In a country where studying abroad is often a badge of pride, one young woman’s journey reveals barriers few speak of — not a lack of money, but family control, cultural expectations, and a system that rarely makes room for individual dreams.

For a 25-year-old working in a creative industry for over five years, the dream was finally in sight. Without formal qualifications in her field but equipped with solid skills, she secured admission to the world’s second-ranked university for her industry in London, enrolling in a Master’s program slated for September 2025. Even more impressively, she won an 80% scholarship — an achievement few can claim — bringing her loan requirement down to a manageable ₹15-20 lakh.

But the dream unraveled swiftly.

Though she managed her entire application process, from SOPs to interviews and funding research, and never asked her family for financial support, her father refused to co-sign her education loan, the person disclosed in a post on Reddit. His reason had nothing to do with finances or her ability to repay — she earned a steady income and had mapped out a clear repayment plan — but simply, “no one in the paternal family would be okay” with her studying abroad.

After weeks of pleading and emotional strain, she turned to a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) that finally agreed to provide a loan without a co-applicant. But delays in the disbursement process cost her the university’s deposit deadline. Her scholarship, too, was lost.

Though the university was sympathetic, the scholarship had already been reassigned to the next eligible student.

Now, she is in the process of returning the loan and relinquishing her admission — cutting short what could have been a transformative career leap.

This wasn’t a story of financial barriers or academic shortcomings. It was a story of systemic control and the quiet, crushing power of “no” — not from strangers, but from those expected to support you.

“It was never about the money. It was always about control,” she wrote in her post.

She is now pursuing legal emancipation from her family, hoping to reapply next year without needing a co-applicant. The process is slow, but her resolve remains unshaken.