Help Courtney Finish Her PhD After a University Financial Aid Error

My name is Courtney, and I’m a JD and PhD candidate at the University of California, Irvine — just one quarter away from finishing my doctorate after years of research, teaching, and service. But now, because of a financial aid error I didn’t cause, I’m being told I’ll be dropped from the university by Friday unless I pay $11,000, a balance I was only notified about mere days before the deadline.

Before the quarter began, I repeatedly contacted the Financial Aid Office about my unpaid tuition. After weeks of confusion and conflicting information, I was suddenly told that the issue came from a supposed $40,000 “overpayment” in loans last year — a university mistake. Even after it was corrected down to $11,000, they refused to release my current aid until I pay this balance myself. If I can’t, I’ll lose my enrollment, housing, and my child’s childcare — everything I’ve fought to sustain.

I’ve come this far while raising a toddler alone, grieving the loss of my brother to suicide, and caring for my father, who lives with Alzheimer’s and no longer remembers my name. I’ve poured my heart into my education to create a better life for my family and to make a difference for others. To lose it all now because of an institutional error is devastating.

I’m asking for your help to raise $11,000 by Friday so I can stay enrolled, finish my degree, and protect my family’s stability. Any amount — or simply sharing this — makes a difference. Thank you for standing with me in this moment when everything I’ve worked for is on the line.

With gratitude,

Courtney Echols