Small towns to global campuses: Rising wave of Indian students studying abroad

A future abroad might have been a far-away dream for students from small Indian cities a few years back but data shows that in the recent past, the prospect of studying abroad has changed from a distant aspiration to a tangible reality for students from small cities and towns.

Earlier, what was considered an opportunity reserved for students from metro cities and large urban spaces, has now reached students in all corners of India. Increasing incomes, awareness about foreign universities, financial aid options and tailored support from study abroad consultants and agencies has led to this change in trend.

Experts suggest that students from Tier II and Tier III cities make up for the majority of India’s increasing demand for overseas education. Students from cities like Roorkee, Dehradun, Kanpur, Lucknow, Kota, Surat and soon are coming forward with their aspirations of a foreign education.

Behind this significant change are a number of socio-economic factors. Let us dive into a few major reasons that have led to this surge in the number of study abroad aspirants from non-metro cities.

More awareness

It is beyond question that the internet and digitalisation has made information much more accessible than one could have imagined a few decades ago. With social media, students are able to connect to the world and better understand what opportunities await on the other side of the globe.

AGS Ilaya Bharathi, Managing Director and Chairman, GoStudy, a study abroad consultancy platform, explained, “Studying abroad used to be a dream for many from our previous generations. Only a privileged few could be lucky enough to achieve it. But after the social media boom, they now see information and vlogs shared by other Indian students who went there and they listen to their experiences and know that they can do that too. It is not intimidating anymore.”

Students believe that awareness about educational opportunities and programmes available in foreign countries play a significant role in the changing scenario.

Ashmeet Singh, a student at Coventry University in the United Kingdom, who hails from a small city called Bundi, near Kota Rajasthan, said, “These days everyone wants to experience global education. Students want to move to foreign countries for better life quality, opportunities, better climate, and better environment. As for me, ever since my childhood, the UK has been a dream destination for me. The infrastructure, their historical landmarks, everything has been fascinating to me.”

“What I have noticed is that if parents are educated and well informed about the opportunities abroad, it changes things for students in a big way. That is something that students in metro cities have an upper hand in,” Ashmeet added.

Changing cities

Increasing interest for education abroad has inevitably led to an increased number of study abroad consultants and agencies catering specifically to smaller cities. These agencies provide tailored support and guidance to aspiring students.

“The number of study abroad consultancies in Tier II and Tier III cities are growing, but these are small players who are able to provide top class service because they do not handle a big volume of students like the metro offices. But at the same time, the big players also get student leads from these small cities and towns. In this day and age, students are also open for virtual counselling sessions through phone calls, WhatsApp or even video calls,” said the GoStudy chairman.

Apart from this, other facilities like coaching institutes for English proficiency tests, exam centres, and university fairs, have also become more common in Tier II and Tier III cities.

Gaurav Batra, Founder and CEO of Infinite Group, also expressed, “If we talk about a few years ago, all the universities that used to travel for education fairs and promotion were limited to Tier I cities majorly and a few Tier II cities. Very few students from Tier III cities were able to travel so much to attend these events. Because of digitalisation, many things have changed. Earlier, people used to approach travel agents to book tickets, but now you can do the same sitting at your home.”

Comparable cost of education

Another factor that might have led to an increase in the number of students moving abroad in general, is the increasing cost of education in India.

Apart from a few government-run universities that have low-acceptance rates, most higher educational institutes have high tuition fees, experts suggested.

“If you compare the cost for higher education in India for a student from a Tier III city, it is still very high. For example, in a city like Delhi, using an MBA on an average basis would be around Rs 14-15 lakh and on the other hand, with a similar budget, students can move abroad. Of course, they will not get the same exposure that they get abroad, in India. Now, students are realising that by investing the same amount of money, you can get better opportunities and facilities. They get an experience of the global world, bigger job prospects and other benefits,” said Gaurav Batra.

Experts added that unconventional and non-English speaking study abroad destinations like Europe are becoming increasingly popular among the students in these small towns as they offer programmes at lower cost as compared to popular destinations like US, UK and Canada and also have comparatively low cost of living.

More support

One of the most intimidating parts of moving abroad for higher education is financing and documentation. However, with increasing support and access to financial-aid, the process has become much easier for the students.

Infinite Group’s Gaurav Batra explained that while the process of getting a student loan from a bank has stayed more or less the same, a number of Nonbank financial companies (NBFCs) have come into the picture now.

“NBFCs are highly accessible to students, whether they are from Tier I or Tier III cities. This has made their lives a little easier. Other than this, a lot of companies that help students get loans as a facilitator, have also started so students do not have to struggle themselves. With this, affordability has come into the picture,” he explained.

The process of getting a student visa and other necessary steps have also become easier for students, especially those who come from smaller cities with less-informed family backgrounds.

Sudeep Rautela, a student from Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, who is now studying in a university in Australia, said “In my personal experience, the documentation process was a lot easier than I thought. I had several doubts about if I would get my offer letter, how I would get my visa, and how would I clear the interview but the consultants helped me through the process and things became a lot easier. They guided me through the process of getting my Letters of recommendation (LOR), Statement of Purpose (SOP), and beyond.”