Pursuing Degree From Abroad

Fake Agents Render Students’ Foreign Dream Sour

The large-scale mushrooming of fake Indian agents working on behalf of the lesser-known foreign universities are to be blamed for students falling prey to fraudulent institutions like Tri-Valley University (TVU) in the US, say experts.

"This is sad but true. In India, we have no regulatory mechanism to monitor agents working for foreign universities. These agents work for lesser-known or fraud universities abroad and dupe Indian students. They mislead students into joining fake universities abroad like TVU in the US," says Manjula Raman, a career counselor and principal of Army Public School, Bangalore.

Experts feel that Indian students could have avoided the inhuman treatment of being tagged with radio-collars on their ankles, after being caught up in a visa and immigration scam at TVU, had they got admissions through proper channels.

Reports suggest that a large number of Indian students have been duped in various fake Australian and Canadian institutions. Apart from the harassment, the students also suffer a bad reputation. They have to carry a bad record throughout their life. They get their name registered in defaulters' list leading to visa rejection in the future.

"Students aspiring to study abroad should take help from only legitimate agents, working for recognised foreign varsities. The agents should also offer career counseling to students," Raman adds.

Students should also do their own homework, including research over the Internet and interaction with ex-students of the educational institutions abroad, to find out whether the foreign varsities they are seeking to enter are genuine or not. They should not fall prey to such fake institutes and agents. Moreover, they shouldn't depend completely on the agents. They should know the details- the difference between student visa and tourist visa, the duration of their visa and so on. It is essential for the students to be aware of every single issue related to their pursue of a foreign degree. They should do their home work with utmost sincerity to make sure that they don't suffer such a plight.

The central government is mulling over enacting a new law to rein in fake agents. The ministry of overseas Indian affairs will introduce a bill in the coming session of Parliament, making it mandatory for all education agents to register with the government. Under the proposed law, fake agents, if caught, will face severe jail term.
The proposed law also aims to create a database of students studying abroad, making it easier to reach them in their hour of need. "Till the law is not enacted, students have to venture outside the country, at their own risk," rues Raman.

The British Council supports agents representing accredited UK institutions. "We only engage legitimate agents to work on behalf of UK-based educational institutions. We want to make sure that we help agents to provide good quality advice to enable students to make informed decisions about their future. That’s why we’ve established the Education UK agent training programme to share our expertise and knowledge about UK education," added the official.