How to Apply for an Education Loan to Study Abroad: As higher education, travel, and living expenses continue to become more expensive, studying abroad can often feel like a far-fetched dream. However, as per a report, studying abroad has only gained more popularity, with the number of Indian students going abroad expected to increase from 7 lakh+ to 1.8 billion by 2024.
While studying abroad continues to be popular among students in India, higher education costs at international schools have become quite a burden for many parents.
Regardless of a student’s financial capacity, a major percentage of Indian students planning on higher education abroad resort to education loans. From reasons like easy repayment terms to a wide range of expenses covered, a growing number of students are applying for education loans rather than dipping into the personal savings of their parents.
Let us now find out how to apply for education loans to study abroad in detail along with the top Indian education loan providers in 2022.
What is an Education Loan?
An education loan is an amount of money borrowed from a bank or other financial agencies to cover your cost of post-secondary or higher education. It intends to finance the cost of books, supplies, tuition fees as well as living expenses.
Unlike a personal loan, an education loan offers a lower interest rate and if you are qualified for a government-subsidized loan, you will be required to pay even lower interest rates. Education loans usually offer a longer repayment tenure of up to 20 years and payments are often deferred while the borrower is in college. Sometimes, the borrower is offered an additional six-month period after earning a degree, which is known as a “grace period”.
How to Get an Education Loan for Studying Abroad?
Confused about applying for an education loan to study abroad? Given below is the process explained in detail:
Pre-Application:
Step 1: Explore your options and find out what financial gaps you want to fill through the loan. This would require you to figure out how much loan you require.
Step 2: Research and shortlist the banks that offer education loans for studying abroad.
Step 3: Check the eligibility criteria for each of those education loans and find out if the bank recognises the course you are applying for.
Step 4: Compare the education loans offered by different banks for studying abroad and pick one that meets your requirements.
Step 5: Before applying for an education loan, always read the terms and conditions of the loan thoroughly.
Application:
Step 6: After you have picked the bank and the loan plan, fill in the application form either by visiting the bank or online. Please note that not all banks let you apply for an education loan online.
Step 7: Submit the Documents Required for a Study Abroad Education Loan Application.
Post-Application:
Step 8: Wait for your loan application to be approved.
Step 9: Once your loan is approved, the bank will provide you with a loan document including the various elements of the loan.
Step 10: Sign the loan agreement, after which the bank will pay the required amount in instalments or as asked by the university.
Confused About Which Education Loan to Apply for?
Top Indian Education Loan Providers for Studying Abroad
Given below is the list of the top education loan providers in India for studying abroad:
|
Name of Bank |
Features |
|
State Bank of India (SBI) |
Eligible courses: Full-time graduate/post-graduate degree/diploma/certificate/doctorate course in any disciplines Eligible countries: USA, UK, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Europe [Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, UK Simple Interest will be charged during Course Period + Moratorium Period |
|
Axis Bank |
Eligibility:
No prepayment charges No pre-closure charges Repo rate linked interest rates |
|
HDFC Bank |
Eligible courses: MS, MBA, Executive Management Courses and all other courses (case-to-case basis) Eligible countries: 35+ countries Coverage: 100% of tuition fees determined by university along with other expenses Loan repayment up to 14 Years including the Moratorium Period |
|
Punjab National Bank (PNB) |
Eligibility:
Scholarship/ assistantship be included in margin Coverage: fees, travel expenses, life insurance premium, books, computer and other expenses |
|
Bank of Baroda |
Eligibility:
Coverage: Tuition fees, travel expenses, life insurance premium, books, computer and other expenses |
Top Education Loan Schemes for Studying Abroad in 2022 - A Comparison
Before applying for a study abroad loan, go through the details mentioned in the table below and compare the schemes offered by different banks in 2022:
|
Bank |
Loan Amount |
Processing Fees |
Interest Rate (p.a) |
|
IDBI Bank |
Loan Amount: INR 20 Lakhs |
INR 10,000 per application |
6.75% |
|
Central Bank of India |
Maximum Loan Amount: INR 20 Lakhs |
MCLR + 2% |
6.85% |
|
Indian Bank |
Loan Amount: 20 Lakhs Maximum Loan Amount: No Cap |
NIL |
6.9% |
|
Union Bank of India |
Maxium Loan Amount: 25 Lakhs |
NIL |
7% |
|
PNB |
Maximum Loan Amount: INR 20 Lakhs |
1% of loan amount |
7.15% onwards |
|
Bank of Baroda |
Loan Amount: INR 20 Lakh |
1% of loan amount up to INR 10,000 |
7.15% |
|
SBI |
Minimum Loan Amount: Above INR 7.50 Lakhs Maximum Loan Amount: INR 1.5 Cr |
INR 10,000 per application |
7.25% |
|
Canara Bank |
Maxium Loan Amount: 20 Lakhs |
NIL |
7.30% |
|
Axis Bank |
Minimum Loan Amount: INR 50,000 Maximum Loan Amount: INR 75 Lakhs |
0 to INR 15,000 + tax |
13.70% to 15.20% |
|
HDFC Bank |
Minimum Loan Amount: INR 2 Lakhs No upper limit |
Up to 1.5% of loan amount + tax |
9.40% to 13.34% |
|
ICICI Bank |
Maximum Loan Amount: INR 1 crore |
- |
9.50% onwards |
Note: Details mentioned here are subject to change.
How to Ensure the Education Loan is Sanctioned
To maximise your chances to get your study abroad education loan sanctioned or approved, here are a few tips:
Check the university’s and lender’s requirements: Many lenders have requirements pertaining to which universities and degree programs are eligible for the loan. While some may provide loans to a specific list of universities, some might not be limited to a location, university or degree programs. However, every lender would have a specific list of study destinations.
You must make sure to check the university’s requirements as well and apply to only those universities and programs that the lenders approve of. Many universities share a list of lenders or banks that have supported former students.
Have a Repayment Plan
It is extremely important that you have a financial plan to increase your chances of getting your education loan approved. Some lenders need borrowers to pay interest-only or partial-interest payout while they are still enrolled in school. Making arrangements for this and looking for ways to pay them timely will prevent the interest from capitalising. Further, if you choose a shorter repayment period, you have a better chance of getting the loan approved.
You, as an international student, will get a number of opportunities to earn some extra money while in college, especially in countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, among others, where work rights are flexible. These may include on-campus or off-campus part-time employment, scholarships and internships. You may also bridge the remaining cost gap (if any) through personal/family savings.
Have a Well-Thought Career Plan
Any lender would want to have an idea about how you are planning to pay off the loan. It is because of this that many banks offer education loans to applicants enrolled in programs that are more likely to offer high-earning careers (example - MBA, engineering).
Lenders want to make sure that the borrower would end up with a lucrative career after graduation, which could convince the lender that offering an education loan would be worth the risk. In case you already have a history of employment, it is even better as it will show the bank that you have a higher chance of finding employment upon graduation.
Banks vs NBFCs for Study Abroad Education Loan
Although banks have been the go-to option for students requiring education loans to study abroad, non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) have also emerged as a great option to borrow a loan.
Banks are usually rigid with regard to the course the student is applying for, while NBFCs approve loans for almost all courses. In addition, NBFCs cover most of the common expenses including tuition fees, transportation, books, security deposits, and more. Let us now look at the differences between banks and NBFCs when it comes to education loans to study abroad:
|
Point of Difference |
Banks |
NBFCs |
|
Loan Coverage |
Tuition fees, travel expenses, lodging fees, costs of books, library fees, travel expenses, caution deposit, etc. |
100% of tuition fees, lab fees, travel expenses, exam fees, accommodation costs, caution deposit, cost of books, etc. |
|
Flexibility |
Has a definite list of approved universities and category of courses. Courses can be at postgraduate, undergraduate, diploma levels, preferably in the non-vocational stream. Many nationalised banks also offer education loans for vocational courses |
Comparatively more flexible on the type of courses |
|
Processing Time |
Private banks approve loans faster than public sector banks. |
Faster in approving education loans irrespective of the course |
|
Procurement |
Stricter rules and regulations |
Simpler terms irrespective of the course chosen by the borrower |
|
Government Subsidy |
Offer interest rate subsidy to those from the weaker sections of the society (applicable during the moratorium period) |
No interest rate subsidies |
|
Loan Amount |
There is an upper limit Ranges between Rs. 20L and Rs. 30L, based on the course and university. However, this may vary from one bank to another |
No cap |
|
Security Collateral |
Require security collateral For loans below Rs. 4L, no security is required. For loans between Rs. 4L-Rs.7.5L, third-party guarantee is required.
|
Based on the loan amount and credit history of the borrower |
|
Interest Rates |
Uniformity linked to the bank’s marginal cost of funds based on lending rate (MCLR) |
Set their own interest rates based on the market competition and cost of operations; higher interest rate |
|
Repayments |
Can be done within seven years Interest repayment can begin during the moratorium period Principal repayment can be done as monthly installments |
Can be done within seven years |
|
Moratorium Period |
Ranging from six months to up to one year |
Six months |
|
Documents Required |
ID Proofs Residence Proofs Signature Proofs |
|
|
Concessions for Women |
Might be available |
NA |
|
Pre-closure charges |
NA |
Might levy pre-closure charges based on the reason of closure, profile of the borrower and tenure left |
For further information about study abroad loans in India, please write to us at abroad@collegedekho.com. Stay tuned!
Have Further Doubts About Study Abroad Loans?
