Welcome to GERSA

International education has reached an inflection point. More than six million students now study outside their home country every year, and forecasts suggest that number could double before 2030. Providers rely on specialist education agents to navigate visas, scholarships and cultural expectations. All services far more nuanced than a commodity sale. Yet patchwork regulation, inconsistent standards and duplicated institutional checks allow forged documents, fee scams and even human trafficking to persist. Compliance costs balloon while confidence wanes, leaving vulnerable students and reputable institutions exposed.

GERSA will answer these systemic vulnerabilities. As a not‑for‑profit initiative, we will deliver an independent, enforceable framework for ethical, cross‑border student recruitment—making us an international benchmark welcomed by policymakers. We will be one gold‑standard you can trust, universities, agents and students engage with clarity, accountability and confidence.

"GERSA will give providers, agents and students a shared, enforceable standard that reduces sector‑wide risk and strengthens the reputation of leading study destinations."

Nick Golding | Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Why
GERSA

GERSA is designed as a non-profit, industry-led body, that will convene institutions, agents, and regulators around a unified, transparent framework to eliminate exploitation. Unlike voluntary codes, GERSA accreditation will carry real consequences: agents who fail audits will lose the GERSA Quality Mark and their preferred partner status with institutions.

Endorsement from leading universities, sector associations, and governments confirms that the timing for proactive self-regulation is now.

Key
Metrics

• 6.4m Students in International Education

• $196bn Market Value as of 2019

• $400bn Expected market value by 2030

• 50% Increase in international schools since 2014