Education in US is cheaper, if planned properly

Hyderabad: The United States of America is the dream destination for most of the Indian students. Indian students and students from both the Telugu States plan their higher studies in the US.

Parents have to go for education loans or mortgage of properties to shell out hefty amounts for their children’s education in America. But, higher education in the United States is not as costly as we assume it to be. A thorough study conducted by Dr Kumar Annavarapu, the founder director of Indo-American Student Council reveals interesting things about US education.

“I travelled 1,28,000 km and interviewed 50 presidents, provosts, deans and directors, 250 professors and over 1500 students across 60 universities in the US. It was surprising to know why Indian students, or their families feel the burden of letting their children in the US. And the results were shocking”, Dr Kumar explained.

It is said that though there are around 4000 colleges and universities present in America, only a handful of colleges are being opted by Indian students to pursue their higher studies. Out of the 45,000 student visas issued by the U S Consulate in Hyderabad last year, it is observed that 26,000 students had joined in just 12 selective universities leaving behind a large array of choices to study at an affordable price.

“It is unfortunate that the students from not just the Telugu speaking states but also from other parts of the country flock to only a few varsities for lack of understanding. There is an immediate need for the government to bring awareness among students to ensure that they can utilise their limited resources in the best way possible to generate bright opportunities for themselves.” Says Dr Kumar Annavarapu, who headed the research.

Another truth that was brought into limelight was that despite 2700 accredited universities that make it compulsory to have TOEFL and GRE scores for admission, students often seem to opt for the 200 odd educational universities operating from single rooms that accommodate them without any scores.

“Lack of understanding about US education, rules and regulations and obscurity regarding various advanced programs offered and their deadlines increases the chances of pupils being rejected by the visa authorities”, Dr Kumar informs. Suggesting that the government must play an active role in helping the parents and students to choose university which doesn’t just fit in the budget but also provide quality education, the research scholar from US feels that those dreaming of studying in foreign universities need to do an in-depth research before zeroing down on them.