6 affordable destinations for Indians to study abroad

If the rising value of dollar is pinching your pocket, explore one of these destinations to pursue your higher education. Read on to find out why you’ll be at an advantage in doing so.

Placements this year have not been very good in most of the colleges.

The job market out there too has not been really encouraging.

One of the options for most of the students is to go for higher education with a hope of getting better job opportunities and perhaps better salaries.

The rising dollar these days has been a major concern too.

Here, we bring to you six hot destinations that offer affordable education to international students.

1. Norway

Some universities in Norway offer specialised courses for international students and these courses are taught in English.

The admissions here do not require permanent residency.

Norwegian universities offer Bachelor’s degree (three years), Master’s degree (two years) and PhD (three years).

Norwegian universities do not charge tuition fees, however, some of the professional courses might attract some charges.

Cost of living grants are also available for selected fellowship programmes.

Top Universities

• Norwegian University of Science University
• University of Oslo
• University of Bergen

Courtesy:

Help Study Abroad Aspirants

Dear Readers, how did you fund your overseas education? Did you take an education loan or did you apply for a scholarship?

How can Indian students reduce their cost of education abroad at a time when the falling Indian Rupee is pinching them hard?

Share your suggestions and experience and help our young readers make an informed decision. You can e-mail your ideas, suggestions and advice to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: Study Abroad Advice) and we'll publish the best responses right here on Rediff.com.

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2. France

The courses for Indian students are offered by the French Embassy in India.

Financial assistance and grants are available for the meritorious students for a period of two to three years.

Financial assistance is given in the form of stipends, pre-paid round trip air tickets, tuition fees and medical insurance.

One can also opt for tailor made scholarships that are available for Indian students in French universities.

There are subsidised student restaurants and accommodations you can choose from.

Top Universities

• Universite Pierre et Marie Curie
• Universite Claude Bernard Lyon I
• University of Nice Sophia Antipolis

3. Sweden

Swedish universities are different in the way education is imparted to the students.

Most of the courses involve working closely with the industry thus providing ample chances to turn theory into practicality.

There are over 600 Master’s and Bachelor's degree programmes which are taught in English for international students.

More than 500 scholarships are granted to international students every year.

A resident permit or visa is needed.

Students are also allowed to work during their course of study.

Top universities

• Linkoping University
• Royal Institute of Technology
• Uppsala University

4. Germany

German universities offer courses at zero or very little tuition fee.

For courses opted in English, knowing German is not a mandate in most of the cases.

However, it is always an advantage to know a new language.

As an Indian student, one can even work for 120 full days in a year (or 240 half days).

For international students, lot of scholarship opportunities exist.

For details on these scholarships, refer to DAAD Delhi.

A lot of funding options too are available on this website.

Top universities

• Technical University of Berlin
• Free University of Berlin
• Humboldt University of Berlin

5. Finland

As per the Learning Curve, Pearsons, 2012 -- the annual education report published by Pearson, the Finnish education system was ranked best in the world.

Students can go to Finland as a trainee, an exchange student or as a student of complete academic degree.

Regardless of the nationality, Finnish Universities do not charge any tuition fee.

Exceptions do exist in case of certain master's degrees.

The scholarships are mainly available for doctoral studies and research.

Since the cost of education is born by the Finnish Government, at Bachelor's and Master's level, there are no scholarships.

Top universities

• University of Helsinki
• Tampere University of Technology
• University of Jyvaskyla

6. Australia

Australian Universities have always been known for their quality education.

What lures the students next is the lower annual tuition fees.

The Australian qualifications comply with all the national standards.

The ESOS Act 2000 ensures that overseas students will receive the tuition for which they have paid.

This simply means that the tuition fees are protected by the law.

Moreover, the country provides one of the highest standards of living which is still affordable.

Top universities

• The Australian National University
• The University of New South Wales
• Monash University