New Delhi, May 20 -- To grab hold of the glossy dream of overseas education and eventual global employment, Indian parents have willingly liquidated family assets and taken out hefty education loans - all in the hope that earnings in dollars or euros would wipe out the debt.

But in 2026, that fundamental equation stands fractured. With the Indian rupee hitting record lows of Rs.96 against the US dollar, the financial math of studying abroad demands a hard reset.

The equation has changed. With tighter job markets, lower starting salaries, 12% education loan interest rates and a weaker rupee, costs are climbing while repayment capacity is shrinking.

According to Dhaval Mehta, founder and CEO of Globestar Edutech, an educational consultan...