'Denied a signature, lost a dream...': How a loan delay derailed one Indian student's UK master's dream
A woman shared how her acceptance into a prestigious UK university, with an 80% scholarship, collapsed because her father refused to support her loan application
- Jul 15, 2025,
- Updated Jul 15, 2025 1:05 PM IST
For a 25-year-old Indian professional, the dream of studying abroad was shattered not due to a lack of merit or money, but because her family refused to co-sign a student loan, effectively blocking her from pursuing a master’s degree at one of the top global universities in her field.
In a widely circulated Reddit post titled "How I had my dream of studying abroad shattered in a matter of weeks", she shared how her acceptance into a prestigious UK university — with an 80% scholarship — collapsed because her father refused to support her loan application.
“I have been working full-time for five years now and I don't have any qualifications for the industry I'm working in,” she wrote. A B.Com graduate working in a creative field, she said she faced repeated career limitations due to the “lack of proper education.” That’s when she applied for a master’s programme aligned with her current field of work, and got into the second-ranked university for her discipline worldwide.
Her goal was clear: gain a world-class education to match her skills and accelerate her career. With the scholarship secured and a loan amount of ₹15–20 lakh needed to cover the remainder, she approached her family — only to be “blatantly refused.”
“I only asked them to sign a loan application and I earn well enough in India right now to ensure that I would earn well enough to repay the loan myself,” she said. Indian banks require a co-applicant for student loans, and despite being financially independent, she couldn't bypass the requirement.
With her family unwilling to assist — not for financial reasons, she said, but due to “control” — she turned to a non-banking financial company (NBFC). Though hesitant at first over safety concerns, she had no choice. The loan was eventually approved, but disbursement delays meant she missed the university’s deadline to pay the deposit and get her Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
“I tried emailing the university and showed proof of delay, but unfortunately, they couldn't reissue my scholarship... it was passed onto the next student in need,” she wrote.
Now, the loan is being returned, and her chance to study abroad, at least for this year, is lost.
Worse, she says the denial wasn’t rooted in concern for her well-being. “The only reason I was given for not helping was that no one in the paternal family would be okay with me going abroad,” she wrote, adding, “I didn't even hear a congratulations for getting accepted into a world-ranking university, which is usually a pride moment for parents.”
She is now in the process of cutting legal ties with her family to avoid needing a co-applicant next year. “This was a nail in the coffin,” she said. “I’m currently not in contact with them anymore and am in the process of legally emancipating myself from their ties.”
For a 25-year-old Indian professional, the dream of studying abroad was shattered not due to a lack of merit or money, but because her family refused to co-sign a student loan, effectively blocking her from pursuing a master’s degree at one of the top global universities in her field.
In a widely circulated Reddit post titled "How I had my dream of studying abroad shattered in a matter of weeks", she shared how her acceptance into a prestigious UK university — with an 80% scholarship — collapsed because her father refused to support her loan application.
“I have been working full-time for five years now and I don't have any qualifications for the industry I'm working in,” she wrote. A B.Com graduate working in a creative field, she said she faced repeated career limitations due to the “lack of proper education.” That’s when she applied for a master’s programme aligned with her current field of work, and got into the second-ranked university for her discipline worldwide.
Her goal was clear: gain a world-class education to match her skills and accelerate her career. With the scholarship secured and a loan amount of ₹15–20 lakh needed to cover the remainder, she approached her family — only to be “blatantly refused.”
“I only asked them to sign a loan application and I earn well enough in India right now to ensure that I would earn well enough to repay the loan myself,” she said. Indian banks require a co-applicant for student loans, and despite being financially independent, she couldn't bypass the requirement.
With her family unwilling to assist — not for financial reasons, she said, but due to “control” — she turned to a non-banking financial company (NBFC). Though hesitant at first over safety concerns, she had no choice. The loan was eventually approved, but disbursement delays meant she missed the university’s deadline to pay the deposit and get her Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
“I tried emailing the university and showed proof of delay, but unfortunately, they couldn't reissue my scholarship... it was passed onto the next student in need,” she wrote.
Now, the loan is being returned, and her chance to study abroad, at least for this year, is lost.
Worse, she says the denial wasn’t rooted in concern for her well-being. “The only reason I was given for not helping was that no one in the paternal family would be okay with me going abroad,” she wrote, adding, “I didn't even hear a congratulations for getting accepted into a world-ranking university, which is usually a pride moment for parents.”
She is now in the process of cutting legal ties with her family to avoid needing a co-applicant next year. “This was a nail in the coffin,” she said. “I’m currently not in contact with them anymore and am in the process of legally emancipating myself from their ties.”