New Delhi, July 31 -- For decades, the math for Indian students heading to the United States was fairly simple: take out an education loan, earn a STEM degree, secure a job through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, and eventually obtain an H-1B visa to pay off the debt. A new policy, however, may soon break this equation.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the Donald Trump administration in the US is planning to attach a $100,000 fee to the OPT program itself. The OPT programme allows foreign graduates to work for one to three years on their student visas in areas directly related to their studies. If implemented, this may bar thousands of international graduates from working in the US, altering the appeal of ...