The student counsellor needs to be aware of pre-departure obligations concerning student welfare and the student care programmes available to international students after arrival in the destination country.

Student Welfare

Education institutions have a legal duty of care for their students, and most pass this on contractually to the student counsellor. Both student counsellors and education institutions must ensure that students are given enough information and assistance to safeguard their welfare. Most institutions have student care programs available for students after arrival.

Pre-departure

Under their registration or accreditation conditions, education institutions may place contractual conditions on the student counsellor regarding student welfare. In particular, the student counsellor is usually required to give prospective students accurate and comprehensive information about courses, visas, the education institution, and the destination country.

The student counsellor should provide students with practical information about what to expect on and after arrival in the destination country. Education institutions often pre-package this information for the student counsellor to supply to students. Students can receive the information through individual counselling, group orientation sessions, information packages, and/or interactive online presentations. In some cases, institutions may run pre-departure briefings for students in their home countries.

Before leaving their home country, students need to be given information about:

The local climate
The local environment, community, and campus
Preparing for homestay or other accommodation
Preparing for independent living
Safety and security
How to use public transport
Telephone and internet access
Currency, banking, and shopping
What to expect from the education institution
Dates of enrolment, orientation, and commencement
Relationships, etiquette, and appropriate and inappropriate behaviour
Emotional preparation (e.g., for culture shock and/or homesickness).

Prior to departure, students should be given instructions about:

What to pack
What sort of travel insurance to book to cover health and possessions while they are out of their home country)
What documents to carry, read, and understand
What to do at the airport (reception and transfer)
What happens on the day of arrival
Who to contact with problems and/or for information.

At pre-departure briefings, former students are a useful source of first-hand information to new students preparing to study in the destination country. The student counsellor should be able to answer questions from parents about the safety, security, and supervision of younger students, particularly minors.

For discussion of pre-departure orientation, refer to B2.1 Recruitment and Enrolment/Pre-departure.

Arrival and Orientation

Education institutions often provide airport pickup and transfer services for arriving students. Students are met at the airport and transported to their accommodation either directly or via the educational institution. Education institutions usually have formal orientation sessions to familiarise students with their new environment. (Note: Education institutions may publish their orientation material on their websites. Most institutions attach the information to students’ acceptance of enrolment, and otherwise supply it on request.)

All students are expected to attend orientation sessions to:

Receive a formal welcome to the educational institution
Receive vital information about the new study environment
Have course and enrolment information explained
Be informed about campus life and facilities such as banking and public transport
Have specialised staff available to discuss accommodation options and issues
Be informed about language and learning support
Be informed about visa compliance obligations
Meet new friends, teachers, and international student advisers
Become familiar with the library resources and research facilities
Understand what is expected of them as independent learners in the destination country
Tour the campus
Enjoy a range of social activities.

New international students may be able to join a peer mentoring, or peer support group at the institution. These groups may be run by academic faculties or the international office and can include:

Social activities run by senior students for newly arrived international students
Activities to familiarise new students with their local area, and accommodation options
Campus tours
Learning support groups
Emotional support.

For discussion of orientation, refer to B2.2 After Departure/Reception and Orientation.

Counselling

In most education institutions, international students should have access to academic and personal counselling for help with studying and living in the destination country.

Students may receive academic counselling from their teachers, or academic counsellors attached to the faculty or international student office. Advice from teachers tends to focus on coursework. Academic counsellors analyse the progress made by students and advise them of implications for future study. They may recommend or organise remedial study, study groups, study skills training, language support, or other learning assistance for students.

Students can also usually access confidential counselling for personal and lifestyle issues. In most education institutions, students first contact their international student adviser, who then refers them to the appropriate internal or external counsellors.

Counsellors are discussed in B3.1 People/Support Personnel in Education Institutions.

Underage Students

Particular attention must be paid to the welfare of students who are minors. Education institutions must usually ensure that young students have suitable accommodation with appropriate adult supervision, are not placed in any moral or physical danger, and have access to support appropriate for their age and culture.

Generally, minors are not allowed to enrol or apply for a student visa unless there are acceptable guardianship arrangements for them in the destination country. Guardians might be approved relatives, or involve boarding arrangements or home stay. Parents or guardians of underage students must sign any documents relating to them.

Under-age students are discussed in A4.1 Legal Requirements of Education Providers/Duty of Care.

Spouse and Partners Programmes

Some educational institutions (e.g., universities) have programmes and activities for the partners of students, particularly post-graduates. Partners and children of students often need support, and they may be isolated if they are not working or connected to their local communities. These programmes aim to provide informal networks for these individuals.

Returning Home Programmes

Some institutions have returning home programmes for students completing their studies. Students can:

Gather together and discuss their student experience
Collect information about leaving the accommodation, settling accounts, and arranging freight transfer for possessions
Receive formal acknowledgement from the institution for their achievements
Say farewell to classmates and teachers
Have official photographs taken
Collect information about post-graduate or alumni associations.

Extension Questions: For each relevant education institution:

What student welfare programmes are available to international students?
What information is supplied to them in orientation sessions?
What counselling is available to them?
How is the welfare of underage students protected?
Is there any assistance for students’ partners and children?
Are students debriefed before returning home?

Lifestyle Assistance

Students who are unable to adjust to living in the destination country are unlikely to complete their studies successfully. Students should receive information about living in the destination country from the student counsellor pre-departure, and orientation and assistance with settling in from the education institution after arrival. During their time in the destination country, students may be able to benefit from various kinds of assistance to make their stay successful.

Support personnel are discussed in B3.1 People/Support Personnel in Education Institutions.

Accommodation

In most cases, the education institution’s accommodation officer can assist students who wish to change their accommodation. For example, many students stay in temporary accommodation when they first arrive in the destination country and want to move to more permanent housing after settling in. Other students may wish to move to better quality or less expensive accommodation.

Type of Accommodation	Characteristics
Homestay	A common option for high school or language students that involves staying with a local family in their house. Terms vary but most homestay accommodation includes breakfast and dinner. In some countries, students may be able to make au pair-type arrangements in exchange for accommodation and meals.
On-campus accommodation	Available at many institutions that have residences in the form of residential colleges or boarding houses. These usually have to be pre-booked before a student’s arrival in the destination country.
Off-campus accommodation	Can be arranged after a student’s arrival in the destination country and is usually arranged independently of the education institution. Forms of off-campus accommodation include rental houses or units, student residences operated by private organisations, and student units or houses operated by private organisations.

The accommodation officer may also assist if students have problems with their accommodation. For example, if a student clashes with a homestay family, the accommodation officer might mediate and advise both parties, move the student to another homestay family, or help the student locate independent accommodation.

Activities

Many educational institutions provide a range of social, cultural, and sporting activities for students. These assist students in meeting other students and local people, developing social networks, and experiencing different aspects of the local area’s society and culture. Many institutions have physical facilities such as student drop-in centres, lounges, and information boards to assist students in mixing and finding suitable activities.

Smaller institutions may refer students to external organisations which provide activities. Larger education institutions usually have their own activities officer, and encourage students to participate in campus life, including activities, sports, meetings, festivals, events, and social networks.

Lifestyle

During their course, the international student adviser at most education institutions can usually assist students in accessing confidential counselling for personal and lifestyle issues. Depending on the type of assistance needed, students may be assigned to specialist support personnel within the education institution, or referred to external organisations.

Students may seek assistance with any aspect of living in the destination country. This may include banking, transport, social behaviour, shared housing etiquette, utilities, phone and internet providers, legal issues, complaints, etc. Assistance may also be provided to students when they are dealing with government departments such as immigration authorities, local government officials, etc.

Health and Safety

Education institutions have a legal obligation to safeguard the health and safety of students on campus. Many institutions have a health and safety officer who advises and assists students with health and safety issues. Institutions may have procedures to prevent injury or loss to students while on campus or operating equipment during their studies. Students are usually informed about such procedures during orientation and in their student handbooks.

In addition, educational institutions may have obligations regarding student health and safety beyond the study environment. For instance, educational institutions may need to find appropriate medical treatment for students who become ill. Schools may have to monitor the moral and physical welfare of underage students with regard to their living arrangements and non-study activities. Although adult students are generally considered responsible for their actions, educational institutions may need to intervene if a student is engaging in self-destructive, dangerous, or illegal activities.

Extension Questions: For each relevant education institution and locality:

What accommodation assistance is available to international students?
What activities are available to them?
What lifestyle assistance is available to them?
How is the health and safety of international students protected?

Join the conversation