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New Delhi: With the
rupee depreciating against the dollar and the economy taking a
downward swing, more Indians are choosing to study at public
universities in the US vis-a-vis private ones that are expensive,
reveals a survey.
Around 100,000 Indian students enrol in US varsities every year.
But a report compiled by a career counselling website shared
exclusively with IANS said that a higher percentage of these
students are preferring universities with lower fees.
The report by www.YourNextLeap.com based on a random survey of
over 1,000 students shows that public universities with lesser
fees attract more students than the ones with higher fee.
The survey also says that 43 percent applicants preferred public
universities in 2011-12, while for the coming academic session the
figure has increased to 62 percent.
"Students seem to have applied most to universities like San Jose
State University and University of Florida while the popularity of
private universities like North Eastern University saw a decline
in applications," Mohit Gundecha, CEO and co-founder of the
website, told IANS.
Out of the 1,000-plus respondents, a majority of 40 percent
students applied for universities with fee between $15,000 and
$20,000.
While 27 percent said they had opted for universities with a fee
above $25,000, some 16 percent said they have applied for
universities with a fee between $20,000 and $25,000. Another 17
percent chose universities with a fee below $15,000.
"Indian students are stuck in the dilemma between affordability
and preference to top universities," Gundecha said.
"With the rupee falling and touching more than Rs.50 to a dollar,
the incidental increase in tuition fees to study abroad has become
a concern for aspiring students," he adds.
Indian students make the second largest group of foreign students
in the US after the Chinese and constitute almost 14 percent of
foreign students, according to the Open Doors Report published
annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in
partnership with the US Department of State's Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The report published last year also revealed a small one percent
fall in the number of students going to the US.
In 2010-11, 103,895 Indian students took admission in US
universities, while the number was 104,897 in 2009-10, marking the
first decline since 1998-99.
"This season, there is a visible increase in applications to
public universities which are easier on the pocket for students
and their parents. The study also shows that there is a visible
interest in applying for scholarships and interest-free loans to
offset the increased monetary pressure," Gundecha said.
According to the survey, some of the universities with low fees
include North Carolina State University, San Jose State
University, State University of New York and University of Texas.
Gundecha said the number of students seeking scholarship has
increased.
The website offers an online scholarship finder with which
students can search for over 50 scholarships worth Rs.10 crore
(Rs.100 million) and get various funding options like
interest-free loans, travel grants and fellowships which cover
tuition fee, etc.
"The tool registered an increase of 63 percent in students
applying to scholarships in 2012 over 2011," he added.
(Anjali Ojha
can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in)
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