According to the Ministry of Education Data released in 2022, there has been a significant increase of 68% in the number of students who have gone overseas for higher education. Clearly, Studying Abroad is an aspiration of a record number of Indian students who dream of pursuing a globally excellent education. As per the Ministry of External Affairs Data 2022, the countries where the highest number of Indian students study are Australia, Canada, and the USA. The most popular European countries for higher education amongst Indian students are Germany, the U.K., and France.
Studying overseas at the world’s top universities is often, an assured route towards building academic research skills that match the highest international standards, expanding career scope, strengthening language acquisition, and broadening one’s cultural horizons. However, there are several challenges that Indian students need to navigate through after securing admission as well as during the college application process. Some of the major challenges include financial costs, language barriers, and cultural shocks.
Planning for studying overseas includes thinking of strategies to overcome challenges such as financing the education and living costs, as well as preparing for cultural and linguistic differences. Most of the affordable study-abroad destinations include European countries such as Germany, Norway, France, and Italy. Since the first language of these nations is not English, candidates aspiring for an affordable study-abroad education are advised to consider learning a foreign language such as German or French to make the experience of living overseas easier.
Students who wish to know more about various study abroad exams like DET, IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE can click on the given links and get one step closer to realising their study abroad dreams.
Affordability and Foreign Language
Students are encouraged to understand the affordability of different study-abroad destinations. It is recommended that candidates check the financial costs of studying overseas which includes both tuition fees and living expenses. Living costs include expenditure on accommodation, travel, food, study materials, telephone, internet, and health insurance.
Further, learning the native language of affordable study-abroad countries is a useful strategy to make the international living experience smoother. While English is the language of instruction in English-speaking countries such as U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, these countries are relatively much more expensive compared to some European countries such as Germany and France.
Germany
According to DAAD(German Academic Exchange Service), students have to submit proof of financial resources to receive a study visa for Germany. Beginning from January 2023, applicants are required to demonstrate funding of 934 EUR/month or 11, 208 EUR/year.
Most of the higher education institutions in Germany are state-funded and there is no tuition fee for Bachelor’s degree students and for most Master’s degree programs. However, private universities in Germany might require a tuition fee. On average, university students in Germany have living expenses of EUR 867 per month. International students spend around EUR 725 per month on living costs.
The tuition fee structure for Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s degrees with reference to international students is given in the table below.
| German Universities: Tuition Fee for International Students | |||
| Type of German University | Bachelor’s Degree | Master’s Degree | PhD |
| Public University | – No Tuition Fee – Fee for Enrolment, Confirmation, and Administration is around €250 per semester | €20,000 a year(approximate) | – No Tuition Fee – Fee for Enrolment, Confirmation, and Administration is around €250 per semester |
| Private University | €20,000 a year (approximate) | €30,000 a year (approximate) | No Tuition Fee |
While German universities offer both English-taught and German-taught programs, learning German before traveling for higher education in Germany will make everyday student life much more convenient. Some of the institutions which offer German language courses in India are given below.
- Max Mueller Bhavan – Goethe-Institut India
- Delhi University Colleges
France
Public universities in France are amongst the most affordable ones in the world. Students can study for very low costs or for free in France, regardless of their nationality. For EU/EEA/Swiss students, the university fee is around €170 per year. For non-EU/EEA students, fee will be around €2,770 per year. Higher education in France is subsidized by the French government, hence making university education affordable.
With the exception of Paris, living costs in France are relatively low in cities such as Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lille and Nantes. Living expenses in France amount to approximately €9,600 in a year, except Paris which has much higher living costs.
The tuition fee structure for French universities is given below.
| French Universities: Tuition Fee for International Students | |||
| Particulars | Bachelor’s Degree | Master’s Degree | PhD |
| Tuition Fee | €2,770 per year | €3,770 per year | €380 per year |
Many of the programs in France are taught only in French especially at undergraduate level, hence taking French classes in India is a helpful strategy. Some of the institutions in India which are well-renowned for their French courses are as follows :
- Alliance français
- Delhi University Colleges
Immigration Policies
The immigration policies of different countries vary in terms of complexity and students are advised to opt for study abroad countries with friendly immigration policies. Students aspiring to pursue higher education overseas often plan to secure employment and permanent residency(PR), eventually resulting in citizenship. However, immigration process can be tedious and in countries such as U.S., it can take decades for an immigrant to get PR status. Canada, New Zealand and Australia are some of the immigration-friendly countries with a high score in the Highest Migration Acceptance Index.
Canada
- As per the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) report 2021, PR status was provided by Canada to 97.5% of international graduate applicants.
- Through the Post Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) of Canada, international graduates are able to gain professional experience by securing an open work permit a minimum of eight months to a maximum of three years.
- Categories and Channels such as Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), Quebec Experience Programs (QEP), Canada Experience Class (CEC) enable an individual to obtain PR status. In order to maintain the PR status, individuals are required to spend a minimum of 730 days in Canada during their stay of five years.
Australia
- According to Commitment to Development Index (CDI) 2021, Australia is one of the top three nations in terms of three criteria – acceptance of migrants from developing countries, integration of migrants, and participation in international conventions on migration.
- Depending on the individual’s educational and professional background, there are several ways to obtain PR status in Australia.
- Through the 487 Regional Sponsored Visa, a person can get permanent residency with provision to work for 3 years in a specific region of the country.
- With the Tempoary Graduate visa (subclass 485), international graduates can live and work in Canada for 2-4 years.
New Zealand
- The Post Study Work Visa entitles international graduate applicants to work in New Zealand for 1-3 years, depending on the educational qualification of the person.
- In New Zealand, one is eligible to appy for citizenship after living in the country for a minimum of 5 years.
