Why Indian students are opting for overseas edu | Economic Times

Amid the upheaval caused by the second wave of the pandemic and predictions that the next wave may affect the younger population more, a large part of the Indian student community is looking overseas for college admission.Factors like access to vaccines, robust health infrastructure 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.Education platforms like Yocket, Collegify and Leverage Edu are seeing a more than 50% increase in students wanting to pursue higher education outside of India in 2021 compared with 2020.This is also due to pent-up demand since many aspiring students could not join colleges abroad last year due to travel restrictions as well as a surge in Covid-19 cases in several developed countries.“The number of students aspiring for foreign colleges is going up further with the improved situation in the US, UK and other countries. The US vaccination drive has brought a lot of confidence among students,” said Sumeet Jain, cofounder of education consultancy Yocket.The biggest hurdle for these students now is getting a visa due to the high number of Covid cases and lockdowns in India, and the delay in board examinations and results.A recent survey of 5,000 students conducted by higher education and career guidance provider Leverage Edu on its platform suggested that 94% of the students who had dropped plans to join an international college in 2020 were now reconsidering the plans in 2021.As much as 71% of undergraduate and post-graduate students looking to go abroad for higher studies consider better healthcare infrastructure as one of the key reasons for their interest.“The survey finding has led us to the conclusion that more than ever students are keen to study abroad this year,” Leverage Edu founder Akshay Chaturvedi said.Adarsh Khandelwal, founder of Collegify, another firm in the education space, is also seeing a steep rise in foreign college aspirants, especially for the US.All the colleges in the UK and US are taking precautionary measures including getting the foreign students vaccinated, thus building confidence among parents and students, Khandelwal said.Vaccine has played an important role in the augmented student interest this year. “We are certain that an absolute majority (more than 75%) have one eye on the ‘vaccine factor’ while applying. ‘Healthcare’ is now a living room conversation in everyone’s lives,” said Chaturvedi.Other factors like quality of air we breathe, previously little-understood points, have gained a lot of relevance post the second wave in India, he said.The undergraduate segment aspiring for international colleges is a fast-growing market for most admission experts and platforms in India.As per the Leverage Edu survey, 75% of students opted for the UK as the most favourable destination to study abroad, followed by Canada and the US. About 58% said they had made their plans in the last three months.“I have to stay in quarantine for 10 days in the UK, the healthcare system is good and vaccination is being done, so I am confident to travel there this year,” said Anmol Sahu, a student enrolled on the Leverage Edu platform, aspiring to join the University of Manchester or University College London.Of the students who opted for the UK as their preferred study destination, two-thirds said that country’s plan to vaccinate all international students would benefit incoming students.