Driving Student Recruitment in LATAM in 2023
14 Mar 2023
2023 is shaping up as a very strong year for Australian student recruitment from the LATAM region. In-person student events have returned with BMI, FPP, major agents and aggregators participating. The Austrade team have been taking a lead role in supporting selected live events for greater reach and influence across the region, with BMI student fairs and LAE agent events both primary activities.
Download the Austrade LATAM live events in 2023 schedule, for a broad list of activities in the region in 2023 to help plan your visit.
Study Australia Experience performance:
Complementing live events, is Austrade’s in language Study Australia Experience marketing and events platform. Focused on increasing Australian market share for its paid participants, since October in its second period the platform has reached:
- Over four million people through event referrals and marketing
- Grown the student community grown to:
- 48,600 students on the platform
- 19,100 followers on social media
- Most weeks features live events with interactive panels that address student’s decision-making criteria
- Delivered 11 events so far, with 3,700 registrations and 1,950 attendees
The two-day virtual student fair is now set for 23 and 24 May.
Key Trends from LATAM so far
- Colombia is the 4th largest source market by student volume. However, commencements, enrolments and YTD Visa lodgement figures for Colombia are the highest in history (offshore). In addition, the country has become a focal point for institutions appointing staff in the region. Total enrolments at the end of 2022 were 28,437.
- Enrolments from Brazil have also rebounded strongly with 24,554 at the end of December. Commencements in both markets are some way off enrolments as a lagging impact of high air-fares. However, return airfares from Sao Paulo to Australia can now be secured for under AUD$3000.
- Becas Chile resumed and many of the criteria and intake details have changed. A smaller and more established study market, Australia is a more familiar presence in the country and is in a strong position to compete in common sectors of interest, including mining and agriculture.
- Mexico had 2,567 enrolments at the close of 2022 but continues to be a market with significant potential given the volume of students heading to competitor markets. Driving the Study Australia brand further, the Austrade team have signed an agreement with the Bank of Mexico's student loans provider, FIDERH for collaborative marketing and events, and Australia will be a country of honour at the AMTE agents' association conference in March.
- In Peru, student loans provider BCP (Peruvian bank) have agreed to continue their Australian student loan product offering for another year, and National scholarship body PRONABEC have confirmed a new intake for 2023. The 28 universities that are part of the QS400 ranking can participate. Australia is the second highest ranked English-speaking country for scholarship holders since the program started.
- Currently Argentinian students are the 36th largest cohort in terms of enrolments, and the 5th largest in Latin America. At the end of November 2022, there were 2,342 enrolments by Argentinian students in Australian courses in 2023, consisting of 1,617 new commencements.
- In neighbouring Paraguay, the National Scholarship Program (BECAL) has announced its 2023 call for applications. BECAL has awarded Australian Universities with over 150 scholarships since 2015, representing more than 15% of the whole program and worth more than AUD 13 million to Australian institutions.
To discuss your institution’s development in LATAM, please contact Scott Bennett, Austrade Chile.