For a middle-class Indian family, sending a child to a top global university can seem financially challenging. However, with early preparation, the right scholarship strategy and an understanding of student-visa rules, studying abroad can become significantly more accessible.
“Parents want their child at a top global university. “Marks only open the door. Students considering the US can explore financial aid at institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton and MIT. Cornell University also offers a scholarship specifically for Indian students, funded by the Tata Education and Development Trust. Scholarship planning should happen alongside university applications, not after admission. Students and families should research eligibility requirements, documentation and deadlines well in advance. “The aid application must go in with the admission application, not after the offer arrives. I have seen bright students lose a fully funded seat over one missed deadline,” Raghuwanshi adds. Part-time employment can help students manage some personal expenses, but it should not be considered a source of tuition funding. “There is no such thing [as a separate part-time work visa]. Student visas allow about twenty hours of campus work a week. Students should understand the work conditions attached to their student visa and factor any permitted earnings into their broader living-cost plan.
Families should start preparing from Grade 8 rather than waiting until Class 12, according to Raghuwanshi. We ask families to start building the profile from Grade 8, keeping academics strong while the child goes deep into one thing they truly care about. A profile assembled in Grade 12 does not look genuine,” he told NDTV .
They ask whether a middle class family can afford to do so,” says Aditya Shanker Raghuwanshi, Founder and CEO, Masterclass Space. That is pocket money, never tuition,” says Raghuwanshi.
