Saturday 23 December 2017

International students entering Canada up 22%

The number of international students seeking a Canadian education continues to grow sharply, with Canada’s immigration division IRCC revealing a 22% increase in students who entered Canada last year.


Speaking at the recent CBIE conference in Halifax, IRCC policy analyst Angie Larocque reported that 268,631 international students entered Canada in 2016.

It was also revealed that the total number of study permit holders in Canada as of 31 December 2016 was 414,946, up from 351,330 (an 18% increase) in 2015. 

“The number of international students coming to Canada continues to grow,” said Laroque.

India was the biggest single source of growth with an increase of 27,810 (57%)


“Over the past year, there has been a significant increase in student applications – even increases of 100% in some markets.”

She added that fastest-growing source markets were China and India, which represented 49% of all new student entries in 2016, and welcomed additional visa application centers in key markets such as China to aid with processing times.

According to IRCC, India was the biggest single source of growth with an increase of 27,810 (57%) students with a valid permit as of December 2016.

The IRCC top 20 sending markets for Canadian education

In October, Canada came out on top of an IDP research paper on global study destinations, due to its safe environment and policies which are seen as warm and welcoming.

While international students numbers in Canada continue to surge, the latest IIE Open Doors survey released last week revealed that US universities reported a decline in international students enrollments for 2016/17, prompting reference to the policies and rhetoric of the current US administration.

Despite political events south of the border, Canadian educators maintain it is their strengths, not US weaknesses, that has led to these increases.

At Aliff Overseas Consultant  we offer a full suite of study abroad counselling services:
  • Course and university selection
  • Academic profile evaluation
  • Submission of admission applications
  • Visa application assistance, visa-counselling and mock-interviews
  • IELTS/TOEFL training
  • Pre-departure guidance and assistance in terms of private accommodation recommendations in select countries.

Monday 4 December 2017

Govt Will Shut 300 Private Engineering Colleges

It had to happen sooner rather than later. The government has decided to shut over 300 private engineering from the 2018-19 academic session. These institutions would be asked not to undertake admission process for any fresh batch as they had less than 30 per cent enrollment for five consecutive years. According to a senior HRD official, another 500 engineering colleges are under the scanner for not being able to fill up seats.


The All India Council for Technical Education has asked all such colleges to consider alternate options like converting to science colleges or vocational education institutions. As per AICTE website, there are close to 3,000 private engineering colleges offering undergraduate courses in India, with an intake capacity of 13.56 lakh. Of these, there are around 800 engineering colleges whose enrolment percentage is less than 50%.

According to HRD sources, of the over 300 institutions which would be asked to close operations as engineering colleges, over 150 have less than 20% enrolment.

According to the chairperson of the AICTE, the council has asked those colleges with less than 30% enrolment to work out alternate options. Stating that closing down the institutions could also lead to problems for the institutions, professor Anil D Sahasrabudhe, chairperson, AICTE said, "We are deliberating on the issue. Closure is an easy option, but that could also lead to many complications as they have invested money, have bank loans. Taking a holistic view, those institutions which are border line cases may not be asked to close down but they will be asked to choose alternate options on their own."

The Council would give options like converting the engineering colleges to science colleges, skill development centres or vocational education institutions. The matter will be finalised by end of December 2017. before the approvals are issued to the colleges.

Is the great Engineering dream dying?


In terms of employment opportunities, especially in the field of IT and engineering, Indian students certainly have an edge over others with a majority of them holding engineering degrees. “This combined with Germany’s constant demand for engineers is a win-win for both Germany and Indian students.  


Wednesday 15 November 2017

Missed the September intake? Apply for the January start




The road to becoming an international student is paved with deadlines. So are most of the milestones you’ll need to pass throughout the process, such as applying for financial aid, student visa, the language exam and others.

Have you missed the September intake application deadline? Do you feel frustrated at the thought of waiting for another year? Well, you don’t have to.

You’re not out of the running if you’ve missed the September deadline, in fact, you can still make up for it by applying now for the January intake. Remember it’s never too early to apply.

Most US, UK, and Canadian schools have two intake periods. The Fall semester begins in late August or early September and ends in late December or early January, whereas the Spring semester begins in January and ends in early May. The Fall intake is preferred by most Indian students because Bachelor’s programmes finish in June, which provides enough time to kickstart a Master’s programme in September. For Indian students who don’t manage to get their September application in on time, January intake is the more flexible option. Moreover, Indian students who’ve missed the September deadline get enough of a buffer period to plan their finances for January intake, and can avail of the benefits from the education loan

What course options are available in January?

Most universities offer a wide variety of course options for their Fall intake. Although the options for courses available are slightly limited for January intake, there is still an abundance of exciting courses to choose from. Indian students interested in pursuing engineering courses will be pleased to know that many UK, and US schools accept international admissions for engineering courses in January intake. Explore all possible options available to you and various courses on offer, as there may very well be a way that you can take the course of your choice in the Spring semester.

the application process you should start earlier, the better your chances of securing a spot! We understand how lengthy and stressful the application process can get, and the best way to get through it is to begin early so that you keep all the stress at bay, and have all the required documents with you on time. Moreover, it is better to start early to ensure that you get your visa application in on time. Applying for visas is a process in and of itself, so give yourself enough time to prepare the necessary documentation and planning for the interview process. Also, certain popular courses like engineering and business tend to fill up very quickly. Remember: It’s better to start as early as possible to reserve your spot.

University application deadlines vary from school to school, and many accept students on a first come, first serve basis. Bear in mind that submitting your application no later than November is your safest bet, but ensure that you know exactly when the January intake deadline for the school of your preference is, and how they run their acceptance program.

At Aliff Overseas Consultant  we offer a full suite of study abroad counselling services:
  • Course and university selection
  • Academic profile evaluation
  • Submission of admission applications
  • Visa application assistance, visa-counselling and mock-interviews
  • IELTS/TOEFL training
  • Pre-departure guidance and assistance in terms of private accommodation recommendations in select countries.


Thursday 24 August 2017

StudyAbroad: Is the great Engineering dream dying?

Six lakh information technology professionals are expected to lose their jobs over the next two three years, according to a forecast by a leading head hunter. Studies suggest that almost half of those who graduate from the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) take their skills to work in financial markets and consulting.



Has the great engineering dream died?

The answer, experts say, depends on what the 1.5 million engineers graduating every year dream of.

Conversations with students, faculty members and higher education experts suggest students don’t always sign up for engineering courses just to become engineers and to start designing new engines for cars, extending the lifetime of a battery, building the next big software giant or taking part in the “Digital India” programme. Most of them simply want a job — any job and given a choice, a job with the government.

The thousands of private colleges that have sprung up in the country to fulfil the demand of engineering education. 3,288 engineering colleges exist under the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), more than double from the 1,511 colleges ten years ago.

On the other extreme, lie the IITs, the best that the country has to offer. But apart from the coveted civil services examinations, government jobs hardly figure on the list an IIT undergraduate.

Their aspirations mirror that of India’s youth at large: the latest CSDS-KAS Youth Study, released in April 2017, found that 65% of Indian youth would prefer a government job; just 7% wished for a job in the private sector. The lure of a government job is obvious: job security, allowances and better pay at the entry level.

   



Where do IIT grads end up?

Using 2013 placement statistics of IIT-Bombay, Milind Sohoni, a computer science professor at the institute, found that 45% of the BTech students took up jobs in finance and consulting, 24% in IT and 8% in FMCG and non-IT. Just 22% took up jobs in engineering and technology, which Sohoni argues is the most relevant sector to IIT-Bombay's mandate and training.

This tells us that neither is working in technology companies a priority for students nor does an engineering degree guarantee a job.


Study Engineering in Germany  


The German federal foreign office grants students an 18-month extension of visa after studies for the purpose of seeking a job. Considering that most of the students would like to shift to the industry after studies, this extension gives us ample time to explore opportunities.


In terms of employment opportunities, especially in the field of IT and engineering, Indian students certainly have an edge over others with a majority of them holding engineering degrees. “This combined with Germany’s constant demand for engineers is a win-win for both Germany and Indian students.  


Sunday 23 July 2017

StudyAbroad: Indian domicile rules leave MBBS, BDS aspirants with limited college choice.


NEET 2017: Domicile rules leave MBBS, BDS aspirants confused, give them limited college choice
Lack of a uniform domicile policy could put an end to dreams of NEET-qualified candidates to pursue fulfilling careers in medicine or dentistry.

While some states like Maharashtra, and Punjab have barred candidates from other states from participating in counselling for admission to medical colleges (both private and government), Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have no such restrictions.

Hundreds of candidates successful in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions to medical and dental programmes and colleges across the country, have been spending time, money and energy desperately seeking admission to colleges in various states of the country. Lack of a uniform domicile policy could put an end to their dreams to pursue fulfilling careers in medicine or dentistry.

While some states like Maharashtra and Punjab have barred candidates from other states from participating in counselling for admission to medical colleges (both private and government), Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have no such restrictions.

The domicile policy puts students from states with few medical colleges at a disadvantage.

NEET rules say that candidates wishing to apply for admission in state medical colleges or universities or institutes using merit list of NEET-2017 have to follow the instructions of the state government or that of the authorities of the medical and dental colleges or university/institutes concerned for counselling.

States can reserve 85% seats for their students in government medical colleges and leave the 15% quota for students from across the country ranking high on the NEET merit list. There is no provision for any reservation in private medical colleges across the country in NEET rules.

“I couldn’t fill the online form to join counselling in Maharashtra as candidates are required to be state domiciles,” complains a student from Delhi.

MBBS aspirants from Delhi have also been left with limited options as the sprawling Capital has only nine government medical colleges out of which only eight admit students through NEET. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, has a separate entrance examination.

Students from many north-eastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Lakshadweep etc, which don’t have any medical colleges, say that if all states mandate domicile status, they will never be able to pursue MBBS education despite qualifying NEET.

“It’s fortunate that some states are not following domicile restrictions. If this happens then we will be left with only one option - 15% seat reserved under all-India quota in government colleges across the country. This, however, will benefit only the high-rank holders,” says a student who ranks below 20,000 in NEET 2017.

A Supreme Court order of June 7, 2012, states that the Directorate General of Health Services, ministry of health and family welfare, has to conduct online counselling for 15% seats under all-India quota for undergraduate MBBS and BDS programme.

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir have opted out of NEET.

In favour of domicile restrictions Dr Raj Bahadur, vice chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Science, which conducts counselling for MBBS admission in Punjab, says “Every state has the right to protect the interests of its students.” Candidates clearing Class 12 from Punjab can apply for MBBS and BDS programmes in the state.

Many experts disagree.

“A state can impose domicile restriction for admission in government-run colleges but I don’t think the same applies for the private colleges,” says Gulshan Garg, chairman, Sankalp Charitable Trust. It was Sankalp’s petition last year which led to the Supreme Court ordering the implementation of NEET as a single examination for admission to MBBS and BDS programmes in the country.

“What’s the point of a one-nation-one-examination when each state frames its own admission guidelines?” he asks.

Students also complain that the criteria to define domicile varies from one state to another. Some states want Class 12 certificates while others ask from other documents such as birth certificate etc.

The order of the Tamil Nadu government reserving 85% of its MBBS and BDS seats for state board students was quashed recently by the Madras High Court. (According to hindustantimes.com - education)





Study Abroad: MBBS in Russia!


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Wednesday 19 July 2017

StudyAbroad: Indian Engineering college’s move to hike fees by 250%


StudyAbroad: Students have opposed Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute’s (VJTI) decision to increase the fees for post-graduation courses by 150% to 250%.

The autonomous engineering institute’s board of governors recommended the fee hike, which has been approved. “All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) stopped funding our PG courses from 2008. All these years, we were hoping to receive some aid from the state or Centre, but to no avail. So we decided to increase the fees to keep these courses running,” said Dhiren Patel, director of the Institute.

VJTI is a University of Mumbai- affiliated college which was granted autonomy in 2004. It gets financial aid from the state for UG courses. Members of Nationalist Student Congress (NCS), the student wing of NCP, said the annual fees for MTech (aided section) may be increased from Rs. 23,665 to Rs. 83,734 — a hike of 253%. Those who have a sponsor may have to pay Rs. 93,734 from the current annual fees of Rs38,565. Similarly, the fees for pursuing PhD may rise from Rs. 26,092 to Rs. 83,954 for non-sponsored students and from Rs. 41,092 to Rs. 1,08,954 for sponsored students.

“Students are being victimized for a few crores. It seems that the government doesn’t want them to pursue higher education,” said Amol Matele, President, NSC.


Study Engineering in Germany  


The German federal foreign office grants students an 18-month extension of visa after studies for the purpose of seeking a job. Considering that most of the students would like to shift to the industry after studies, this extension gives us ample time to explore opportunities.


In terms of employment opportunities, especially in the field of IT and engineering, Indian students certainly have an edge over others with a majority of them holding engineering degrees. “This combined with Germany’s constant demand for engineers is a win-win for both Germany and Indian students.  


Thursday 13 July 2017

Study Abroad: MBBS: About 50,000 students had applied for 3,080 seats this year.


Court has stayed release of list; officials confident of the State government winning case against NEET

The delay in the release of merit list for MBBS/BDS by the State government has only led to more confusion. Students who have cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test remain uncertain about their prospects in the State.

The uncertainty is higher for students from other boards who have scored well in NEET and are hoping for a seat in the State government-run colleges through the All India Quota.

The last date to lock preferences under the All India Quota for seats under the 15% reservation ended on July 11. Counseling for these seats is expected to start from July 13.

It is in this situation that the court has stayed the declaration of merit list, which was expected on July 14.

The parents of a student, who had cleared NEET with over 300 marks, are still hoping that the State government would stick to its schedule and release the merit list.

Several options open

K. Bhagavathi, a CBSE student who has cleared NEET, said he had hoped to get into a government college. “I did not think the State Board students would get good scores in NEET.

“But there are many who have scored over 600 so I don’t stand a chance. Two of my friends who have scored better than me and have qualified under the unreserved category have other plans. One of them has applied for deemed university and another has taken a year off to prepare for NEET,” he said.

Several organizations continuing their protest against NEET has not helped matters.

A senior official of the State government, however, said the government would win the case against the imposition of NEET this year as Tamil Nadu had not followed in the footsteps of Gujarat, which had adopted the Central government recommended syllabus three months prior to NEET.

Counselling put off

The second phase of counseling for admission to undergraduate courses offered by the constituent and affiliated colleges of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has been postponed till the medical and engineering admissions are completed.

S. Mahimairaja, Dean, Agriculture, and Chairman - Admissions, said that after the first phase counseling, which ended on June 24, there were just three vacancies in the constituent colleges and 210 vacancies in the affiliated colleges. However, there were a lot of dropouts in the last two or three weeks.

“In order to avoid further dropouts, we are waiting for the medical counseling to get over,” he said.

As studying medicine in India gets tougher due to limited seats and high capitation fee, a number of medical aspirants check out the options abroad to become qualified doctors. Although taking the overseas route in the healthcare industry has been in prevalence for quite some time, over the past few years there has been an average increase of about 10-15 percent increase in the number of students going abroad for studying medicine.
Study Abroad: MBBS in Russia!

Thursday 6 July 2017

Study Abroad MBBS: Now, pay Rs 9-25 lakh for MBBS seat


StudyAbroad: As per the fee structure on the website, Kochi-based Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences has declared a fee of Rs 15 lakh per seat.


Even as the Supreme Court has brought the MBBS admissions of deemed universities in the country under the ambit of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), they continue to be beyond the reach of financially weak, but meritorious students.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the directorate-general of health services, Union ministry of health and family welfare, opened its website on Wednesday for students to register themselves for participating in its counseling for MBBS course under deemed universities. It also published the fees in these 38 universities in the country. They can register their choices on the website from Friday.  


Interestingly, the shoddy way in which the website has put out the details is revealed from the NRI fee given against the name of three medical colleges. It is the same as the regular fee while it is shown against the $ sign, which makes it a phenomenal sum. The three colleges are the SDU Medical College, Kolar, Smt B.K.Shah Medical Institute& Research Centre, Vadodara, and Sri Sidhartha Medical College, Tumkur.

“There is no rationale for allowing such a wide range of fee structure between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. The UGC, the MCI and the Central government have the responsibility to enforce a reasonable fee structure for the sector to enable meritorious students to study in such institutions,” said Dr S. Rajookrishnan, former joint commissioner of entrance examinations. 

“Everyone was under the impression that the fee in deemed universities will come down once NEET ranklist is made applicable to them. The government could have regulated their fees to a reasonable level on the strength of the Supreme Court order which made NEET applicable to the deemed universities also. However, sadly that has not happened. The SC order making NEET ranklist applicable to deemed universities has effectively wiped out several unhealthy practices that have so far happened in their admissions and this is the right time for the government to intervene to enforce a reasonable fee structure also,” said Mr Rajendran Puthiyedath, an education expert based in Kochi.

As per the fee structure on the website, Kochi-based Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences has declared a fee of Rs 15 lakh per seat. The highest fee out of the lot is charged by Dr D.Y. Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, at Rs 25 lakh while Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, which is one of the oldest in the country, has a fee of Rs 10.30 lakh. The SDU Medical College, Kolar, Karnataka, has the lowest fee of the lot at Rs 9,00,000.


As studying medicine in India gets tougher due to limited seats and high capitation fee, a number of medical aspirants check out the options abroad to become qualified doctors. Although taking the overseas route in the healthcare industry has been in prevalence for quite some time, over the past few years there has been an average increase of about 10-15 percent increase in the number of students going abroad for studying medicine.
Study Abroad: MBBS in Russia!

Tuesday 4 July 2017

StudyAbroad: Preliminary figures show Canada is set to see double digit growth in international student enrolments


The country’s low currency, welcoming immigration policies and streamlined visa processing for key markets are finally starting to pay off, according to educators. So much so that many in metropolitan areas are now running into capacity constraints.

“Even if Clinton had won the election, we would still be seeing the same number of students in Canada this year that we are seeing now,” said Mike Walkey, managing director of ELS Canada.


“Even if Clinton had won the election, we would still be seeing the same number of students in Canada this year that we are seeing now”

Canada’s done a lot of really good, really smart things recently, particularly with immigration and pathways and work rights, that have helped raise its profile overall,” he said. “Canada has always had a reputation for being welcoming and safe, but I think that’s echoing with people more than ever now.”

The country is on track to reach its 2022 goal of doubling international students to 450,000 “as early as this year”, according to an IRCC representative at the recent BCCIE summer conference in Kelowna.

China continues to be the country’s largest source country but India and Vietnam saw the biggest gains in 2016: a whopping 57% and 55%, respectively.

“Vietnam is an example of good synchronization with the sector and government policy,” said Walkey, referring to the Canada Express Study Program rolled out in Vietnam last year. “Numbers have gone way up, I’ve heard it’s going to become the third biggest nationality, especially for colleges.”

With short courses (two years) and direct routes to employment after graduation, colleges have also absorbed the growth in Indian students. “Our number one source country right now is India, and they’re choosing Canada 

Director of international education & development, Beatty said that more than pulling students from the US, the college is attracting students from the UK. “Over the last three or four years we’ve had students that are originally from Nigeria, from Vietnam, even from India, who have gone to the UK, they’ve done a degree or a diploma in the UK, but because there’s no postgraduate work option or long-term immigration option they come to Canada,” he said. Higher education institutions expect to see major growth this year as well. 


The ability to get a work permit after graduation as well as possibly permanent residency is also very appealing. Because there’s no postgraduate work option or long-term immigration option in the UK, they come to Canada