Why 2020 Isn’t the Right Year to Study Abroad Amid COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown every life around the world into disarray. With over 4.5 million positive coronavirus cases, including 307 thousand deaths recorded currently across the globe (Source: WHO), it has forced every education official to shut down their campuses.

Due to the increasing number of cases and no vaccine in sight, countries have introduced temporary visa lockdowns to battle the ongoing pandemic. These measures have, however, put a halt to the careers of students in India planning to study abroad in the year 2020 and 2021.

The situation has grown to a point where no region is safe from the deadly virus, students are finding it difficult to remain committed to their plan of pursuing higher education abroad. And with no clarity on when the situation will improve, students are considering pursuing higher studies in India.

For the benefit of our readers, we have listed a few reasons based on the latest information why you should reconsider your plans of studying abroad in the year 2020 and 2021.

5 Reasons Why 2020 Isn’t the Right Year to Study Abroad

1. Universities have Switched to Digital Learning

Coping with the coronavirus outbreak is very complicated, especially for universities across the world. In response to the pandemic, universities have had to close their doors and shift to online learning.

Learning online can be effective in some ways, however, it isn’t effective for students with inadequate resources to take part in digital learning. According to a study conducted by QS, even students with adequate resources are arguing about the quality of education they are receiving online. While there are students keen on studying online, they too are concerned about the recognition of their online degree.

The bottom line is, digital learning defeats the purpose of studying in a foreign country. In my opinion, taking an educational loan and paying a heavy fee just to attend a class online is very impractical. You can receive a better quality of education offline from some top universities in India.

2. Fewer Employment Opportunities

A recent survey by Moneycontrol states that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has dramatically affected the economy of the most favoured destination for higher studies like the US, UK, Canada, Italy, Spain and Australia. With the slowdown of these economies, the probability of students receiving employment opportunities is very low.

The cost of higher education abroad is considerably higher than in India. Let’s consider that a student has come back to India due to the lack of job opportunities abroad. With education loans costing about 40-50 lakhs to study abroad, no student can repay their foreign education loans with the income he/she will receive in India.

The chief reason students want to study abroad is to improve their career prospects. And the lack of employment opportunities kills the purpose of them studying in a foreign university.

3. Significantly Lower Return on Investment

We’re all already aware of the fact that studying abroad is heavy on the pocket. However, earlier studying abroad made sense to students as they received placements with handsome packages from the universities. Considering the pandemic and the slowed-down economy, studying abroad doesn’t have the same benefits anymore.

Studying abroad could cost you around 20-70 lakhs on an average, depending on the university of your choice. Adding to this, you will also incur significant costs on airfare, housing fee, medical insurance, commuting expenses, food expenses and school supplies. While pursuing higher studies in India would cost you around 5-20 lakhs on an average.

Keeping in mind the digital learning aspect and the scarcity of jobs, you need to carefully assess the return on investment you get on applying for a university overseas.

Kartik Mittal

SEO Manager & Corporate Trainer

Updated on: Dec 31, 2024

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Kartik Mittal

SEO Manager & Corporate Trainer

Kartik is a certified digital marketer with a passion for imparting knowledge as a digital marketing trainer. Being a Ex-Performics he specializes in SEO (Search Engine Optimization), ASO (App Store Optimization), and Website Development.