Advisers

Types of education provider

Not every provider on this platform does the same thing or has the same financial relationship with you. Understanding the type of provider you are working with is as important as understanding who they are.

One label Vianorr does not use: "education company." Every provider on this platform is identified by their specific type. The type determines what disclosures are required, what services they can offer, and how their compensation is structured.

Available at launch

Independent education adviser

Independent adviser

Usually paid by the student or family

An individual or small practice that advises students independently of institutional commission relationships. Because their income does not depend on where a student enrols, independent advisers can compare institutions without a financial conflict of interest. They typically charge a flat fee or hourly rate.

Suitable for

✓Broad school and program selection
✓Independent, unbiased comparison across institutions
✓Admissions strategy and portfolio planning
✓Application coaching and document review
✓Offer evaluation and enrolment decision

Required disclosures on their profile

→Fee amount and payment structure
→Whether any school commissions are received (should be none)
→Scope of service and exclusions

Commissioned education agent or agency

Commissioned agent

May be paid by one or more institutions for recruited students

An agent or agency that has formal recruitment relationships with partner institutions and receives a commission when a student enrols through them. Services to the student may be free, but the agent's income depends on where the student enrols. This creates a financial relationship that must be clearly disclosed.

Suitable for

✓Institution-specific applications to partner schools
✓Application submission through authorised channels
✓Direct communication with institution admissions offices
✓Offer follow-up and condition management

Required disclosures on their profile

→Complete list of partner institutions and commission rates
→Whether services are free to the student
→Which institution-specific processes the agent has access to
→Whether the agent is authorised by each named institution

Mixed-model agency

Receives institutional commissions and also charges students for some services

An agency that operates on both commission income from institutions and direct fees charged to students for separate services. Because both revenue streams are in play simultaneously, this model requires especially detailed fee disclosures — more than either pure model alone.

Suitable for

✓Broad school selection combined with application processing
✓Students who want both independent strategy and agent-submitted applications

Required disclosures on their profile

→Which services are student-paid and which are commission-funded
→Full list of partner institutions
→Commission rates per institution where available
→Clear separation in service agreements between the two revenue streams

Expanding in later phases

These provider types are part of the taxonomy but are not available in the initial marketplace launch.

Graduate admissions specialist

Graduate specialistExpanding later

Focuses on research degrees, funding, and supervisor outreach

A specialist in graduate-level applications — research master's, doctoral programs, and professional schools. Graduate admissions is a different process from undergraduate admissions: supervisor identification, research proposals, funding packages, and academic CVs require specialised knowledge.

K–12 specialist

K–12 specialistControlled later release

School boards, private schools, boarding, parent and child support

A specialist in pre-university school placement. K–12 involves additional complexity: minors, parent and guardian consent, custodianship, homestay, and stricter privacy requirements. This type is a later, controlled expansion of the marketplace.

Institutional admissions team

InstitutionExpanding later

A school that has claimed its profile to answer official questions directly

An institution that has claimed its Vianorr Education profile and responds to official enquiries directly. This is not the same as an independent adviser or a commissioned agent — the institution represents itself and its own programs. Institutions do not provide independent comparison services.

Adjacent education specialist

SpecialistExpanding later

Test prep, certified translation, portfolio coaching, and related services

A provider offering services adjacent to the core admissions process — language test preparation, standardised test preparation, certified translation, portfolio coaching, interview coaching, academic skills preparation, and similar. Adjacent specialists appear under a separate specialist-services taxonomy rather than being mixed into general admissions adviser results.

Immigration advice is not education advice

No provider type on this platform is authorised to provide immigration advice through their Vianorr Education profile — even if they hold an RCIC or other immigration credential. A dual-qualified provider must maintain separate service listings, intake forms, agreements, and records. Education services on this platform never include immigration advice. Read the full policy →

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