The dollar value is increasing wildly. It has climbed from Rs 85 per dollar to nearly Rs 95 per dollar in short time.
This is good news for Indians earning in dollars in the USA, but a nightmare for Indian parents who are sending money for their student children’s maintenance there.
“My son went to the USA in 2025 as a student. As the rules have become very strict with ICE raids, he is not daring to work anywhere and is relying only on what I send him from here. I used to send Rs 1 lakh per month until some time ago. But now he is asking me to send Rs 2 lakh as it is becoming difficult to cope with costs due to the depreciation of the rupee, which is giving him fewer dollars in hand. On top of that, rising inflation in the USA is another reason,” said Venugopal, a banker who sent his son to the USA for studies.
He continued, “His fees are paid through a bank loan. But for his monthly maintenance, I sold the only piece of land I had and got Rs 25 lakh. I assumed it would meet his costs for two years. But now it looks impossible. I am really worried about how to fund my son.”
While this is his story, another private company employee who sent his daughter to the USA for studies said, “My daughter is a very studious student. We never made her work at home here. But now that she is in the USA, she is discreetly working in some Indian households as a domestic helper, which is getting her some money. But she says that is not enough to make both ends meet due to rising inflation. So whenever she asks for money, I send it. She is worried that it is burdening me, but she has no other option.”
He added, “But all said and done, there is no guarantee that she will get a job there. That is the bigger nightmare troubling me. Because if she returns without a job, we may have to sell all our properties to clear the education loan and other personal loans. We end up with no penny for her marriage.”
Speaking about the situation, a tourist named Dileep Reddy said, “I was in the USA for the last 20 days and just returned. The cost of food and everything else has increased drastically. On top of that, the depreciation of the rupee is hitting Indian tourists hard. I depend on my credit card during foreign travel, and the bills are shocking when converted into rupees now. Touring the USA is becoming challenging even for upper middle class Indian earners.”
Another software engineer, Anurag Kumar, shared a different perspective. “I was in the USA for sometime but returned and my H1B not renewed. I'm yet to get a job here. India is a paradise for food and medical facilities. We can have a cup of coffee for Rs 15 at coffee kiosks. We can finish a sumptuous breakfast for Rs 50. Even medical facilities in government hospitals, which are almost free, are now upgraded with good facilities and treatment standards".
He continued to say, “In Hyderabad, my cousin, who is affluent, got admitted to a nearby government ENT hospital during midnight for an emergency. His family thought of shifting him the next day to a corporate hospital. But since the patient and the family felt that the treatment, facilities, doctors, and nursing staff attention were commendably good, they continued treatment there for two days. Even I felt that the government ENT hospital was good enough and it changed my perspective. Such treatment for free is impossible in the USA. Had my cousin faced this emergency there, he would have had to spend tens of lakhs of rupees, possibly even close to Rs 1 crore.” he said.
A consultant dealing with student visas in Hyderabad said, “The USA is becoming a place for studies mainly for affluent Indian families. It is more for international exposure than for securing jobs. Only elite business families whose businesses run into hundreds of crores can easily send their children to the USA for studies, as they return to manage their family businesses with international exposure. Otherwise, education in the USA is becoming a nightmare for middle and upper middle class families.”
Thus, with the rupee weakening and living costs rising in the USA, many Indian families are feeling intense financial pressure.
For middle and upper middle class parents, funding education abroad is turning into a heavy burden, raising questions about sustainability and future returns.