More students from India studying in US

Hindustantimes

The US is a top destination for Indians. Of the 185,000 Indian students enrolled in higher education institutions abroad, the US leads with a share of hosting nearly 55% of all Indian students followed by the UK and Australia, according to UNESCO data. However, the US witnessed stagnancy in Indian enrollment numbers during the last couple of years. The residual impact of the recession made Indian students reassess their options. Availability of loans was becoming tougher and post-graduation employment prospects were becoming bleaker. With the economic uncertainty, some value-for-money conscious Indian students have been putting off their plans to study in the US.

However, there are signs that the trend is set to reverse, and the US will soon begin to attract more Indian students.

First, the US economy is reviving, and job pro-spects are improving. This is important for advancement students who prefer to remain in the US or work for a few years before returning to India. Second, US institutions are becoming increasingly aggressive in their outreach to Indian students. Third, the emergence of an undergraduate student pipeline in India is adding more students in the enrollment mix of those seeking to go to the US.

Finally, the UK, which is the strongest competitor for the US in attracting advancement students, is restricting post-education work opportunities by tightening immigration laws. In contrast, the US has adopted visa rules favouring international students. In particular, extending the ‘optional practical training for science and engineering' students to 29 months is a big attraction for Indian students as nearly 60% of Indian students enroll in master’s programmes in engineering and computer science. In fact, the number of Indian students taking up optional practical training increased by nearly 5,000 students in 2010/11 from the previous year.