Andhra Pradesh Students affected by US fake university

AP students left in the lurch as US varsity comes under lens HYDERABAD: While the future of around 400 students from the state studying at the Californian Herguan University hangs in limbo, the government is yet to establish contact with the Indian Embassy in San Francisco. Educational consultants said chances of these students getting a transfer in other varsities were also slim. On August 3, CEO of Herguan University Jerry Wang, was charged with various counts of visa fraud leaving the careers of students from the city in a precarious balance. Government officials said that they have had no contact with embassies or students and their families and are keeping their fingers crossed. Ramana Reddy, special secretary in charge of NRI affairs, said, "No representation has been made so far. It is high time to establish contact with India Embassy in San Francisco. We are hoping for a development soon so that we can help the students." Sources said that the 'dubious' Herguan University was already on US authorities' scanner and that an incident at the now-tainted varsity was predicted much earlier. They noted that none of the students from the state had applied to the university from the country but in fact had sought a transfer from state universities after being lured by a full time work permit and a low tuition fee. They added that the prospects of seeking a transfer from Herguan University to other varsities were bleak. Surya Ganesh Valmiki, CMD, Valmiki Group of Overseas Educational Consultants, said, "It is likely that credits of students from Herguan University will not be accepted elsewhere because of the incident. However, the Department of Homeland Security will decide the deadline and transfer of these students. The fee for such universities is $5,000 as against $15,000 to $20,000 charged by reputed institutions. Therefore, to both save and make money, students rush to study at such places." Sources said that of the 1.5 lakh students who rush to foreign shores, 60% are from the state. They added that many unaccredited institutions like Herguan offered students a full-time work permit instead of the 20-hour a day work permit which is why students go there. While most students finish their course in two years, they opt for an F1 visa, a five-year multiple entry visa. M Madhavi from i20 Fever said that it was quite likely that the students would be asked to return.