London : Aspiring study abroad students are usually on a quest for a better life. Whether the student is from Mumbai, Lagos, or Bogota, it’s the same dream. Higher Education has become one of the most powerful tools available to the everyday person, especially for those coming from humble backgrounds. The world has a way of testing the resolve of people trying to change their circumstances, and right now that test comes in the form of visa uncertainty and shifting global policies, adding a genuine layer of anxiety for students no matter where they’re from
India is the prime example of this shift. According to NITI Aayog’s latest report, the number of Indian students studying abroad grew from 11.59 lakh in 2021-22 to 13.36 lakh by 2024, a sign of how far domestic capacity still lags behind demand. Despite the recent ongoing visa tightening, the demand has not slowed. In fact, the number is only climbing. According to the US Department of Homeland Security’s data, more than 350,000 Indian students enrolled in the United States as of February 2026, with India supplying close to half of all international graduate students at American universities. Similarly in Australia, according to the Australian Government Department of Education, the country hosted 110,662 Indian students out of a total of 680,582 international students between January and May 2026, despite the government setting its National Planning Level for international students at 270,000 for 2025. The UK, meanwhile, is seeing genuine growth of its own, with Indian applicants receiving a strong share of sponsored study visas at a high approval rate.
India is not the only country sending more students overseas. According to UNESCO’s first Higher Education Global Trends Report, Nigeria ranked as the world’s third largest source of international students in 2023, accounting for five per cent of global outbound mobility. Outbound numbers are climbing across several regions at once, not just in the countries that have traditionally sent the most students overseas.
Students across these regions are not giving up on international education. They are working out where it makes the most sense for them right now, region by region, family by family.
Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, says, “Traditional banks typically ask for significant collateral and a cosigner before they will approve a loan of any meaningful size, and that quietly excludes a lot of genuinely capable students. International lenders are seeing unprecedented demand as a result, with growing waitlists of students hoping to access funding that does not require family assets as security.”
Sonal adds, “We at Prodigy Finance work with a high number of aspiring international students every day seeking education loans, and we can say for sure that most of them come from genuinely humble backgrounds, hoping to give something back to their families. Choosing to study abroad is a huge decision, and today’s students are competing hard for scholarships, loan approvals and university places. As restrictions grow, so does demand, and that creates real pressure and confusion along the way. Families usually cover the gap through some mix of savings, scholarships and lenders, and at Prodigy Finance we look at a student’s future earning potential rather than asking for a cosigner, which is one option among several worth knowing about.”
Sonal’s only advice to students navigating this is simple. Go through legitimate, verified channels and follow the proper process rather than relying on social media for guidance. Do your own research before making any big decision. For families weighing the cost and the risk of an international education, the underlying motivation rarely changes. It is not about escaping difficulty. It is about building the means to change a family’s future, one degree at a time.
