COLLEGIFY
Extracurricular activities for children: How much should parents spend on classes beyond academics?
As parents spend more on soft skills, the challenge is to identify pursuits that offer lasting value. While the growing emphasis on extra curricular activities is a welcome departure from the traditional overemphasis on academics, enrolling children in multiple programmes because of peer pressure or FOMO (fear of missing out) can strain both family finances and children’s mental well being.
US midterm results bring hope for Indian students, but visa worries remain
The recent midterm elections in the US could provide optimism for Indian students seeking to study abroad. Experts suggest that while immediate policy changes are not expected, immigration restrictions may be challenged. The shift in Congressional control may help protect against further cuts to student and work visas. Students and families remain concerned about job opportunities amidst existing visa scrutiny.
US proposes $70,000 OPT fee, may deter Indian students from studying there
The US Department of Homeland Security has put forth a hefty fee proposal for Optional Practical Training applications, causing Indian students to reevaluate their plans to study in the US. With rising costs and visa issues at play, many are postponing their postgraduate ambitions and exploring other educational opportunities abroad, leading to a stark drop in applications to US institutions.
Course correction: Indians pause plans to study overseas
Study abroad: In recent months, many students have deferred their plans to the next intake season at foreign universities, while quite a few are exploring options closer home or more stable destinations amid global unrest and uncertainty.
Trump’s visa curbs drive Indian students to UK as Keir Starmer opens doors for top talent
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes Indian talent. This, along with UK universities opening campuses in India, is drawing more Indian students. Demand for STEM and tech courses is rising. Many students are now considering leading UK schools. This trend offers new opportunities for Indian students seeking global education.
As US closes in, UK woos India’s brightest minds with study & work opportunities
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statement welcoming top Indian talent has boosted confidence among Indian students as the US tightens visa norms. Interest in UK STEM and tech courses is rising, with colleges like Imperial and Warwick gaining traction. Several UK universities plan Indian campuses, while India remains the second-largest recipient of UK study visas globally.
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Amid travel & visa curbs, Indian students in US cancel homecoming plans over fears of no re-entry
While the US Department of State has not imposed a ban on travel for students, colleges are nevertheless advising their international students to not leave the country, said another expert. In 2024, the US administration rejected 279,000 F-1 visa applications, or 41% of the total student applicants. F-1 visa is issued to international students for studying in the US. The fear is that this year more F-1 visa applications will be rejected.
US to freeze scholarships funding; thousands of Indian students in limbo
Research scholars, social science students and mid-career professionals hoping for academic exposure in the US are now left scrambling for alternatives. "Students seeking such scholarships are top of the lot," said Neelabh Prabhat, cofounder of Alum-n-i. "This will especially impact non-standard applicants, those in non-STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), non-MBA fields."
New Trump administration: Students hail green (card) signal
The second Trump presidency is unlikely to see a drop in international students in the US, according to Piyush Kumar, regional director, South Asia and Mauritius at IDP Education, a study abroad platform. "This time, he appears more positive towards international students and is going as far as promising green cards for them as he announced in one of his election campaigns," Kumar said, adding that the number of students opting for the US is likely to rise at least 15-20% next year compared to 2024. Most students head to the US for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses.
UK anti-immigrant protests raise alarm for Indian students
Indian students in the UK and those planning to study there are increasingly anxious due to a surge in anti-immigrant protests and severe riots, marking the UK's worst unrest in 13 years. The Indian government has issued a travel advisory urging caution. With over 180,000 Indian students in the UK, study-abroad platforms are fielding numerous concerns from students and parents about safety and potential disruptions to their plans.
Indian students jittery over pro-Palestine protests in US universities
With protests in support of Palestine intensifying on American university campuses, Indian students and their parents are feeling anxious about seeking admission there. If these protests continue to spread, it might affect the number of students choosing to enroll in US universities this upcoming fall semester.
Nearly half trying to study abroad now women
An increasing number of Indian women are pursuing higher education overseas, particularly in STEM courses. They benefit from scholarships and funding opportunities, driven by societal shifts towards gender equality. Avanse Financial Services and loan agencies support this trend by offering incentives to attract female students.
Women from hinterlands seek foreign degrees
Young women in India's smaller towns and rural areas are increasingly pursuing foreign degrees, as evidenced by the rising demand for educational loans and applications to international universities. Avanse Financial Services reports that as of December, nearly 45% of students availing educational loans from non-metro cities are women. This trend has been growing post-pandemic, with female students showing interest in traditionally male-dominated fields like STEM courses.
Towns a study in aspirational borrowing as overseas education calls
As much as 70-72% of the students funded by Avanse Financial Services in 2023 belonged to tier II-III and beyond, said the education-focused nonbanking financial company’s managing director and chief executive, Amit Gainda. He attributes the growing demand to aspiration among youngsters from the hinterlands to access foreign education and have a better standard of living.
Record number of Indians head to international campuses this Fall as road abroad gets smoother
Indian students are increasingly opting to study abroad, driven by factors such as the desire for a foreign degree and career, a rise in candidates from Tier 2/3 cities, and increased financial aid and scholarships from foreign institutes. This surge comes as student applicants from China decline. Study abroad platforms have reported a significant increase in enrollments.
Indian women queue up in droves to pursue higher education in foreign destinations
Foreign education consultants and student loan providers said the male-female student ratio among applicants seeking admission abroad improved to 50:50 in metro cities in 2022, from 70:30 in 2019. In tier IIIII towns, this ratio improved to 55:45 from 80:20 during the same period, they said.
Small town foreign dreams unfazed by western realities
More students from small towns in India are seeking to study abroad, despite macroeconomic uncertainty in the US and Europe and rising job losses in some of the destination countries. Factors contributing to the trend include better financing options, more scholarships, the influence of social media, and increasing affordability. UK-based Prodigy Finance saw average growth of 53% and 109% in tier-2 and tier-3 applications respectively. Significant demand is coming from cities such as Vijayawada, Vizag, Surat, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Lucknow, Raipur, Bhopal, Mysore and Dehradun.
Indian students in US find it tough as job offers shrink
Students start applying about six months ahead for internship programmes that typically take place in the May-July period while they graduate in August-September. Finding an internship is the first step towards landing a potential full-time position, said experts.
More undergraduate students are flocking to colleges abroad
Over the years, the vast majority of Indians going abroad for higher education have been for postgraduate-level courses. They still comprise nearly 70-75% of the overseas population of Indian students, but the number of undergraduate students is also growing at a fast clip, said education consultants and top officials from foreign schools.
Rupee fall unlikely to hit study abroad plans
The rising cost of US education notwithstanding, leading foreign education consultants such as ReachIvy, Leverage Edu, Collegify and Yocket have seen the number of students going to study abroad more than double following the resumption of travel after the easing of Covid-19, led by pent-up demand.
Number of Indian students applying abroad doubles
Foreign education platforms Collegify, ForeignAdmits, Leverage Edu and Yocket also said that the majority of applicants are targeting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses in the US, followed by the UK and Canada.
Indian students face no takeoff blues as global coronavirus curbs ease
Indian students are now finding it much easier to travel overseas for higher education as most countries have eased restrictions for people travelling from India amid a fall in Covid-19 cases and widening vaccination in the country, though airfares are soaring.
Indian students make a dash for vaccine before joining foreign varsities
Most colleges in the US, UK and Canada aren’t making it mandatory but they’re encouraging students to get inoculated by vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the US Food and Drug Administration, apart from a recent negative RT-PCR test report before they arrive.
Find out why many Indian students are looking overseas for college admission
Factors like access to vaccines, robust health infra and policies favouring foreign student admissions are drawing student interest more than ever for international colleges, apart from the charm of attaining a foreign degree.
More smaller town students now aim for foreign degrees
At ReachIvy, non-metro applicants now make up 60% of the entire pool, with applications growing 50% in the last year alone, its founder Vibha Kagzi said. The growth from metros was 20%.
American colleges’ admission rates dip to record lows, but international students gain
Applicants are facing one of the most competitive admission processes this year as the number of applications have increased. Also, several students who had secured admission last year deferred their intake to 2021 due to the pandemic, which reduced the number of seats available this year.
Joe Biden a friendlier face for Indian students
At education startup Collegify, the last three days have seen over 300 enquiries from smaller cities, including students focused on the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) keen on exploring US options, said cofounder Adarsh Khandelwal.
More Indians head to top B-schools abroad
More Indian students are taking a shot at applying to top overseas business schools or STEM courses despite the Covid-19 pandemic, said leading education consultants, mirroring a trend seen during the 2008 global financial crisis.
Grads stay home as fear factor kills dreams of studying abroad
There are about 325,000 students studying overseas with more than 100,000 choosing to go abroad each year.
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