Fancy foreign education? Be doubly sure

The recent deportation cases in the US should convince prospective students to conduct a proper due-diligence

A fancy educational degree from a foreign institute sounds good. However, if the institute where you pursued the course is not up to the mark, there is no value for the money invested. While several employers in India do have a preference for those having studied abroad, doing a programme from an unrecognised institute would leave a candidate in the lurch.

In the recent past, there have been reports of institutes in America being accused of alleged visa fraud or 'blacklisted', making it difficult for students with confirmation of admission. Some days earlier, some students bound for two California schools were denied entry by the customs. The American embassy here had said in this incident: "We remind the public that even travellers with a visa can be denied entry if the immigration officer finds reason to question the legitimacy of their travel documents or finds the traveller cannot adequately answer questions about the purpose of his or her travel."

They were, it said, following this situation and in communication with the department of homeland security there and with the Indian government.

As it suggests, one of the best ways to get information about institutes in the US is the free service provided by Education USA (educationusa.state.gov). Education USA's centres through India and its website can assist students in choosing the appropriate school for their course of study and personal situation.

During academic year 2014-15, the number of Indians studying in the US rose nearly 30 per cent from the previous year, to about 130,000, the highest so far.

Before deciding on a course abroad, education consultants say apart from basic information about the institute and accreditation, proper research on its facilities, including infrastructure, faculty and international tie-ups, is needed.

Adarsh Khandelwal, co-founder at Collegify, a consulting form for study abroad, said the number of students going abroad haf tripled in two decades. And, hundreds of unscrupulous ventures had popped up to meet the demand.

"Private universities are not all scams but enough are that I'd be suspicious of any programme not run directly through an accredited university, with its affiliated faculty," he said.

Highly rated institutions usually have faculty from across the world. One way to ascertain if an institute is genuine is to look for research papers they've published. Further, if a student has relatives in that region, it is advisable to double-check the facilities. Usually, these institutions and their admissions offices are receptive to such requests from prospective students.

Khandelwal also says bogus universities usually and falsely state they've been accredited by an accreditation agency. "Carefully check any claims about links with public universities, as bogus universities claim to have a 'special relationship' or 'partnership' with a public university or even 'accreditation' by the university but this may be false or over-stated," he explained.

There are also some 'agents' which work in tandem with such institutes to get enrolments. Hence, students should be wary of any agency promising to get you through 'cheap' courses. The fee could be less but the degree or certification might be of no value in your career.

Khandelwal says another red flag to watch is a specialised curriculum in, say, 'international business' or something equally vague. He says the biggest danger in scam programmes like these is that they offer nothing in the way of support services - no help with housing, visas or cultural events.

De-listing of bogus universities has been done time and again, in Britain, for instance. The US and Canada have faced issues of bogus colleges. Collegify said there has been a tremendous rise in students (from India) choosing universities which aren't recognised; the entire degree goes in vain.

Some education consultants say there are students from some pockets in North and South India who look for cheap colleges in the US and Canada, to use as a mechanism to work there and get citizenship. They caution that once deported, such individuals might get blacklisted.

Naveen Chopra, chairman of a foreign education consultancy, The Chopras, said: "It is not difficult to spot blacklisted institutes. One should look into the faculty, infrastructure, accreditation and also speak to alumni. A good institute will have reputed faculty from across the world and, in this virtual world, it is not difficult to get information about them."

Some students, he said, choose doubtful institutes for a cheap fee and as an entry point into countries like the US. "We do not entertain them, nor do we associate with such institutes," he said.

Independent third-party ratings and rankings could also be beneficial in checking if the facilities and curricula on offer are at par with other institutions and genuineness of claims. "Globalisation is helping students access a lot of information much faster than ever before. Students form judgements based on their own frame of references. Rankings, ratings and third-party assessment will be useful and should be encouraged," said Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner and head of the education practice at KPMG.

Overall, consultants advise students to play it safe and choose the most reputed among colleges. Khandelwal of Collegify says they encourage students to apply to only tier-1 institutes. While consultants also say affordable and quality education is provided by state universities in the US, students should generally be wary of 'cheap' courses which claim to give 'world class recognition'.

DON'T GET FOOLED

• CHECK WEBSITE: All university websites are loaded with information. Check basic course details, fee structure, programme accreditations
   
• TRY TO PHYSICALLY VERIFY: If possible, tell your friends/relatives to check the facilities properly before taking a decision
   
• CHECK ACCREDITATIONS AND DOUBLE-CHECK WITH AGENCIES: Do not take information at face value. Double-check with accreditation agencies
  

 

CONTACT ALUMNI AND PRESENT STUDENTS: Do so via community platforms or social media
 

LOOK AT FACULTY SIZE AND RESEARCH DETAILS: Faculty size and research papers published are crucial. Again, information is available online
 

DO NOT BLINDLY FOLLOW CONSULTANTS: Though foreign education consultants have more access to information, take an independent view on which institute to join