For many African students, securing admission abroad is no longer the hardest part, as new financial demands in France and tighter visa rules in the United States raise the cost, risk and uncertainty of studying overseas.
In the French case, Cameroonian students and parents protested outside the French embassy in Yaoundé after new financial requirements threatened to prevent successful applicants from taking up their university places in France.
According to Radio France Internationale, student visa applicants in Cameroon may now need to demonstrate access to as much as €25,000, including tuition and processing costs, before receiving a visa to study in France.
The requirement followed a July 9 announcement by Campus France Cameroon directing applicants to prove that they had paid their tuition fees in full or had enough money to cover the entire cost.
The measure came after some applicants had already submitted their documents, paid registration fees and agreed on instalment plans with their institutions.
