Education agencies rarely lose commission in one dramatic way. They lose it quietly: an instalment nobody invoiced, a student who moved course without anyone noticing, a split with a sub-agent worked out from memory. This post is a list of what to record on every student so that does not happen, and so you can show a provider the evidence if they ask.

We build Centrio, so we describe what it records. The list holds for any system, including a spreadsheet.

The record for each student

Who and where.

  • The student, and the provider and course they enrolled in.
  • Whether this is their first provider in Australia, or an onshore transfer.
  • Which staff member or sub-agent introduced them.

The dates that decide commission.

  • Date accepted for enrolment. This is the one that matters most now. Since 31 March 2026 providers cannot pay commission for most onshore transfers that happen before the student finishes their principal course. The ban does not apply to students accepted for enrolment at the new provider on or before that date, even if they start later. Read the full rule here. The acceptance date, with the offer letter that proves it, is your evidence.
  • CoE issue date and course start and end dates.
  • The date of any change of course or provider, and why.

The principal course.

Whether a move counts as a transfer turns on whether the student has finished their principal course, so record which course that is and when it ends. A progression inside a package they were already enrolled in is different from a move to another provider.

The schedule.

  • The provider’s commission terms: the rate, the basis (per study period, per instalment, per year) and the claim process.
  • Each instalment as its own line: expected amount, due date, claimed date, paid date.

The split.

  • If a sub-agent is involved, their share and the basis, recorded on the enrolment rather than remembered.

The three checks to run every month

  1. Due and not claimed. Every instalment past its due date with no claim date. This is usually the largest list.
  2. Changed and not reviewed. Every student whose course or provider changed since last month, checked against the transfer rule before anyone raises an invoice.
  3. Claimed and not paid. Every invoice older than 30 days, then 60, then 90, grouped by provider.

What good looks like in a system

In Centrio each enrolment carries its dates, each provider has a commission schedule, and commission invoices are raised per instalment as PDFs and tracked to paid. Reminders fire when an instalment is due to be claimed, and sub-agent shares are recorded on the enrolment so splits are calculated. The same client record carries on into migration if the student later applies for a Temporary Graduate or skilled visa, so nothing is re-keyed. The wider picture is in where agencies lose money.

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This is general information, not legal or financial advice. The 31 March 2026 rule is summarised from the Study Australia and Department of Education announcements; check your provider agreements for the commission terms that apply to you.

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