A Desperate Cry out for Tuition Assistance

Hello Everyone, 

My name is Joanna Idowu, and I am a 20-year-old international student in the UK from Nigeria who desperately needs your help. I am in the final semester of my last year studying media and communications at Birmingham City University, expecting to graduate with a bachelor's degree in July 2024. 

Unfortunately, I may not be able to graduate without your assistance because I am currently unable to pay my tuition. With my Tier-4 student visa, I have been studying in the UK since 2021. My tuition was previously covered by an extended family member, but they have now expressed difficulty and inability to pay before the deadline set by my university because of Nigeria's socioeconomic situation and the increased devaluation of the naira. I am also unable to self-fund as I can only work 20 hours a week in the UK, which I currently do as a recruitment assistant to fund my living expenses such as rent, feeding, and transportation. 

Sadly, my father passed away in 2020, and my mother is a Nigerian civil servant who is barely making ends meet back home. Moving away from home at the young age of 17, shortly after my father's passing, was depressing, but studying in the UK was an opportunity that my family agreed was worth grabbing and holding on to. Despite the mental and emotional toll this has taken on me, I have given my all to be the best at what I do in my education for the past 3 years. And despite the difference in the educational system, I have so far achieved an overall grade of 2:1 and completed three work experience placements successfully. 

I have just 4 months left for university as I turn in my final major project on May 9, 2024. I have invested a lot in my education and sacrificed a lot. I have received multiple withdrawal notices from my university (as seen in the photos below), which I have been appealing since September 2023 in the hope that things would get better and I would be able to pay on time. However, with only 4 months left, the university can only hold back this far, and I have been informed that the next step would be for me to withdraw from my education and go back to my home country. Not completing my degree at this point is a huge setback for me. I have to drop out of university and would have to start all over again at another time, which is an opportunity I may not get again as I would have to apply for a new visa, and there is no guarantee that I would be granted one. 

I have searched for other options and found none; this is the last resort I could think of. Thus, the completion of my education now depends on you. I am not asking out of entitlement, but rather out of desperation. I am seeking your help to cover my tuition for my final year so that I can complete my degree. 

Your support will not only contribute to my education, but it will also bring hope and joy to my family. I know and understand that these are difficult times and everyone has one struggle or another, but if you can find it in your heart to contribute or share my story, it would mean a whole lot to me. Be a part of my story and make an impact.

I am also expressing my gratitude to each person who has taken the time to read my story thus far and consider supporting me. Your generosity and kindness are met with my heartfelt appreciation. I promise those who choose to donate to continue to give my best in my education, and I promise to remember your selfless contribution that has brought me hope in such a trying time of my life. Once I am in a position to, I shall give back in every way possible. 

How the funds will be used: £14500: Tuition fee

Once again, thank you for your assistance in contributing to and sharing my story. I will never forget your act of kindness, nor will I take it for granted. 

Joanna Idowu