Nervous aspirants rethink on US studies

Hyderabad, February 06: The shutdown of Tri-Valley University on charges of an immigration fraud and the consequent loss of student visa status by hundreds of Indian students, most of them from Andhra Pradesh, has unnerved those aspiring to study in the US as well as their parents.

Educational consultants in the city are being flooded with all kinds of queries about the universities in the US. From questions about the reputation of the universities to whether universities in the US are authentic in general, students and parents are rethinking it all over.

The image of the US as an education destination and moreover an option to clinch lucrative jobs and settle down, has taken a huge blow. “We have been receiving a number of calls from parents of students aiming to go for higher studies in the US. While most are worried about the authenticity of universities in the US, many have not really thought of moving back at the moment. But the Tri-Valley scam has definitely come as an eye-opener to many,” says P. Anil Kumar, chief executive of YouthWorld Consulting.

While consultants in the city have been busy explaining to anxious parents that Tri-Valley University being a ‘sham university’ is an individual case of a university not following the US rules, students aiming for a US degree have started planning ahead more carefully. “We are getting an increasing number of queries from concerned parents. Students are now planning their travel to the US more cautiously so that they do not end up in trouble later or face possibilities of deportation like the Tri-Valley University students are facing at present. However, most of the students are refraining from back-stepping at the moment as the Tri Valley issue is yet to unfold completely,” points out Sandeep Botha of Botha Consultancy.

–Agencies