UNT Paid Third-Party Recruiter for International Students

A publicly funded Texas university contracted with an international recruiting company that receives commissions for each foreign student it recruits who enrolls at the University of North Texas.

An internal contract shows UNT entered into an agreement with the Kathmandu-based Edwise Foundation in 2021 to recruit international students who reside outside the United States and are ineligible for federal student assistance.

The 2021 agreement replaced a previous agreement between UNT and Edwise that began in 2018. The 2021 agreement was set to run for two years, with an option for an additional one-year renewal.

Under the agreement, Edwise receives a flat $3,000 commission for each student who resides outside the U.S. when applying to UNT and subsequently enrolls full-time in a UNT degree program. The commission is paid in two $1,500 installments, with the first payment made after enrollment in the student’s first semester and the second after enrollment in the second semester.

For international students who transfer to UNT from another U.S. institution, Edwise receives a $1,500 commission, paid in two $750 installments during the student’s first two semesters at UNT.

Edwise also receives $500 for students who enroll full-time in UNT’s Intensive English Language Institute. Under the agreement, full-time IELI enrollment requires students to enroll in both Communication and Writing courses.

UNT’s international enrollment was heavily concentrated among students from India during the 2024-25 academic year.

In fall 2024, UNT reported 7,509 international students, including 5,495 from India. Of the university’s international students, 5,364 were enrolled in master’s programs and 830 were enrolled in doctoral programs. Overall, 73% of UNT’s international students were from India and 72% were enrolled in master’s programs.

In spring 2025, UNT reported 6,727 international students, including 4,685 from India. Of the students from India, 4,162 were enrolled in master’s programs and 150 were enrolled in doctoral programs.

The University of North Texas has received hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding. 

In fiscal year 2024, UNT received $179.16 million in actual state appropriations, while it received $178.93 million in actual state appropriations in FY 2025.

In February 2026, UNT President Harrison Keller said the university had lost $32 million in state formula funding for instruction and operations for FY 2026 and FY 2027. He also said a sharper-than-expected decline in international master’s student enrollment had amplified the university’s financial problems.

UNT initially entered FY 2026 with a $31.2 million deficit budget, but the university later projected a $45 million structural deficit. UNT said the shortfall was driven by both reduced state formula funding and declining enrollment, particularly among international graduate students.