Students today have an array of affordable opportunities for studying abroad from the traditional to newer options such as Eastern European countries, according to experts in the panel discussion titled “Best countries for higher education: Your guide to acing admissions and securing scholarships” on Sunday at the Gulf News Edufair 2023.
“Today students are not just looking at the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as European countries have come up with a lot of educational opportunities,” says Kiran Kaur - Business Head, Acquisitions, GLinks. “Students can make a choice according to their interests and budget considerations.”
The lower cost is the biggest attraction of educational options in countries such as Hungary, Georgia or Poland, especially in medicine, pharmacology, physiotherapy and dentistry, says Dr Muhammad Yousuf Qadri, Chief Executive Officer, Qadri International. “A degree at a top 200 university that is over 700-hundred years old might only cost you just a total of 15,000 Euros. You can even get a 100 per cent scholarship in Hungary,” he says.
Scholarships and the best way to avail of them were a major focus of the discussion. “Parents and students need to do their research – nearly every child is eligible for one or the other scholarship,” says Vandana Mahajan, Founder, Futures Abroad. “You need to start looking for these scholarships early.”
Bashaar Ansari Manager, Recruitment (Japan, LATAM, ME, Africa and Pakistan), York University, adds, “It’s important to make sure you select the scholarship that is most relevant for your children.”
If there was one main takeaway, it is that time of is essence when it comes to availing these scholarships. “Plan as early as possible and apply for scholarships on time,” says Rahul Paitka – Director, Charms Education & Immigration. “If the student performs well academically, he/she can then continue to get up to 50 per cent scholarship in the second, third and fourth year of the degree, even at US or Canadian universities.”
