Education Savings vs Loan: Which to Pick (Honest)
An uncle of mine called me in March, sounding genuinely torn. His daughter had a Master’s admission in Edinburgh, the all-in cost would land somewhere near ₹30 lakh,…
For Indians considering studying abroad
The complete picture on studying abroad.
Success, neutral, and struggle scenarios. Decision frameworks. Real numbers. No sales target.
No banner ads. No affiliate links. No lead-gen. Reader-supported.
What you will find here
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01
Multi-scenario articles
Success. Neutral. Struggle. All three for every decision. Read the one that matches your situation, then read the other two.
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02
Real numbers
Loan EMIs, currency-adjusted salaries, cost-of-living spreadsheets. The math the brochure leaves out.
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03
Decision frameworks
Questions to ask yourself before signing the loan papers, not after. The frameworks you wish someone had given you.
A note from Faz
Read the full storyI went to Australia for an MBA. I had wanted Canada but did not have the money for it.
The market crashed between when I applied and when I graduated. I did not get a single offer in the country I had moved to. I came back to India with a thirty-eight lakh loan that took two years after graduation to clear, and a degree I now had to explain to people who had not asked.
I am building this site so you do not run a race that does not need to be run.
Is this site for you?
Who this is for
Indian students and parents in the eighteen months before a study-abroad decision. Specifically:
- Class 11 or 12, weighing UG abroad versus UG in India.
- Final-year undergrads considering a Master's in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, or Australia.
- Mid-career professionals calculating whether a foreign MBA pays back the loan.
- A parent watching the EMI math and trying to figure out if "no collateral" really means that.
If you want a consultant to make the decision for you, this site will frustrate you. If you want the numbers, the trade-offs, and the unflattering reality of each path, you are in the right place.
How to use it
Get the most out of this
- Start with a decision guide. The four-thousand-word reviews are useful only after you have worked through one of the long-form decision guides. They are filed under "Before you decide" on the articles page.
- Run your own math. Every cost number on this site is the cost for a specific profile. Use the calculators to plug your numbers. "Canada costs ₹40L" is true on average and wrong for almost everyone individually.
- Read the disqualifier sections. Every article has a "Don't do this if…" block. Most readers gloss over them. The ones who do not save the most money.
- Bring your own situation. Nothing on this site replaces your specific case. The frameworks tell you what to ask. Your answers, your numbers, your call.
By stage
Where are you in the journey?
Read by your stage, not by the algorithm's guess.
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