Five hundred and fifty students of Asian and African origin, many of them Indians, have found themselves at a loss after their university, the Tasmac London School of Business, suddenly closed down last week.

The reason seems to be the new stringent rules that the UK Border Agency is imposing to avoid abuse of student visa. While the Tasmac officials are trying to make alternate arrangements, including speaking to other institutes to transfer their students there, the fact remains that this is an uncertain time indeed for those affected. Alone in a foreign country, with resources limited at best, it can be a tough time indeed for stranded students. But there are steps you can take to avoid a similar situation.
Says Naresh Chandra, the principal of an eminent Mumbai college, “As far as possible, the closure of an institute should be phased out. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the parent institute and the government to ensure that the students are transferred to another institute. Students should lose no time in contacting their parent institute in such cases.”
While students work out just what their next move is going to be, they should also consider returning home, says career counsellor Shaylaja Mulay. “That’s preferable to waiting for something to happen, that too, in a foreign country,” she points out. “Another option could be to try for admission to another college in the same city, credits permitting.”
Approaching your country’s embassy is a must in such situations. But even more necessary is to ask yourself some tough questions, says Shaylaja: “Till when will you be able to sustain yourself? The best recourse might be to come back home and get admission.”