I'm still confused because of the contradictory responses!
In_love's explanation does make it seem like bribery but
Harshadfan yours make it seem totally reasonable...
Arohi doesn't seem to want to cheat her way in - she is completely confident she'll ace the exam and the course. But then I do wonder why she was so shady about asking for the money. The way the Goenka's spoil her if it was legit they'd give her the money - she could've said the course was for after the marriage... (she seems ok with telling those types of white liesđ¤Ł)
Anyway, Arohi is a cardboard villain so Akshara could've had the same realization over Arohi, I dunno, stealing herself a midnight snack or something...