Amid global turmoil in West Asia and elsewhere, Indian students pursuing higher education in the United States are now facing mounting financial pressure. A weaker rupee, geopolitical tensions and rising travel costs are increasingly making overseas education increasingly expensive for the millions of Indian students who go abroad to pursue higher education every year. For many aspiring students, the dream of an international degree remains alive, but as the rupee continues to weaken and global uncertainties deepen, financing that dream is becoming increasingly difficult.<h2>How many Indian students go abroad for higher education?</h2>According to data from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in 2025, over 1.2 million Indian students enrolled in higher education overseas; the year before this number stood at 1.33 million. A quick look at MEA data shows that while the overall number remains high, outbound enrolments have seen a year-on-year decline. The reason for this decline: uncertainty surrounding global mobility, stricter visa rules, policy caps, and economic volatility.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cywyddau-who-is-shrey-parikh-indian-origin-teen-wins-america-s-biggest-spelling-competition-takes-home-50-000-prize-scripps-national-1780033420442">'Cywyddau': Who is Shrey Parikh? Indian-origin teen wins America's biggest spelling competition, takes home $50,000 prize</a><h2>Global headwinds and rising financial burden</h2>According to education lender Prodigy Finance, while student interest in studying abroad remains strong, the financial burden on families has risen sharply over the past few years. The company noted that international education is no longer just about securing university admission. Instead, it has become a lengthy process involving financial planning, funding challenges and uncertainty even before students arrive on campus.According to data from Prodigy Finance's earlier research, more than 79 per cent of Indian students planning to study abroad come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Of this, nearly 60 per cent belong to modest-income households where parents often make significant financial sacrifices to support their children's education ambitions, said the lender.<h2>Falling rupee causes headache for parents</h2>The pressure has become more visible as the Indian rupee faces depreciation against the US dollar, increasing the cost of tuition fees, accommodation and day-to-day living expenses for students studying overseas. Already this year, the rupee has depreciated by 7.04 per cent. The rupee opened the year trading at approximately ₹89.50–₹89.90 per US Dollar in January but repeatedly hit record lows every month between January and May. On May 19, 2026, it touched an all-time low of ₹96.56.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/neet-ug-paper-leak-scandal-army-may-help-conduct-re-exam-for-first-time-suggest-reports-1780025143224">NEET-UG paper leak scandal: Army may help conduct re-exam for first time, suggest reports</a>Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, said students should carefully evaluate how they finance their education in the current environment. "This is a very important time for Indian students to consider funding in USD or in the same currency as their destination country. Even regular travellers from India are already talking about how INR depreciation is increasing their travel costs, so imagine the additional pressure students face when they are moving overseas for education and managing tuition, housing and daily expenses altogether," Kapoor said.Kapoor added that currency fluctuations are only one part of the challenge. Students are simultaneously dealing with visa-related uncertainties and rapidly rising airfare costs linked to global fuel market disruptions."Flight fares are increasing rapidly, and for students from modest backgrounds, a huge amount of money is now going into travel itself. Currency exchange losses are adding another layer of pressure, and we are receiving a large number of emails from students who are anxious and trying to understand how to manage everything together," she said.<h2>What now?</h2>With fuel prices and geopolitical tensions continuing to affect global travel and financial markets, Prodigy Finance advised students planning to leave for upcoming academic intakes to make travel arrangements early and opt for flexible flight bookings wherever possible. &nbsp;

Indian students are suddenly finding a US degree far more expensive than before. A falling rupee, rising airfares, visa uncertainty and geopolitical tensions are creating a financial squeeze for millions. How bad has the cost surge become, and what's driving it? Scroll down to find out.

Amid global turmoil in West Asia and elsewhere, Indian students pursuing higher education in the United States are now facing mounting financial pressure. A weaker rupee, geopolitical tensions and rising travel costs are increasingly making overseas education increasingly expensive for the millions of Indian students who go abroad to pursue higher education every year. For many aspiring students, the dream of an international degree remains alive, but as the rupee continues to weaken and global uncertainties deepen, financing that dream is becoming increasingly difficult. How many Indian students go abroad for higher education? According to data from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in 2025, over 1.2 million Indian students enrolled in higher education overseas; the year before this number stood at 1.33 million. A quick look at MEA data shows that while the overall number remains high, outbound enrolments have seen a year-on-year decline. The reason for this decline: uncertainty surrounding global mobility, stricter visa rules, policy caps, and economic volatility. Also read | 'Cywyddau': Who is Shrey Parikh? Indian-origin teen wins America's biggest spelling competition, takes home $50,000 prize Global headwinds and rising financial burden According to education lender Prodigy Finance, while student interest in studying abroad remains strong, the financial burden on families has risen sharply over the past few years. The company noted that international education is no longer just about securing university admission. Instead, it has become a lengthy process involving financial planning, funding challenges and uncertainty even before students arrive on campus. According to data from Prodigy Finance's earlier research, more than 79 per cent of Indian students planning to study abroad come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Of this, nearly 60 per cent belong to modest-income households where parents often make significant financial sacrifices to support their children's education ambitions, said the lender. Falling rupee causes headache for parents The pressure has become more visible as the Indian rupee faces depreciation against the US dollar, increasing the cost of tuition fees, accommodation and day-to-day living expenses for students studying overseas. Already this year, the rupee has depreciated by 7.04 per cent. The rupee opened the year trading at approximately ₹89.50–₹89.90 per US Dollar in January but repeatedly hit record lows every month between January and May. On May 19, 2026, it touched an all-time low of ₹96.56. Also read | NEET-UG paper leak scandal: Army may help conduct re-exam for first time, suggest reports Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, said students should carefully evaluate how they finance their education in the current environment. "This is a very important time for Indian students to consider funding in USD or in the same currency as their destination country. Even regular travellers from India are already talking about how INR depreciation is increasing their travel costs, so imagine the additional pressure students face when they are moving overseas for education and managing tuition, housing and daily expenses altogether," Kapoor said. Kapoor added that currency fluctuations are only one part of the challenge. Students are simultaneously dealing with visa-related uncertainties and rapidly rising airfare costs linked to global fuel market disruptions. "Flight fares are increasing rapidly, and for students from modest backgrounds, a huge amount of money is now going into travel itself. Currency exchange losses are adding another layer of pressure, and we are receiving a large number of emails from students who are anxious and trying to understand how to manage everything together," she said. What now? With fuel prices and geopolitical tensions continuing to affect global travel and financial markets, Prodigy Finance advised students planning to leave for upcoming academic intakes to make travel arrangements early and opt for flexible flight bookings wherever possible.

Indian students are suddenly finding a US degree far more expensive than before. A falling rupee, rising airfares, visa uncertainty and geopolitical tensions are creating a financial squeeze for millions. How bad has the cost surge become, and what's driving it? Scroll down to find out.

Rupee slide, wars and more: Indian students in US battle currency crisis no one prepared them for | WION Horizons

According to reports, Pakistan is said to be facing an economic collapse, similar to what has happened with Sri Lanka. The country's rupee has fallen more sharply than expected.

Pakistan's rupee falling faster than expected, more pain ahead

The rupee will weaken over the six next months as uncertainty builds heading into national elections due in May, a Reuters poll showed.

While a sharp drop in oil prices should help the slowing economy and the rupee, concerns will also persist over sluggish domestic demand which weighed more heavily on July-September growth than expected.

Most major Asian currencies have had a bruising year amid a strong US&nbsp;dollar, though many have made some gains this week after the United States and China agreed at the weekend to a 90-day truce in their trade war.

But the rupee — which is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/rupee-breaches-74-mark-for-first-time-as-rbi-keeps-key-rates-unchanged-169613">the worst performing major Asian currency this year</a> with a fall of more than 10 percent&nbsp;— was an exception, weakening more than 1 percent on Monday.

This week's surge in oil prices, alongside official figures on Friday showing weaker economic growth in India during the July-September quarter, is offsetting hopes for an easing in the trade war.

Despite a few recent advances, the rupee is on track for its worst yearly performance in five years in 2018 and is forecast to weaken further.

"Politics is likely to decide the course for the Indian rupee in 2019. The political heat is already rising as the elections being held in five states currently will set the tone for the national elections in May 2019," noted Prakash Sakpal, Asia economist at ING.

Sakpal said it will be tough for Prime Minister Narendra Modi government to retain power for another term, noting lingering public anger followed a chaotic demonetisation in late 2016 and the implementation of a Goods and Services Tax in mid-2017.

"We expect it to be a too-close-to-call poll."

The Nov. 28-Dec. 4 survey of around 40 strategists forecast the rupee would weaken over 2 percent by the end of May 2019, just after the general election, to 72.00 against the dollar. It was trading around 70.49 on Tuesday.

But the currency is expected to have regained some of that lost ground a year from now, when it is seen at 71.62.

Those results are in line with a separate poll of equity strategists who for the first time this year downgraded their outlook for Indian equities in 2019. Any gains were predicted to come only after next year's elections.

However, the outlook for the rupee was slightly better in the latest poll from previously.

Nearly half of 51 analysts predicted in the last poll the rupee would breach its all-time low of 74.48 at some point in the coming 12 months, compared with only 13 of 49 respondents in this survey.

The Indian currency touched a record low on Oct. 11, hurt by the Reserve Bank of India's surprise decision to keep rates on hold.

But a recent cooling of tensions between the Indian government and central bank, accompanied by a sharp drop in oil prices since early October, gave a modest boost to the rupee in recent weeks.

The central bank and government have been at loggerheads over the latter's demands, which included easing of lending and capital rules for some banks.

"The thawing of tensions between the RBI and the government is another positive for now, though recent tensions will continue to lurk in the background and are not positive for the currency," added Sakpal.

Improved sentiment over the rupee was also reflected in a separate Reuters poll which showed bets against the currency declined in the past two weeks to their lowest since April.

With October inflation below the central bank's medium-term target of 4 percent for a third month, the RBI is expected to keep the repo rate on hold at 6.5 percent on Wednesday and until at least April, when it would hike again before pausing for at least another year.

But the rupee is likely to find it difficult to regain lost ground without the central bank's support.

"Despite the current relief for the INR, India remains vulnerable to domestic and external woes. Its weak external fundamentals leave it prone to another round of sell-offs," noted Amy Yuan Zhuang, chief Asia analyst at Nordea.

"Moreover, a liquidity crunch in the financial system combined with excessive bad debts among banks diminishes confidence in Indian assets," she added.

The rupee will weaken over the six next months as uncertainty builds heading into national elections due in May, a Reuters poll showed. While a sharp drop in oil prices should help the slowing economy and the rupee, concerns will also persist over sluggish domestic demand which weighed more heavily on July-September growth than expected.

The rupee will weaken over the six next months as uncertainty builds heading into national elections due in May, a Reuters poll showed. While a sharp drop in oil prices should help the slowing economy and the rupee, concerns will also persist over sluggish domestic demand which weighed more heavily on July-September growth than expected. Most major Asian currencies have had a bruising year amid a strong US dollar, though many have made some gains this week after the United States and China agreed at the weekend to a 90-day truce in their trade war. But the rupee — which is the worst performing major Asian currency this year with a fall of more than 10 percent — was an exception, weakening more than 1 percent on Monday. This week's surge in oil prices, alongside official figures on Friday showing weaker economic growth in India during the July-September quarter, is offsetting hopes for an easing in the trade war. Despite a few recent advances, the rupee is on track for its worst yearly performance in five years in 2018 and is forecast to weaken further. "Politics is likely to decide the course for the Indian rupee in 2019. The political heat is already rising as the elections being held in five states currently will set the tone for the national elections in May 2019," noted Prakash Sakpal, Asia economist at ING. Sakpal said it will be tough for Prime Minister Narendra Modi government to retain power for another term, noting lingering public anger followed a chaotic demonetisation in late 2016 and the implementation of a Goods and Services Tax in mid-2017. "We expect it to be a too-close-to-call poll." The Nov. 28-Dec. 4 survey of around 40 strategists forecast the rupee would weaken over 2 percent by the end of May 2019, just after the general election, to 72.00 against the dollar. It was trading around 70.49 on Tuesday. But the currency is expected to have regained some of that lost ground a year from now, when it is seen at 71.62. Those results are in line with a separate poll of equity strategists who for the first time this year downgraded their outlook for Indian equities in 2019. Any gains were predicted to come only after next year's elections. However, the outlook for the rupee was slightly better in the latest poll from previously. Nearly half of 51 analysts predicted in the last poll the rupee would breach its all-time low of 74.48 at some point in the coming 12 months, compared with only 13 of 49 respondents in this survey. The Indian currency touched a record low on Oct. 11, hurt by the Reserve Bank of India's surprise decision to keep rates on hold. But a recent cooling of tensions between the Indian government and central bank, accompanied by a sharp drop in oil prices since early October, gave a modest boost to the rupee in recent weeks. The central bank and government have been at loggerheads over the latter's demands, which included easing of lending and capital rules for some banks. "The thawing of tensions between the RBI and the government is another positive for now, though recent tensions will continue to lurk in the background and are not positive for the currency," added Sakpal. Improved sentiment over the rupee was also reflected in a separate Reuters poll which showed bets against the currency declined in the past two weeks to their lowest since April. With October inflation below the central bank's medium-term target of 4 percent for a third month, the RBI is expected to keep the repo rate on hold at 6.5 percent on Wednesday and until at least April, when it would hike again before pausing for at least another year. But the rupee is likely to find it difficult to regain lost ground without the central bank's support. "Despite the current relief for the INR, India remains vulnerable to domestic and external woes. Its weak external fundamentals leave it prone to another round of sell-offs," noted Amy Yuan Zhuang, chief Asia analyst at Nordea. "Moreover, a liquidity crunch in the financial system combined with excessive bad debts among banks diminishes confidence in Indian assets," she added.

More trouble ahead for bruised rupee: Poll

Faced with the falling value of the rupee against the US dollar, the Sri Lankan government on Saturday&nbsp;announced drastic action to curb imports and lessen the pressure on the currency, reported news agency PTI.

"The government in order to ease the pressure off the Sri Lankan rupee has decided to take measures temporarily effective from midnight tonight," a finance ministry statement said.

Accordingly, the vehicle importation permits issued to parliamentarians will be suspended for a&nbsp;year, the report added.

No imports of vehicles for government use will be allowed, a six-month suspension of duty-free vehicle permits issued to privileged sectors, raising of import cash margins for vehicles other than buses, lorries and ambulances, and 100 per cent cash margins for import of luxury goods including mobile phones, are the other measures announced.&nbsp;

The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated over 4 per cent this month while during the year so far the fall has been over 10 per cent.

The rupee has hit an all-time low of nearly 170 to the dollar from 153 at the beginning of the year.

The IMF on Friday projected the annual economic growth of Sri Lanka to be under 4 per cent in 2018.

Faced with the falling value of the rupee against the US dollar, the Sri Lankan government on Saturday announced drastic action to curb imports and lessen the pressure on the currency, reported news agency PTI.

Faced with the falling value of the rupee against the US dollar, the Sri Lankan government on Saturday announced drastic action to curb imports and lessen the pressure on the currency, reported news agency PTI. "The government in order to ease the pressure off the Sri Lankan rupee has decided to take measures temporarily effective from midnight tonight," a finance ministry statement said. Accordingly, the vehicle importation permits issued to parliamentarians will be suspended for a year, the report added. No imports of vehicles for government use will be allowed, a six-month suspension of duty-free vehicle permits issued to privileged sectors, raising of import cash margins for vehicles other than buses, lorries and ambulances, and 100 per cent cash margins for import of luxury goods including mobile phones, are the other measures announced. The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated over 4 per cent this month while during the year so far the fall has been over 10 per cent. The rupee has hit an all-time low of nearly 170 to the dollar from 153 at the beginning of the year. The IMF on Friday projected the annual economic growth of Sri Lanka to be under 4 per cent in 2018.

Sri Lanka announces drastic measures to save falling rupee

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