Your students trust you. Their fees deserve protection.
A new approach to student payments, built with education agents in mind.
When you recommend a school, your reputation goes with that recommendation. But when fees are paid months before a course begins, your agency and your students can face risks beyond your control.
Protect My Fees is developing an escrow-based payment platform for international education, designed to reduce the risks of paying tuition and accommodation fees in advance.
We’re inviting education agents to express early interest and help shape the service.
Recent closures have made the need clear
The closure of EC English schools worldwide, ILAC’s language programmes in Canada and BSC Education’s UK schools has disrupted students’ plans and left agents helping families navigate uncertainty. These events have shown that even established names can close unexpectedly.
Behind every affected booking is a student who has invested in their future—and an agent who has invested time, care and credibility in arranging it.
Finding another course is one challenge. Understanding what happens to money already paid is another.
Our sector needs greater confidence in how advance payments are held and released.
A more secure way forward
The proposed Protect My Fees model is straightforward: hold advance payments with an independent payment partner and release them to education and accommodation providers in agreed stages.
Instead of transferring the full booking value to a provider months in advance, payments would follow an agreed schedule linked to delivery.
The aim is to reduce the amount exposed if a provider closes, while giving everyone clearer visibility over the payment process.
How the proposed service would work
1. Arrange the booking
Agree the course, accommodation and payment terms with a participating provider.
2. Make the payment
Student funds would be held through an independent payment partner, separate from Protect My Fees’ own operating funds.
3. Release funds in stages
Providers would receive payments according to an agreed schedule as services are delivered.
4. Manage changes under clear terms
Refunds, cancellations and provider closures would follow defined rules, including how any unreleased funds are handled.
Built around the challenges agents face
Give families greater confidence
Explain how advance payments will be managed, with clear terms from the outset.
Reduce exposure to advance payments
Limit the amount paid to a provider before the booked services have been delivered.
Support your agency’s reputation
Show students that responsible payment arrangements are part of the care you put into their booking.
Spend less time chasing payment updates
Our goal is to give agents clearer visibility of funds held, payments released and remaining balances.
Help shape Protect My Fees
We want to hear from agents who understand the practical challenges of international student bookings.
Whether you work with individual students, groups, language schools or accommodation providers, your experience can help us build a service that works for the people using it.
Express your early interest to receive development updates, share your requirements and hear about potential pilot opportunities.
Email info@gjqholdings.co.uk with your agency name, country and a brief introduction.
Better protection starts with better payment arrangements.
Protect My Fees is currently in development and is not yet accepting or holding student funds. The proposed model, availability and protection arrangements remain subject to payment-partner agreements and final terms. Expressing interest involves no commitment.