Foreign Education: To Go or Not To Go?

Source – www.hhelios.com

1. Choice of Universities – Often the most famous universities are not the best when it comes to off-beat courses like journalism, art, music, etc. So, instead of going after the most popular ones, you should focus on which universities offer courses that best suit your needs.
2. Visa – The choice of country is also important because of the cultural differences, and also the visa laws. While most countries offer a post-study visa on graduations, some have very stringent immigration laws like UK. So if your aim is to settle down then this may the most important factor.
3. Cost – Money is always the chief factor, regardless of the matter in question. Any course abroad will cost at least ₹ 30 lakhs for 2 years, even more depending on the country and university. The cost of living expenses is often more than the tuition fees.
4. Scholarships and Grants – This factor is inadvertently linked with the previous ones. Almost all universities offer some scholarships based on merit or other criteria. Private institutions also sometimes offer grants to facilitate higher education. Even a little financial help goes a long way in pursuing your dreams.
5. Student Loans – This is the most common method of financing an education abroad, and probably the easiest one to avail. Student loans are offered by all banks, so one should evaluate all before deciding on one.
6. Job Prospects – Let’s be real. We all turn towards foreign education because we believe it’ll better out job prospects. So, if your aim is to find a job after graduation abroad only, then you need to keep in mind the job market and its requirements. You should ask yourself why any employer should choose you over a citizen of their own country? You’ll need to be the best if you want the best job.
7. Value of Degree Back Home – Getting a degree from a foreign institution always holds sway in the domestic job market but that doesn’t mean it’d be easy to get a job back home. The value of a degree from an Ivy League college is always greater than a Tier 3 college. Having a backup is always important in every scenario even if it means coming back home.

Source: blog.iefa.org

Deciding on a career path is a daunting task, even more so if you wish to take the step of uprooting yourself from home to go off to another country. I hope listing out the main points to be considered helps in making an informed decision.