VOI World/ desk
Education consultants across India are facing an influx of anxious calls from students and parents worried about their plans to study in the United States. Subash Devatwal, who runs a consultancy in Ahmedabad, said interest in U.S. education has sharply declined since former President Donald Trump’s administration imposed stricter visa screening and paused student visa interviews globally.
India, which last year overtook China in the number of students in U.S. universities, with over 330,000 enrollments, is seeing a dramatic shift. Families, often investing life savings to fund these ambitions, now fear visa rejection and political uncertainty. Devatwal, who once sent over 100 students annually, has sent just 10 this year. Many families are now turning to the UK, Germany, and other European countries.
The Trump-era move to block Harvard University from admitting international students (though later overturned by courts) fueled widespread panic. Even top-tier scholarship recipients under prestigious programs like the Fulbright-Nehru doctoral fellowship have seen their applications suddenly downgraded.
Some families, like that of Brijesh Patel from Gujarat, had already spent large sums on application support. With uncertainty looming, they are postponing or redirecting their plans.
Meanwhile, platforms like AdmitKard report that Indian students pursuing STEM courses are increasingly choosing destinations like Germany, Ireland, France, and even the Middle East due to political safety and proximity.
Students like Nihar Gokhale, who lost U.S. university funding due to institutional constraints, are now heading to the UK instead. For many, the once-coveted “American dream” is being put on hold.
