A lot of time, energy, and resources go into preparing and applying to study abroad. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian students’ plans have gone for a toss.
On one hand, students are no longer sure if they can go to study abroad in the near future as planned. On the other hand, the global higher education sector is being dramatically transformed due to the situation, with courses moving online or deferred admissions.
At this time, consultancies are inundated with calls from worried students and their parents. However, due to the lockdown, these consultancies are also limiting themselves to phone or digital counseling.
Universities’ response
Universities around the world are following government and World Health Organisation’s (WHO) advice and have closed their premises to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
It should be noted that the deadlines for fall 2020 intake for the majority of foreign universities is over, which means students can only apply for spring admissions - January-February 2021. And with fall 2020 intake being deferred to spring 2021 in some universities due to COVID-19, it becomes critical that students apply for the spring intake now to ensure they beat the queue.
Further, it is likely that even spring 2021 applicants’ admissions will be deferred to fall 2021. So, one would actually look to travel only next year and not any time before that. “Therefore we do not need to be very apprehensive about the current scenario – it could very well be in a blessing in disguise for many in the global student community as it gives them more time," Swathi Palakursha, manager at Study Overseas at Y Axis student counseling service, points out.
Measures taken for ongoing batches
There were also students who had to go back to India and elsewhere from universities abroad, due to the pandemic.
Many institutes have come up with contingency plans in order to allow students to finish current terms and curricula. This includes teaching and learning online and facilitating remote working for academic and administrative staff.
However, most of the students did not invest to join these universities in other countries to only listen to the lectures online — the exposure and the atmosphere of the institutes is what attracts them.
"As foreign universities are conducting classes digitally, Indian students studying abroad are feeling that their dream of studying abroad has come crashing down. The worst hit are those who would have liked to look for a job abroad and are in their final year – with their visa expiry deadlines fast approaching, they don’t have a way to renew them now," observes Shashidar Vuppala, an education activist.
“Those who got admission into the universities are also now in a dilemma and reconsidering their admission,” Shashidar adds.
Some of the universities which have moved to teaching online include King's College London, University of Massachusetts, School of Business in Boston University, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Princeton University, among others.
According to a recent survey conducted by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), which is known for its world university rankings, the respondents – higher education institutes - have stated that the pandemic has caused the institution to implement several measures. The findings reveal that 50% of higher education institutes abroad have switched some of their scheduled courses online, 19% have delayed the starting date of the following semester for some courses, 17% are changing application deadlines for the next intake, 16% are deferring offer acceptance deadline for the next intake, 13% said that they are deferring some of the 2020 admission offers to 2021, and 8% stated that they would start to conduct their own English language tests.
What consultancies are telling students
Paul Challakumar, managing director, Campus Abroad, Chennai, tells TNM, "Students are still reaching out to us as they have been planning and dreaming about their education abroad for quite some time, so they don't want to just give up. We have seen a spike in the number of calls every day.”
Some universities, acknowledging the pandemic and students’ anxieties, have pushed their deadlines for admission applications.
Swathi says that despite the pandemic, students are continuing to look for and research foreign institutions where they want to study.
“Global universities are creating new normals with the introduction of various online courses/methods. They keep an eye on the situation while making study plans. Whether students are looking to study abroad in 2020 or 2021, it is still worthwhile to research universities to see what is available, in terms of online and offline, whether they have deferred admissions, and so on," she says.
Paul adds that it's the parents who are more worried than the students. Though students are being convinced for postponement, several parents are wary of their children going abroad at all in the future, even next year.
“We are counseling students that it's not the right time to worry and explore education options abroad, and postponement is among the best options available, given the uncertainty of the situation," he says.
Some experts, however, are advising that it's always best to individually check with the institution students are interested in to see what plans and procedures are currently in place there. “It’s always worth looking forward to the future,” Swathi notes.
Read: Deferral, online classes or withdrawal? Students going abroad face tough dilemma