Loans for Education in Australia

There is no general rule on whether you are eligible for a scholarship for Australian schools. All scholarships vary in their eligibility requirements; for students from India, some institutes ask for a certain TOEFL score, while others ask for you to have a certain GPA. There is no specified cut off, but the higher your score, the better your chances. If you are considering Aviation as an option, you will need good scores in math and physics.

A few scholarships are granted by the Australian government to promote educational cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region. These mainly consist of two programs -

• Australian Leadership Awards and the Endeavour Program. Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) is for long-term Post Graduate study at Masters or Doctoral level. This program is managed by AUSAID, the Australian government's overseas aid program.
• The other scholarship is the Endeavour scholarship, which is offered to leading researchers, executives and students to undertake short or long-term study, research and professional development in a broad range of disciplines. This program is very competitive and is offered by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).

Scholarships in Biotechnology

• Aga Khan Foundation for development studies: Forms are available from January every year at Sarojini House, 6 Bhagwandass Raod, and New Delhi 110 001.
• Biotechnology Overseas Associationship:
  Eligibility: PhD/MD degree in an area related to Biotechnology. Last date for applying is in September every year.
  Apply to: Senior Scientific Officer 1, Department of Biotechnology Block II 6th floor, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003 on the prescribed format. Advertisement is published in August every year.
• Cambridge Nehru Scholarships for PhD at University at Cambridge:
  Eligibility- First class Honours degree and age below 28 years. Last date for applying is in September every year.
  Apply to: Nehru Trust for Cambridge University, Teen Murti House, Teen Murti Marg, New Delhi 110 011 with full details of academic qualifications.
• Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow PG Research Traineeships for PhD in Indian Universities:
  Eligibility: M.Sc in Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Biotechnology, Zoology, Microbiology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Life Sciences with minimum 60% marks. Age- below 28 years. Test: CSIR-UGC-NET or Research Aptitude Test held in July and interview. Stipend: Rs 4,000 per month.
  Apply to: Director, Central Drug Research Institute, Chattar Manzil Palace, Lucknow 226 001. Notification is published in May.
• German Academic Exchange fellowship Subjects:
  Bio-Engineering, Bio-Pharmacology, Metallurgy, Environment Science, Agronomy, Veterinary Science, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry:
  Eligibility: PG degree with first division and 2 years of teaching or research experience. Last date is in September every year. Apply to: Ministry of Human Resource Development, External Scholarship Division, ES-1, Section A-1/W.3, Curzon Road Barracks, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110 001.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies For Indian nationals for Ph.D. in India or for visit to another Asian country in Science, Philosophy, Religion and Culture, International Relations, History, Social Change, Ecology:
  Eligibility: PG degree in first class; age below 35 years; should be a Ph.D. scholar. Fellowship amount: Rs 6,000 per month with annual maintenance allowance of Rs 10,000. Last date for applying is in May every year.
  Apply to: Administrative Officer, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, Teen Murti House, New Delhi 110 001 with a self-addressed stamped envelope (25&Mac215; 10 cm).
• KC Mahindra Scholarships for Studies Abroad:
  Eligibility: a) First class degree, b) must have secured admission in a foreign university. Last date of receipt of application forms is in March every year. Address for applying: Managing Trustee, KC Mahindra Education Trust, Cecil Court 3rd floor, Near Regal Cinema, Mahakavi Bhushan Marg, Mumbai 400 001 with a s.a.s.e. 25&Mac215; 18 cm with stamps of Rs 4.
• Lady Tata Memorial Trust Scientific Research Scholarships:
  
• Post Doctoral scholarships for PhD in Science or to MD/MS degree holder.
• Senior Scholarships for post-graduates with MBBS degree or M.Sc with 2 years research experience.
• Junior Scholarships to fresh M.Sc or B.Sc with distinction and 2 years research experience. Last date for applications is January 31 every year. Apply to: Secretary and Chief Accountant, Lady Tata Memorial Trust, Bombay House, Homi Mody Street, Mumbai 400 001.
  
• RD Birla Smarak Kosh, Mumbai Fellowships and Grants for research/training in a medical or related subject. For application forms write to: Director, RD Birla Smarak Kosh, Medical Research Centre, Bombay Hospital Trust, Hospital Avenue, Mumbai 400 020.
• Research fellowship in Tribal Development:
  Eligibility: Research scholars with a background of Social Sciences, Agriculture, Medicine, who are already registered for PhD/Post-Doctoral with a recognized university.
  Rate of fellowship: Rs 3,200 per month. Last date for applying is in September every year. Apply to: Director, Tribal Development Division, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Room 212, 2nd floor D wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi 110 001 in the prescribed format. Advertisement is published in August every year.
• National Biosciences Awards for Career Development: Awarded to scientists who are currently engaged in basic and applied research in Biosciences and Bio-Technology. Each award carries a cash amount of Rupees one Lac, a citation and a research grant of Rs.3.00 Lac per year for three years. Contact: Adviser, Human Resource Development, Department of Bio-technology, Block-2 (6-8th Floors, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003
• Women Bioscientist Awards: Awarded to women Bio-Scientist currently working in the areas of Biology and Biochemistry. Contact Address: Principal Scientific Officer, Department of Biotechnology, Block-2 (6-8th Floors) CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003.

Student Visa for Australia

Students who have passed 10+2 can either take entry to universities or other tertiary institutions with a good band score (minimum 6.0) of International English Language Testing System (IELTS). IELTS is required for admission into all Australian institutions. You must also have the financial means to support yourself and appropriate private health insurance cover during your stay in Australia.

Most importantly, you need to have your documents in order, and your visa processed through the new E Visa option.

Things you should bear in mind:

• If you hire an agent make sure he is MARA (Migration Agents Registered Authority) certified.
• Paper submission or through an uncertified agent can result in rejection.
• You should apply under the visa sub-class for your principal course of study.
• Electronic confirmation of enrollment (eCoE) is the only accepted evidence of enrollment for processing student visa applications.
• Processing time for this via is about three to six months.

Generally, an international student is issued with a multiple entry visa for the duration of their study course in Australia. Once a student is accepted into a full time course of study at an Australian institution he needs to obtain a student visa, which is valid for the duration of the course of study indicated on the Confirmation of Enrolment form provided by the Australian Institution. This form is provided once international student fees (or exchange places) have been arranged, and overseas student health coverage charges have been paid.

The holder of a student visa has the right to live and study in Australia. They may be allowed to apply for permission to work up to 20 hours a week part time during term periods and full time in the vacation periods. Graduate level students may also be entitled to apply for a permanent residence visa in some circumstances.

Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme

Prospective applicants can also contact institutions directly for information on how to apply for an ORSAS award. Some aspects of this award are as follows:

• These are funded by the Department for Education and Skills
• These grants are for Post Graduate students undertaking full-time study for a research degree at British higher education institutions
• Applicants must be able to pay tuition fees at the full international (i.e. not the EU/UK) rate
• Selection of candidates is based solely on academic merit and research potential
• Awards meet the difference between the home and overseas level of tuition fees only, and do not cover maintenance costs

Note: Participating higher education institutions receive an annual grant to fund ORSAS awards and select their ORSAS award holders internally.

Study Abroad for Good Career

The education system in countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, and many other European countries is better than the Indian education system in many ways. These countries offer better education infrastructure and skills enhancement programmes. Studying abroad adds significant value to your CV and gives you a global edge. Your job prospects increases manifold. This is the reason why the number of Indian students going abroad is increasing every year. Last year India sent around 83000 students to the US, around 45,000 to Australia and almost 30000 students to the UK.

A study abroad experience will make an important difference in getting a job after completing your studies. It will help you in pursuing careers in different countries. An overseas experience will help in your personal enrichment and development. Studying abroad makes a major contribution to your knowledge of other countries and cultures and to your foreign language proficiency. It helps you develop the cross cultural skills and knowledge that are needed to enhance your global competitiveness. In some cases, you may not be able to follow your course of choice in your native country, and therefore have no choice but to go abroad. The list of benefits of studying abroad is endless, but before you plan to enrich yourself with an overseas experience you need to plan your study abroad options in detail and well in advance.

Education loan from Syndicate bank

• Eligibility for Loan: Any student, who is an Indian national, and a major, or represented by a guardian is eligible for the loan. The bank gives loans for all recognized institutes overseas.
• Expenses Covered: The bank provides finance for tuition boarding, books and travel. However, no assistance is provided for capitation fees and coaching.
• Loan Upper limit: For overseas education, the maximum loan amount is Rs. 15 Lac with a margin of 5 %i.e. students need to put in that amount themselves
• Rate of Interest: To study abroad, the rate of interest is 1.5% - the current PLR (13.25) which means an interest of 11.75%.
• Repayment Period: The amount has to be paid back in 5 to 7 years commencing one year after completion of the course or 6 months after securing the job whichever is earlier.
• Security: Up to Rs 7.5 Lac, no security required. For over 7.5 Lac, collateral security equal to 100% of the loan amount with suitable margin and a third party guarantee is needed.