The student counsellor may receive feedback and performance data on graduating students from educational institutions. He/she can use this information, along with data from student satisfaction surveys, to review recruitment for the institution, adjust student profiles, and improve advice to prospective students and successful enrolments.

Alumni Functions

The student counsellor may be involved with former students of an educational institution through alumni functions in the home country.

Extension Questions: After students complete their studies:

What happens after students finish their course? How do they graduate?
How does the student counsellor follow up (e.g., further recruitment, endorsements)?
How are students’ experiences reviewed? What information can be used for this?