Shanghai plans to set up an association to oversee a growing number of companies that offer to help local students get into foreign universities, officials with the Shanghai Education Association for International Exchange announced Tuesday.

The association will help the city set service standards for its member agencies.

Fourteen such agencies licensed by the Shanghai Education Commission will make up its founding membership.

The organization will also negotiate between disgruntled students and agencies they have hired when problems arise as well as offer regular training to agents in the profession.

"We hope to protect the rights of students who are going to invest in educational programs abroad," said Zheng Xiuling, who will run the proposed association.

The number of Chinese students heading abroad to study has risen dramatically over the past few years. More than 117,300 students went abroad last year, up from just 39,000 in 2000.

Many of the students turned to overseas study service agencies for help finding a suitable program, applying to universities and getting travel visas.

"Many of my classmates don't have a clear idea of the whole application procedure, therefore an agency is a preferable choice for them to save trouble," said Chen Wen, a local university graduate who is headed to Germany to study.

Agencies charge anywhere from 10,000 yuan (US$1,204) to 30,000 yuan (US$3,612) for their service.

"But getting all these things done by myself costs less than 3,000 yuan," said Chen.

Several agencies have also been accused of fleecing students.

Last year, a local resident surnamed Wu paid about 100,000 yuan to an overseas study agency that promised to get her son into a one-year hotel management program in Switzerland.

When the 18-year-old arrived, however, he found it had only arranged for him to take a few short classes followed by a six-month, un-paid "internship" washing dishes in a hotel. He was told he would have to pay an extra 8,000 yuan to stay in the dormitory he had been promised a room in.

Unable to afford the extra charge, the boy returned home.

While city officials don't know just how many unlicensed service agencies are doing business in Shanghai, similar stories appear in the local media on a fairly regular basis.

Currently, there are only 14 licensed agencies in Shanghai and 270 in the country.

(eastday.com February 18, 2004)