IDP’s Student Essentials helping students thrive, not just arrive

Getting into the right course is only part of the story. Helping students land well and stay well is just as important.

For decades, success in international education was measured by one milestone: enrolment. A student received their offer, secured a visa, and boarded a plane. The rest was considered personal territory, part of the journey, but not part of the service.

That’s changed.

Today’s students are asking for more. Not more hand-holding, but more practical support, and more guidance through the messy middle between acceptance and arrival. They want someone in their corner, not just for academic choice, but for everything that follows.

A new definition of support

For several years, IDP’s Student Essentials has supported international students with the practical tools they need to start strong, from securing accommodation to accessing loans, insurance, SIM cards and banking services. But this year, the scale of that support reached new heights.

In the past year, 48 per cent of IDP students accessed at least one Student Essentials service. 28 per cent accessed two or more. Those numbers are a clear sign that today’s students are thinking beyond the offer letter.

“These results speak to our commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes at every step,” said Harmeet Pental, IDP’s Chief Operating Officer.

“Student Essentials helps students arrive prepared, supported and confident, no matter where they’re headed. That’s what global success looks like in practice.”

Listening to students, responding with care

As international education continues to face change, from policy shifts to evolving expectations, our understanding of what students need must evolve with it.

How we do this is grounded in how we listen to students and how we act on what they tell us. Through our Emerging Futures research and customer experience programs, we hear directly from students about what matters most.

Our insights show, for instance, that one in three students face difficulties finding safe, suitable accommodation overseas, a challenge that can affect every aspect of their wellbeing. In response, our Student Essentials program expanded our accommodation network, now offering access to more than two million trusted beds through 18 partners across our six core destinations: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.

Why this matters for institutions

For universities and colleges, this matters more than ever.

When students feel equipped and supported across that journey they convert at higher rates, they arrive more prepared to engage with their studies and they stay enrolled, improving outcomes for themselves and the institution.

Why this matters now

Whether it’s securing safe housing, understanding health coverage, or arriving with a working SIM card, the small things often determine the big outcomes.

Today, 94% of our students say they are highly satisfied with the quality of service provided by IDP, a powerful reflection of the care, attention and responsiveness that define our approach.

Because helping students feel ready, supported and confident isn’t a bonus, it’s part of what success means now.