“I was pursuing a course in my country in a good college. But I was convinced to quit the course and apply in a college in Bengaluru I had never seen,” said Prince Asiedu from Ghana who is pursuing a degree in business administration.
Abraham Kwarteng Fukji, another Bachelor of Business Administration student, was employed as an account clerk by the government in his village in Ghana.
“I resigned and came here because I was told that I would get better opportunities once I graduate. Now I realise that it was nothing but a marketing spiel,” he said.
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There are many such stories from students from African nations, whose dreams of gaining ‘international exposure’ and studying in ‘well-known Indian colleges’ came crashing once they landed here. The trouble includes being hounded for not having proper documentation, studying in colleges that are nothing like what they are shown in brochures and bearing the burden of an education loan.
‘Education consultants’ based in foreign countries, either employed by colleges or working independently or for private consultancies, reportedly earn up to $1,000 for every student they bring to an Indian college. In a few colleges in Bengaluru, including some obscure ones, African students constitute a majority of the overall class strength.
“African students have become some sort of an experiment for managements of lesser known or new colleges,” said a student with disdain.
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The annual fee paid by foreign students is higher than that for Indian citizens. But what do the students get?
“They promise scholarships, free flight tickets and opportunities to earn money through part-time jobs while we study. Only after coming here does the truth hit us — that half of what was promised is not true,” said another student.
The agents and colleges ensure that there is no escape by sealing the deal in the students’ home country. The students are made to pay the fee and submit documents even before they reach India. The agreement they are made to sign makes the fee non-refundable. “Authorities here crack down on African students and arrest them for any wrong-doing. But why doesn’t the government look at the other side of the story? There are reasons for all these problems, which are caused by colleges and agents,” says Emmanuel Appiach of the Ghana Students’ Association in India. However, there is little hope for them. The newly established Overseas Centre for Foreign Students (OCFS) places the onus for solving on-campus disputes on the affiliating universities but completely frees them from the off-campus problems of foreign students.
“African students come to India thinking it is a friendly country. But we are looked upon as enemies here. Some have gone back as they have been unable to cope with the problems,” said a student.