Unclear facts around scholarships offered by low-ranked foreign universities are often a means to trap overseas students
Scholarships from foreign universities are often a means to trap ambitious students pursuing a dream to study abroad.
Take the case of Sumit Wadhwa (name changed) who received a scholarship from a very low-ranked US-based university last year. As per the offer letter of the university, Wadhwa had clinched an impressive $20,000 scholarship.
Sumit was supposed to pay only the remaining 50% of the fee. However, the letter didn바카라t mention whether it was a one-time scholarship or an annual reward money till the completion of the four-year course.
The University바카라s agent working in India convinced Wadhwa that he would get a 50 per cent discount on the fee every year helping him save close Rs 65 lakh in four years.
Wadhwa, clearly, was in for a shocker. 바카라But when I moved to the US and started attending my classes, I got to know that it was a one-time grant. My family didn바카라t have the money to afford such high fees so I have to return to India in the middle of the course,바카라 Wadhwa said. He not only lost his academic year but also Rs 20 lakh in the process.
Counsellors and experts recount cases in which many students have to work in foreign countries illegally after falling into the scholarship trap. Professor Amarjiva Lochan, an expert at the India Centre for Migration (ICM), which serves as a research think tank to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on international migration and mobility, says, 바카라Agents misguide students and families as they get a hefty commission from the university. Students get the scholarship for just one semester after which the college demands full fee for the rest of the course.바카라
바카라Such students often resort to work illegally apart from studying as they don바카라t have the work permit. Even the family faces hardship in arranging money because their education budget overshoots unexpectedly,바카라 said Professor Lochan, who is also the foreign students바카라 adviser in Delhi University.
Some experts say that scholarship has become a marketing gimmick to attract foreign students as they pay four times more fees than any local candidate.
바카라For the academic session 2022-26, students have got scholarships between $12,000 and $19,000 based on their academic capabilities. But that바카라s a one-time scholarship and not renewable for the next academic session. Agents often misread and misinform students so that they can maximize their own commission from the university,바카라 said a professor from a reputed international college requesting anonymity.
Mostly, scholarship is offered by top global universities for genuine academic excellence and other factors like leadership and skills. However, parents should not lose sight of the fact that low-ranked universities use it as a honey trap.
Adarsh Khandelwal, Managing Director, Collegify 바카라 a global firm in the study abroad space said, 바카라Indian parents perceive getting scholarship a matter of success and pride. It gives them an impression that their children are being treated as scholars and that they will get it every year. Reality is often bitter than their perception.바카라
He adds that one shouldn바카라t blame the universitie. 바카라I don바카라t think it바카라s the universities바카라 fault. Colleges give a one-time scholarship perhaps as an incentive to attract international students to enrol and pay up with them for undergraduate/graduate courses,바카라 Khandelwal said.
바카라I have seen students with 70 to 80 per cent marks and a SAT optional background offered scholarships in the range of $12000-15000. It바카라s great but they should evaluate the ROI,바카라 he cautioned.
Other experts second Khandelwal saying that international students pay a significantly higher fee as compared to local students. Hence, it바카라s imperative to do one바카라s research before enrolling in any particular college.
바카라US colleges offer a variety of courses with some of them designed only to attract international students. As it funds their overall expenses, it바카라s important to evaluate and know your facts well,바카라 a study abroad counsellor, requesting anonymity, said.
Understanding all the hidden facts around a scholarship thus becomes essential before depositing money and seeking admission in any foreign university.
