What is Tri-Valley University scam?

Tri-Valley University is a Christian Higher Education Institution aiming to offer rigorous and excellent quality academic programs in the context of Christian faith and world view. Tri-Valley University’s academic programs include School of Engineering (Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering), School of Business and School of Art (School of Trinity), School of Law and School of Medicine. Degree programs in these schools are Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Master of Science (M. S.), Master in Business Administration (MBA), Master of Art (MA), MA in Library Science (MALS), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Non-degree programs are certificate program and open-enrollment programs.

PROBLEM STARTED WHEN US LEARNED THAT 98% OF TOTAL STRENGTH WAS FROM INDIA, WHO ARE STUDYING AS WELL AS WORKING IN US

Federal agencies here claimed that the university was not conducting full-time courses and registered students were not doing full-time studies. This had caused violation of their visa status. Indian authorities pointed out that the university appeared to have been authorized by the US system to issue at-least 120 forms, and in any case US consulates in India had issued visas for students to study here after their due scrutiny.

“Therefore the students should not be victimized in any way,” they said yesterday. The students, who have been in touch with the embassy and consulates in San Francisco and New York, requested that they be permitted to apply for transfer to other university and given sufficient time for this. Alternatively, they may be permitted to go back to India, without prejudice, and not deported and also allowed in normal course to reapply for studies in the US at authorized universities. Raj Akula, a Texas-based attorney, said that he knows at least 20 such students who had been subjected to detention.

While many of them had been released on bail, a few of them were still in the detention centres as they had not been able to furnish the bond money. The Indian embassy here has also launched an email help-line to provide the Indian students, affected by the immigration scam of Tri Valley University, with necessary guidance.

The embassy yesterday posted on its website – www.indianembassy.org – an advisory to the students of Tri-Valley University (TVU) and asked them to write tominca@indiagov.org and edu@indiacgny.org to seek guidance fromthe Indian authorities.

“The embassy of India in Washington, DC has taken up with the US State Department the issue of Tri-Valley University in California, so as to ensure that Indian students are not subjected to any kind of discrimination or victimization,” the advisory said.

“The embassy along with the Consulate General in San Francisco has set up a dedicated e-mail address to enable the affected students to communicate and seek guidance from the Indian authorities,” it said.

In the meantime, the US authorities have suggested that students with visas for studies at Tri Valley University,who are presently in India, should not travel to the US on this visa. It is expected that the response of US authorities to the request from the students, supported by the Indian government, could be available next week.