The Pitfall of 'Leaving It to a Study Abroad Agent.' Tips for Choosing a Partner for Middle and High School Study Abroad

"Will my child be okay on their own...?"
"Where can I find an agent I can trust?"

When my daughter Erin decided to study abroad in high school, those thoughts crossed my mind, too. I ended up contacting dozens of agencies across the country and actually visiting them to hear from the representatives myself.

What was the result?

"The more I researched, the more 'lost' I became."

Simply put, "I didn't know what to believe or who to trust."
This is one of the most common concerns I hear from people who have just started considering study abroad!

In this day and age, we have internet access and can even ask AI questions.
However, when it comes to "children's education" or "consulting on actual problems," the internet and AI cannot provide the answers!!!

I'm sure many of you feel anxious, wondering, "Then what should I do?" or "Who should I talk to about what?"

This time, with the hope of easing that anxiety you are all feeling, I would like to provide some tips based on the "facts" I have experienced so far.

The Scary Reality of "Leave-It-To-Them" Study Abroad

You want to believe that "if you pay money and leave it to the pros, you'll be safe," but the reality is not that simple.

Organizations like the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan receivehundreds of consultations every year regarding consumer troubles related to study abroad placement serviceswithout fail.

Specifically, these include troubles regarding "financial opacity," such as "tuition that should have been paid was not remitted to the destination" or "being charged a high cancellation fee when I had to cancel due to unavoidable circumstances."
And there are cases of "mismatches and neglect on-site," such as "the host family was different from the conditions I was told in advance, but they didn't do anything about it."

In fact, there is no strict national qualification or licensing system for the study abroad industry like there is for the travel industry.

That is precisely why it is a world where the "transparency" and "morality" of the business operator are questioned above all else.

Nevertheless, parents often believe that "if I pay a lot of money, they will do everything perfectly," and they leave (depend on) the communication with the destination entirely to the black box of the agency.

This is the biggest cause of sad troubles.

The "Criteria for Choosing an Agent" That Parents Should Really Ask

So, to protect your precious child, what criteria should parents use to choose an agent?

The first is not "Will they do everything for me?" but rather the perspective of"Will they think about it with me?"

The sweet words many agents boast, such as "We provide 24-hour support and will rush over immediately if anything happens."
It might be very reassuring as a parent, but in reality, this can sometimes nip your child's "seeds of independence" in the bud.

What is truly important is not to anticipate and eliminate every single problem in advance.

When you hit a wall in a foreign culture, it is about whether they are a presence that thinks together with you from the same perspective—not just blindly accepting the school's side of the story, but standing by your child's feelings and asking, 'So, how shall we solve this?'

The second point is whether they will talk to you about 'inconvenient truths' without hiding them.

Can they present a detailed breakdown of the estimate and clearly state if there are any opaque additional costs?
And, can they convey the 'harsh realities (risks)' of language barriers and cultural differences without sugarcoating them, allowing your child to prepare mentally?

Rather than just listing the good things, the attitude of sharing the unvarnished truth is the mark of a sincere partner.

Choose a 'face' and 'experience' you can trust over a 'mark' of security.

When choosing an agent, some of you may be concerned about certification marks issued by industry associations.
I do understand the significance of these systems and marks as rules to prevent the misappropriation of funds, such as protecting tuition fees entrusted to them.

However, in the end, it is 'people' who save the child.

What supports the heart of a child struggling and fighting in a foreign land is not a system or mark on a document, but a 'living, breathing human being' with blood in their veins.

'Who' is in charge, and 'who' will be on my child's side and stand by them from the same perspective?

Please stop and ask yourself if you should entrust the precious time of your child's life to an agent whose face you cannot see.

Why we know everything about this 'industry reality'

There is a reason why I have been able to talk about the harsh realities and points of caution in this industry up to this point.

For both Erin and me, the beginning was the same as all of you: 'one parent' and 'one student'.

Eight years ago, we started as 'just a parent and child' who took on the path of high school study abroad while fumbling through the dark, carrying the anxieties of language barriers and daily life.

Since I happened to have study abroad experience as a graduate of an American university, I thought, 'Well, high school study abroad should be similar,' but once I actually started researching, I kept getting lost in a 'maze' (laughs).

'If I, who have study abroad experience, am in this state, wouldn't it be incomprehensible for someone without experience?'

That thought became the catalyst for my activities as 'Study Abroad Papa'.

Eight years have passed since then.
I have continued to share information through YouTube and blog posts, and have also listened to consultations from many people via LINE. (I have continued to provide free consultations.)

I have listened to the tears and smiles of truly many families, and at times, the heartbreaking voices of those caught up in unreasonable troubles.

Eight years of standing on the side of 'parents and children' rather than the agent's logic, worrying with you, and walking together.

That is precisely why I know firsthand what an agent should ideally be and what kind of support is truly necessary.

"I wish there was support like this."
"I wish there was a place where I could talk honestly like this."

FED Study Abroad is the realization of the environment that we, in the past, truly wished we had.

We don't have fancy signs or magic words like 'leave it to us.'

What we do have is only the realistic perspective of experienced individuals who, just like you, have struggled, been hurt, and overcome the challenges of studying abroad.

After reading this article, some of you might think, 'The study abroad industry seems a bit scary' or 'Maybe it's still too early for my child.'
And that is perfectly fine.

There is no need to suppress your feelings of anxiety.

If you ever feel like you want someone to listen to those worries, please feel free to knock on our door at any time.

We offer free consultations via LINE, and for those who say, 'I want to talk directly!', we also provide free counseling sessions.

As a parent and as a former international student, I would like to engage with you using down-to-earth language.

Also, for those who want to learn more about middle and high school study abroad, please take a look at the book written by Study Abroad Papa, 'Middle and High School Study Abroad: A Book That Expands Your Self and Future Every Time You Learn.'

It should help clear up the questions and anxieties you are holding onto!

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