21-year-old Anjali (name changed) took the UK in last January intake to graduate in Business Management at the University of Worcester. She came here after persuading her family to come to Britain while studying law. However, since his arrival, he has had to go through many ups and downs.

Anjali has to pay 16 thousand 200 pounds per annum as tuition fee . By completing the three-year course, the fee is only 48 thousand 600 (about 82 lakh rupees). According to the financial situation of the family, it is not possible to withdraw that money from Nepal, nor to pay it with the earnings of the job here. If you work 20 hours a week as per the law, you can only make daily living from it, the possibility of paying university installments is low . While wandering in search of work, she was cheated by a message found in a social media group.

'He asked for all my details to find a job . Later it was a scammer,' she said, 'the university's  I felt as if I had fallen off a cliff after losing about 7,500 pounds of my fees.' Later she got 10,000 pounds from Nepal and paid the first year fee . "In the beginning, there will be confusion in the new environment, on top of that, there is a complete lack of work in the UK", she says, "It is just a daydream to say that you will earn and pay for your education in the UK". That's why Master's is fine, but it's better not to study for three years of Bachelors.'

Deepa Chaudhary of Dang came to UK last month to study MSc Management with Project Management (Extended) at BPP University. Out of the fee of 15,600 pounds (26,52,000 Nepalese rupees) for the 15-month course, she paid 10,000 pounds while she was in Nepal. Now the university has a condition that the installment of 2800 pounds should be paid in February and the remaining 2800 pounds at the end of the course. Deepa, who left her 4-year-old daughter and husband in Nepal and came alone, is struggling now. "Leaving my family and spending that much money, I came to Britain . Now, seeing the difficult life here, I am regretting,' she complained, 'I have to go to study for four days . Who will give part-time work on Saturday, Sunday holidays? Students will be comfortable here only if they pay the expenses for 5-6 months, otherwise it will be sad.' She has thought of returning after completing her studies.

Shiv Kandel, who came to Ravenburn University to do his masters, has the same pain. Nepali students who came to UK for studies are living a difficult life here. After starting work as soon as they leave the UK, the students have to rush to pay the loans taken in Nepal and pay the university fees .

The rising cost of living

In Britain, Nepali students are also suffering from the cost of living. Apart from food in Britain, room rent and transport are also expensive. Apart from university fees, a student needs at least one thousand pounds (about 1 lakh seventy thousand rupees) per month including accommodation, travel, course materials, food and drinks, mobile, gas and electricity bills. Currently, the monthly rent, transportation, and groceries for a double and single room are at least 800 and 500 pounds, respectively. 

Also, the UK inflation rate increased for the second month in a row and reached its highest point in the last eight months . According to the 'Office for National Statistics' (ONS), the inflation rate has reached 2.6 percent in the one-year period up to last November. The rate is the highest since last March. In the annual period up to October, this rate was 2.3 percent.

According to the ONS, rising prices of fuel and clothing are the main factors behind the recent rise in inflation . The increase in ticket fees for various entertainment concerts and theaters is also believed to have contributed to inflation.

Acting Nepali ambassador in London Bipin Duwadi says that since there are 'world-class' universities in Britain, it is a positive thing to come with the thought of getting quality education, but it is not possible for students who come with great expectations of earning or getting PR. London itself is an expensive city. Students have to work part-time to earn a living . There is no situation where I can pay half of the university fees by taking a loan from Kathmandu and earn the remaining installment in the UK," he said.

He tells that requests from relatives and friends keep coming to the embassy for help in finding a job . "Parents also request by phone from Nepal". However, it is practically not possible for us to find a job", he told Kantipur.

As the British government is now 'digitizing' visas, rights such as whether or not to work with a share code will be opened in the converted e-visa, how many hours they can work, his advice to students not to take risks by doing cash-in-hand (cash) jobs or illegal work is .

He also said that some students are under mental pressure due to the burden of paying the loan taken in Nepal. He further said, "There is also a situation where friends and family approach the embassy because they are unable to bear the financial burden." Our advice to students and parents is not to come with too much expectation, but to come with mature information before coming. Acting Ambassador Duwadi said that now there are only fake marriages (paper marriages) and the number of divorces has increased. He says that it can also affect . 

More than 100 Nepali students from British universities are now in contact with 'Merging Napsx', an umbrella organization of Nepali students and various professionals in the UK. The president of the organization, Pawan Kandel, also says that Britain is very difficult for Nepali students.

'If you couldn't study first, you could go on a work permit . But, now, if you don't study, you can't change your status, let's work, you won't be able to get it easily,'' he says. There is a lot of suffering when I left Nepal without understanding. We have rescued many students from mental hospitals and on the road and sent them to Nepal.'

Kandel also told that 'scams' have increased on social media saying that they will get them to work. He recalled the case of students losing thousands of pounds due to the greed of jobs. He says that the pain is the same after the university informs the Home Office (British Home Ministry) about the non-payment of fees within the specified period.

There is also an allegation that wrong information and assurances of Nepal's educational consultancies are the main factor in the suffering of students who came to Britain. The students say that the consultancies entice them by saying that they can get a job easily after coming to UK, they can earn and pay the loan and there are many ways to get PR later. 

However, Ganesh Khadka, the director of Uniladder, an educational consulting company operated from Britain and Nepal, is not ready to accept that. He said that there are many examples of students who came to the UK with the intention of studying and progressed with excellent results. According to Khadka, the students who have not made sufficient financial arrangements and are only thinking about earning rather than studying have to suffer.

Fall in international students

The number of international students applying for UK study visas has fallen in the 'June intake', new figures show. Home Office figures show 16 per cent fewer visa applications were made between July and September than in the same period in 2023. is .

According to the Home Office, 263,400 people have applied for study visas between July and September. The same number  In June 2023, it was 3 lakh 12 thousand 500 . During the same period, dependents of foreign students applied for only 6,700, which was 59,900 in the previous year.

International students have been banned from bringing family members to the UK since last January, except those on research-based courses or government scholarships. The number of student dependent visa applications has fallen by 89 per cent since the rule was introduced by the previous Conservative government. The figures show further concern over the financial situation of British universities, which rely on fees from international students. An expert in this field has warned that a decrease in the arrival of international students to the UK will cause further damage to the financial structure of the university . 

Universities UK, which represents 141 institutions, said falling student enrollments were 'very challenging' and showed that the UK's position as a top study destination was under threat . Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) think tank, told the BBC, "The changes made by the previous government have made Britain a less attractive study destination." In comparison, the number of students coming to Britain from Nepal is still high. It has been found that the number of students coming to Britain from other countries has decreased as much as the number of Nepali students has not decreased in the same proportion after immigration tightening.

According to the data published by a group called 'Apply Board', 2 thousand 200 Nepalis got British student visas during the first quarter of 2024. Which number is 27 percent more than the same period of the previous year. India, Nigeria and other countries where the largest number of foreign students come to the UK, although the number of students has decreased after the tightening of immigration, data from Nepal has shown an increase.

Earlier in 2023, a total of 8,500 students from Nepal received UK student visas. This number was 83 percent higher than the previous year . The Nepali Embassy in London has said that there is no accurate data on how many Nepali students there are in the UK. However, according to Kandel, the president of 'Merging Napsx', there are about 15 to 18 thousand Nepali students here. 

'Britain is not easy, but not impossible'

I am Niruta Rizal, an international student living in London . I left my country last February 2021 to study computer science at BEST University of London . Like most international students, I came here with hopes and big dreams . In three years, I have paid 12,500 pounds annually for my education in hopes of leading myself to a bright future . Now, after graduation I am facing the real pain of unemployment. Unexpected but it is also a reality for many students like me.

I got stuck in a big city, a new environment at the tender age of 20 . When I first took to the UK, I was like a crow of fog wondering where to go and what to do . I felt so burdened from all over that I can only imagine .

I had to juggle how to manage full-time studies and part-time work. My weekdays were full of lectures and assignments, evenings were spent working in restaurants. There was no time to rest even on the weekend . I also worked in retail for a living. As someone who had never worked before, it was a real challenge to blend into the fast-paced work culture here .

Besides, the hardest thing for me was making friends. In three years I barely made three close friends. No one talks about how hard it can be to make friends while living abroad, but it can be complicated too. If I could give any advice to new students it would be to try to connect with as many people as possible at university. Join societies, go to events, talk to classmates . This will make your time here enjoyable and help you find a job later. Despite the

challenge, I learned a lot from this journey. Being alone and handling everything by myself has made me strong and independent. It's not always easy, but I try to embrace and enjoy every struggle.