Rupee Drop Forces Families to Reprice Overseas Degrees

Currency pressure nudges students toward Europe, East Asia.

A sharp fall in rupee value has made many families rethink long-range plans for overseas study. One dollar now trades above ninety rupees. That single move adds up fast over a three or four year course.

Counselling teams handling calls through November and early December say most callers begin by checking fees and living costs rather than rankings. One large helpline reported about 42% of enquiries last month named at least one alternative destination at first contact. That figure was about 29% in early 2024.

RBI figures show outward remittances for education easing this year. Counsellors flagged slower final conversions, not a dip in interest. A Chennai consultant added that students bring screenshots, hostel reels and rough currency maths to meetings. “They want to know how every rupee move affects total outflow,” he said.

Public universities in Germany and Italy draw steady attention because tuition bands stay low after conversion, often €3,000–€4,500 a year. By contrast, some high-demand UK programmes tip into the ₹25–28 lakh a year range once fees and city costs are counted. That spread pushes families to test shorter courses or to pick countries with compact programmes.

Class 12 families now ask for full-duration estimates rather than first-year numbers. Counsellors in Bengaluru and Pune say many households keep two plans: one Europe, one Asia, to manage risk if visas delay. Students eye South Korea for tech tracks where recruiters have widened intake; they ask about English-medium options, internships and scholarship slabs.

Some families seek staggered payment windows from overseas colleges to limit upfront exposure. Others add a currency buffer to monthly budget calculations. Small moves, counsellors say, can prevent big shocks over a degree that spans years.

Agents expect this pattern to hold into early 2026, unless rupee volatility eases or major destination markets change visa rules and fee timelines.