Will 2021 see more Indian students opting to study abroad?

Pursuing higher education abroad has always been a thing of aspiration for students in India. They often opt to move to western countries like USA, UK, Canada or other parts of the world for their university or college education. Now, a recent study reveals that this interest to study abroad is increasing among students. The research, carried out by Leverage Edu, a major study abroad platform in India, shows that 94% of Indian students are more eager to study abroad in 2021 as compared to the previous year. 

What does the study say? 
For the research, 5,000 students were surveyed from the start of 2021. Of these, 75% preferred to study in the UK, while 13% chose Canada, and 9% opted for the US. When asked about their concerns about studying abroad, the majority of the students (about 71%) said healthcare. Better healthcare infrastructure being provided to students in the form of access to early vaccines, and other covid safety measures have brought the spotlight to other previously ignored healthcare benefits that developed countries provide. One of them is better air quality. 

Indian students have always been a major source of international students in western universities and in order to keep that trend alive, these countries have come up with numerous pro-student policies last year. The moves being taken include: 

• Indian students being added to the US’s travel exemption list. 
• UK and India coming together to sign a Migration and Mobility Partnership. 
• Canada launching an additional 90k PR’s early this year. 

What is the reason behind this increasing interest? 
With a sudden onset of restrictions on travel and study with the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian students are now more eager than ever before to chase after their study abroad dreams. 

Akshay Chaturvedi, Founder and CEO, Leverage Edu, has been quoted by a reputed media house saying, “Primarily, this is a result of governments in the UK, US and other developed countries, opening up their higher education and immigration policies, and communicating in far more welcoming manner than ever before. ”  

The UK’s promising vaccination pace, student-friendly healthcare policies, and constant, reassuring communication from UK universities during the pandemic have made it the most popular destination for studying abroad amongst Indian students. 

Due to the pandemic, healthcare has now become a common topic of conversation in households and a major deciding factor when students choose their study abroad destinations now. These findings correspond with a 2020 QS report which shows how the prospect of ready access to COVID-19 vaccines has made international students keen on starting their studies abroad earlier. Another factor that is driving the interest of Indian youth to opt for international colleges and universities is the hope of getting sufficient education loans. Sixty percent of the study participants hoped to secure an education loan to fund their studies.