Not too long ago, foreign education was considered almost unthinkable for middle class students and only students from the affluent classes could move offshore to pursue their higher education. “At present we are seeing a record outflow of students for foreign education than ever before. More and more students are now making the move abroad for their higher studies which indicates a rise in the average Indian’s purchasing power parity, rising aspirations of Indians and also exposes the challenges in our higher education”, says Vineet Gupta Ashoka University Founder.
Back in pre-independent India, Britain was considered the favored destination for Indian students and many wealthy Indians pursued and completed their education in Britain. Post-independence and particularly in the 60s, the US higher education institutions started recruiting international students aggressively and Indians started making the move to US for their higher education. Very soon by the eighties, the US became the favored destination for our brightest students. Australia and Canada followed and for the last three decades, these four countries were the preferred choice for over 90% of Indians wishing to study abroad. Today, there are many new destinations which have come up and become attractive propositions for students from the middle class. In the mid 2000s, Singapore emerged as another destination coinciding with the small nation’s rise as a global fintech and education hub. Of late, countries like France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, China and Russia are emerging as possible options for Indian students.
Why are Indian students flocking to these destinations?
In the first 3 months of 2022, over 1.3L students made a move overseas for their higher education. The numbers continue to go up after a bleak couple of seasons due to the pandemic and well informed Indian students are making confident moves in order to further their respective careers. There are multiple reasons why students are flocking to foreign universities. Listed below are a few:
1. Accessibility - With more and more universities opening up their doors to foreign students and some even marketing extensively in India to attract Indians, the options have grown a lot for students.
2. Scholarships and subsidized tuition fees - Students with great grades can get upto 100% scholarship in US and European universities. “If someone isn’t eligible for a 100% scholarships they can still apply for subsidy and get at least a part of their tuition fee reduced. The reduced cost is one of the major reasons that attracts students to these universities, opined Vineet Gupta Ashoka University Founder.”
3. High competition for seats in India - With an extremely limited number of seats available as compared to the humongous number of applicants, getting a seat in a prestigious college has become an absolute nightmare for Indian students. Particularly in technical education, Indians are now preferring other destinations in Asia such as China, and Vietnam.
4. Costs of education - Education can be an expensive affair if you are not a high grader, and private education in India can be very expensive for most Indian families. Particularly in medicine, students who cannot get through a public university, have to opt for highly expensive student loans to finance their education. Now other Asian universities are offering these degrees at half or even lower costs which makes them an attractive proposition for many
5. The lure of a foreign nation - “The sensibilities of today’s youth have changed with time. They wish to travel and live independent lives and want to make their own decisions when it comes to their education and career. They are now the major decision makers when it comes to their future”, opines Vineet Gupta, Ashoka University Founder
The high influx of Indian students to foreign nations not only contributes to the age-old problem of brain drain but for every student going abroad, India loses out on precious tuition revenue and taxes. Furthermore, students who return pre-maturely struggle to complete their education in India as our curriculum is vastly different from the west.
The current crisis that students who returned from Ukraine are facing is also a reminder to the risks and uncertainties of a foreign degree. “The only way to address the issue of losing out students to foreign universities is to continue to revamp the education system and improve educational infrastructure across the country. For this to happen, both public and private stakeholders need to come together and build partnerships that aim at developing the education ecosystem and make higher education more accessible, attractive and affordable to Indian students”, concluded Vineet Gupta Ashoka University Founder.
