For some, college degree at home is new study abroad

A foreign-university degree has lost some of its charm-at least for now.

About half a dozen executives at various study abroad platforms including CollegeDekho, iSchoolConnect, Leverage.biz, Career Mosaic, among others told ET that Indian colleges have lately become safer bets or at least a back-up option for students considering international markets for education.

The reasons: protests escalating into violence, political unrest, tighter visa policies, geo-political tensions and economic slowdown in many of the study abroad destinations for Indian students, said experts.

Nations like Canada, Australia and the UK that are home to the bulk of Indian students have tightened visa policies leading to higher rates of rejection.

Others like Russia, Ukraine, Bangladesh and even some regions in the UK and the US are grappling with either public unrest or geopolitical tensions, making them unattractive.

Closer home, turmoil in Bangladesh, with a few thousands of Indian students studying there, is forcing many students to look for alternative study destinations. 

"We are getting calls from parents in India on our central helpline asking about alternative ways for their children to finish studies as it looks like there will be a prolonged disruption in Bangladesh," said Akshay Chaturvedi, founder, Leverage.biz.

After the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Bangladesh became another option for medical studies for some. But with the current unrest, Indian students are looking at alternative options, including India, said experts.

Volatile international markets have seen some companies quickly changing their business strategies.

For instance, Collegedekho, a platform that helps students find colleges, is gradually moving out of the study abroad space. "We are now focusing on the domestic market. 

Factors like visa policies, economic improvements in India, and evolving student preferences have also led to the shift in preferences," said Ruchir Arora, co-founder, Collegedekho.

"This is also as quality education is making inroads into even smaller cities and states now, making studying in India more attractive," added Arora.

Source : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/study/for-some-college-degree-at-home-is-new-study-abroad/articleshow/112432936.cms