Group for International Student Recruiters Moves Forward

A fledgling group designed to represent the interests but also certify the work of international student recruiters took more formal shape Tuesday. The American International Recruitment Council announced at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators that its members had adopted a set of standards for certifying reputable international recruiting agents and that it would pilot the process in the second half of this year, with the aim of starting it in early 2010. The new group hopes to bring credibility to an industry that uses a practice -- paying recruiters to help colleges enroll foreign students -- that troubles some college officials.