According to students and industry experts, the study abroad journey can be a bumpy road for students who have just moved to the country, and being without a roof over your head in a completely foreign country can be a nightmare.
Their worries are not only about finding affordable accommodation, but also about surviving in food inflation, which continues to increase their daily expenses.
UK inflation hits record high in 2022. The Consumer Price Index, which includes Owner Resident Housing Expenses (CPIH), rose 8.8% in the 12 months to September 2022. Inflation has soared to 9.3%, according to his November figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.
India has now overtaken China as the largest nationality issued a sponsored study visa in the UK, according to UK High Commission statistics. The Indian has received the highest number of UK student visas for her one year till September 2022 at Rs 1.27 lakh.
“Between October 1st and October 21st last year, I was forced to spend around 1 million rupees while traveling between Airbnbs and after arriving in London, had my accommodation seen more than 10 times in person. After college, I was out every weekday,” says Chayanika. Dubey, who flew to the UK three months ago to pursue a master’s degree in management and cultural policy at Goldsmiths College in London, said: Now a student at Birmingham’s Aston University with a master’s degree in International Business, his Naman Makkar is trying to stay optimistic while battling such high prices. “At the current rate of inflation, minimizing spending is a challenge in itself. I tend to focus on the essentials, but sometimes I try to take care of my cravings because I can’t afford it when I’m away from home. It’s about ignoring the importance of self-care,” he said.
Ria Jain, who completed her bachelor’s degree in the UK seven years ago and chose the same location again to pursue further studies, says, “Seven years ago, I spent at least two weeks spending the same amount on food as I did on food. An amount of food that probably wouldn’t last more than four days.”
Jain is completing his master’s degree in project management at the University of Northampton.
The unfolding scenario is also making some study abroad applicants uneasy about choosing a country as a destination.
Skanda Rajeev, Class 12 student, said: A country with less inflation than the UK.
“Prices are rising all the time, and so are expectations and pressures.As a student in a new country, I want to focus on my studies rather than worrying about how much allowance I have left,” he said. I was.
Rajeev instead chose to study electronics from Canada after finishing school.
However, Career Launcher AVP Anubhav Seth feels it is unlikely that popular study abroad options will change significantly.
“The United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia remain the top destinations for students going abroad for tertiary education, due to higher visa refusal rates for student applications to Canada and easier access to the United Kingdom. , there has been a shift between key destinations, with the UK gaining popularity, although destinations such as the UAE, Italy, Germany, Turkey and Malaysia are rapidly becoming popular destinations, but are completely It’s unlikely to shift,” he said.
His thoughts have also been echoed by Ankit Mehra, CEO and co-founder of education finance company GyanDhan, who said the changes introduced by the UK Home Office for student visas have directly impacted Indian students’ prospects for studying in the UK. He said it had no impact.
“The UK will not be at a disadvantage anytime soon. The country is gaining momentum with the introduction of the graduate route and the high potential individual visa route.
“However, the rising cost of living has increased the financial burden on students abroad. ,” Mehra said.
Amit Singh, founder of UniAcco, a global platform that helps students find suitable accommodation, said the UK has been hit by a housing crisis over the past eight to 10 years, putting pressure on residential real estate inventories. claimed to be hanging.
“Over the last four or five years, the council has been very strongly opposed to landlords leasing accommodation to students. Take advantage of accommodations such as … the possibilities are only shrinking,” he said.
ET Online