The AEC understands the complexity of the work and time involved in administering a study abroad office. If your study abroad office is able to support the AEC program side by side with other programs that send students to accredited universities for semester/year abroad, then we would be happy to support the work of your office through:

• Participation in your Study Abroad Fair. (We don't always know about fairs, therefore, please let us know as early as possible so we can plan ahead of time.)

• Providing your school with AEC brochures and posters on Study Abroad Programs to Australia/NZ

• Providing you with up-to-date information on any Australian or NZ Government policy changes effecting potential AEC study abroad students to Australia/NZ

We appreciate that there are a multitude of programs promoting Australia/NZ. Given the variations in price and services, we ask advisers to provide students with choice. We ask this particularly given the increase in student debt when direct enrollment is possible through the AEC Program.
 

The AEC is keen to have information on direct enrollment opportunities available to prospective students so wherever possible we will travel the distance to meet Advisors and their colleagues and to support the work of the Study Abroad Office through the distribution of marketing materials including posters. We will also wherever possible participate in fairs and other campus initiatives to promote study abroad. Our aim is to offer a program which represents accredited universities abroad through an in-country representative service to students.

If a School invites/allows the AEC and other programs to participate in campus promotions/initiatives, we will expect the School to allow its students access to their US financial aid and credit transfer. In other words, we would not expect the School to stop students from going on a program because the School works only with a select group of independent programs. It is not fair if programs market in North America (as part of their agency representation of accredited universities abroad) and furthermore financially support fairs/other marketing activities which involve an investment in travel, materials, housing, meals, freight and other incidentals and then don't receive the full benefit of the investment due to exclusion policies which favor a select group of programs! Therefore, if a School does not operate an `Open Door' policy for students to undertake study abroad at accredited universities through their representatives abroad (programs) then please understand that it is not fair to expect financial support to make your school fair into a large scale expo type activity on campus to raise awareness of study abroad and draw large numbers of interested students to the fair. Such measures provide a direct benefit to your own School's programs or select programs that you endorse or affiliate with and not to those that invest heavily to promote their programs! It must be a level playing field if we are to provide students with choice, particularly if they are using their personal funds or their US financial aid to study abroad.

The AEC does not oppose the notion of affiliation so that Schools know who they are working with however, these arrangements should be transparent to all programs that are promoting study at accredited universities abroad. This we believe to be only fair particularly when dealing with US Federal Government Student Aid which does not discriminate against accredited universities. Most programs do represent accredited universities. (The AEC also represents accredited universities.)
 

In a world that is increasingly becoming more and more interdependent, we need to provide opportunities for all students, not just students who can meet the criteria of a handful of programs. Please therefore, consider the affordability factor of the AEC program and our willingness to work with you to also develop a program that specifically meets your school's needs.

The My Study Australia website has been created for the Australian Education Connection (AEC program), with a view to providing students, parents and advisers information about semester abroad, year abroad, full degrees, transfer and internship programs to Australia and New Zealand at direct enrollment prices.  Information about direct enrollment is listed on this website. There is also information about student services. It is important to state that students undertaking AEC programs have access to all student services including assistance and information on scholarships, financial aid, orientation, arrival and other services.

Please also read:

Why Integrity, Fairness and Transparency Matter in Study Abroad?

A Statement about the AEC