Dhaval Patel, an Indian ed-tech founder, cautioned against the US master's degree trap on LinkedIn. He argued that students are returning home with roughly $100,000 in debt and no job offer. The math is brutal. A two-year program at a reputable institution like Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey costs around $70,000 in tuition. Add living expenses, and the total hits $100,000—nearly 95 lakh rupees. Patel spoke to a recent graduate who found himself stranded. His classmates faced the same wall. They couldn’t secure employment or the necessary H-1B visa. So they packed their bags and returned to India, carrying the weight of that debt. It’s not a fluke. Patel noted he’s seen many others struggle similarly. The odds of landing a job and the visa are low.
The regulatory landscape has shifted sharply. The US administration is cracking down on visa abuse. Programs that prioritize international students over equally skilled Americans are under threat. OPT and STEM-OPT, once reliable pipelines, are narrowing. Transitioning from an F-1 student visa to an H-1B work visa is getting harder. The government has imposed hefty new fees on H-1B petitions. Courts are currently blocking some of these fees, but the pressure is on. IT staffing firms face probes. Major tech companies report delays in H-1B extension petitions this month. The net is tightening.
Patel clarified his stance. He’s not spreading fear. He’s sharing a personal opinion based on direct conversations. The case of the Stevens graduate was illustrative. It’s not an outlier. It’s a pattern. For the average Indian student, the risk-reward calculation has tipped. The debt is real. The job market is hostile. The visa path is narrow.
Students weighing their options must factor in these new hurdles. The next few months will be critical. Courts will rule on the new H-1B fees. The administration will likely intensify its scrutiny of international student visas. For those already in the US, the pressure is mounting. For those at home, the decision is getting harder. The $100,000 price tag is no longer just a tuition fee. It’s a gamble on a system that is closing the door.