Special Report: Agency Association Accreditation

The Federation of Education and Language Consultant Associations ( Felca ) was established in 2000 as an international umbrella organization of various national agency associations around the world, and its membership currently comprises of associations from 14 countries. Felca member associations have their own accreditation procedures and codes of conduct, but also ensure that their agencies abide by the Felca Code of Conduct, which can be accessed at www.felca.org/about-us.

What is involved in accreditation from Felca’s national agency association members? Typically, agencies are required to have between two and four years of business history before they can apply.

The Felca AGM in 2024.

As Alexandre Argenta , President of Brazilian association BELTA , advises, “If you want to be a member of Belta, you must be in business at least three years. There is a saying in Brazil that when you open a business, the vast majority close during the first two years. So to survive for two years is a hustle. We push this one more year. An agency should be ready to remain in business after this time.”

Agencies typically must provide their evidence of business registration and legal standing in the country, physical trading premises and sound financial footing, which will usually be checked each year.

Most associations require references from current members of the association as well as applicants’ partner schools. This is a significant element of the national agency association accreditation process as it means that new applicants are verified, approved and acknowledged by organizations in the market that are effectively their competitors.

Boards will review applications, current members will have an opportunity to advise on any misgivings, and then a vote will be taken by members.

Member agencies are then required to sign up to codes of conduct that set out expected standards in areas such as contact with consumers and partner schools, clarity and honesty in business dealings, and establishing complaints procedures.

For example, the Code of Conduct of Japanese agency association JAOS “aims to create an environment where consumers can make informed decisions regarding appropriate products, promoting the healthy development of the study abroad and language training industry”.

Several accreditation processes go beyond these baseline measures. Thai agency association TIECA conducts on-site visits and interviews with applicants to gauge their suitability. JAOS requires that at least one employee of every accredited agency undertakes its JACSAC counsellor training program. And in Spain, members of ASEPROCE are externally certified by LRQA (Lloyd’s Register) on an annual basis for compliance with the Code of Self-Regulation.

“The accreditation from a national agency association means that all the agents belonging to that association follow a set of rules,” explains Paolo Barilari , the current President of Felca. “This doesn’t mean that agencies not belonging to the association don’t do those things, but there are many rules that we follow that aren’t compulsory that they may not follow.”

Paolo with Pina Foti, then President of Italian agency association IALCA, at the 2024 Felca AGM.

Alex states, “In the Brazilian market we have a few large companies, but the majority is composed of mid- and small-sized agents. Despite the size of your company, if you are able to be part of Belta you are showing the market that you do work following certain quality assurance measures, and those meet those requirements that we ask for.”

“I think there is far more safety [for education providers] in working with national agency association members,” argues Pascal Carré , President of Belgian agency association ABELIO .

“For sure, in these source markets, schools can take the risk out,” he continues.” We have been doing this for years within our associations. In all those associations, there is work being done. We want more members, but we only want members that are credible, respected, and adhere to the quality charter.”

Alex adds, “I believe that accreditation means that we are part of something bigger, something more important and respectful. The more you are involved, it shows the market is stronger and that you probably have better connections to the market as a whole.”

In recent years, we have seen the development of international agency schemes, including IAS from ICEF, as well as a proliferation of partner agency schemes from educator associations. And StudyTravel launched its ST Reference Checked logo last year to formally acknowledge the reference checking process, an initiative that it first introduced in 1998 as a requirement for attendance at ST Alphe conferences.

So are national agency associations the only bodies that can truly accredit agencies in a thorough way?

“A formal, official accreditation should be given by a national association that can actually monitor the market of its country on a daily basis,” argues Paolo. “Every association has a board and regular meetings. Everything that happens is monitored carefully because there is a network that knows what happens day by day.

“There is a knowhow and knowledge of the markets and the actors in the market that is based on 20-to-30 years of experience. It is completely different what a national association can do because they are on the spot; an international group has to deal with 90 different languages, rules and cultures.”

“For me, reference checking hasn’t got the value of accreditation,” says Pascal. “It is never going to be a criteria of ABELIO that you would need to be ICEF or ST reference checked.”

And are schools as aware of the work and standards of these associations as agents are of school accreditation bodies? Paolo argues perhaps not, but says this is understandable as there are more than 100 source countries, compared to a relatively compact number of main destinations. Nonetheless, Alex believes that schools should pay more respect to the associations where they exist.

Felca members at the annual AGM, held ahead of ST Alphe UK 2024 conference.

However, Pascal feels that the direction of the industry is for schools to take more care of who they are working with, and says that there is a drive towards professionalism across the board.

Beyond the Felca membership, there are around another 10-15 agency associations globally, representing markets as diverse as China, Nepal and Colombia, and each with their own standards and procedures.

At the time of writing, a new association representing agencies in Albania ( Albanian Association of Study Abroad Agents – AASAA ) had just been officially launched (see news), to boost professionalism, ethics and recognition of agency business in the country.

Paolo is keen to see more agency associations, and Felca welcomes those considering establishing a national group to attend its AGM, held each year before ST Alphe UK.

He cites ARSAA – Argentine Study Abroad Association as a successful example of this, an association that has grown from a small founding core of agencies to 24 members today.

“We should really be pushing this kind of incentive to people to establish associations. I believe every single country should be getting together,” Alex comments, adding that the information sharing, success stories and best practice examples exchanged by peer associations around the world can be used in other countries to lobby governments and authorities.

“I am a firm believer in associations and having an association. Whatever the size of the country, we need a common voice,” adds Pascal.