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Update: We were able to raised $26,000 from USA as loan and money from donations. I have added donations here to reflect changes.
I'll add all other donations as offline donation. Offline donation don't have extra fees of GoFundMe.
PayPal:
TL;DR SUMMARY
Hello Everyone. My name is Farhan Shaheen and I need to raise ~$41,000 by September 15th (it's late and will incur late fee) to pursue my Masters degree. Every single dollar counts and thank you for your donation. Read my story below.
I was initially admitted to Lakehead University in Ontario for a Masters in Electrical & Computer Engineering, but Lakehead University failed to provide me with the courses required for my degree, failed to pay me for an NSERC project on which I was employed, and failed to grant me any options to complete my degree. All of this despite me achieving ‘A’ grades in 3 graduate level course I took.
I have filed appeals and complaints with Lakehead University, Ombuds Ontario, the Ministry of Labor and the MP & MPP. ETA for investigations to conclude is 6+ months.
At this point, I’ve lost ~$30,000 and 2 years of my life, and still have no degree to show.
Left with no option, I sought and secured admission to University in Quebec. Thankfully I was accepted in the graduate program that starts in September 2016. All that’s left now is to clear Quebec’s CAQ requirement and to pay my tuition fees.
I need ~$41,000 by September 15th (it's late and will incur late fee) to cover the CAQ requirements and to pay tuition fees. However, after the Lakehead University disaster, I have no money left at all.
I need your help to raise $41,000 so that I can enroll in the new University to save and re-build my future. For example If 80 people donate $500 each or 160 people donate $250 each, I can reach my goal and build my future.
DETAILED BACKGROUND
Hello Everyone. My name is Farhan Shaheen and I came to this wonderful country for a better life, education, the beautiful landscape and, obviously, polar bears. I always loved Canada and it’s the reason I chose it for my future endeavours.
I gained admission to Lakehead University in the Masters program as an international Student. I was promised an opportunity to get an Electrical & Computer Engineering degree over a course of 2 yrs but University failed to provide me any core courses to complete the degree.
When I registered a complaint, I was advised to continue taking unspecified electives until the core courses became available. However, no core courses for my program ever became available, even though the University granted me admission and took my fees semester after semester. Repeated attempts to address the issue fell on deaf ears.
During that time my supervisor asked me to work on a NSERC funded project as an employee and promised me $25,000 in compensation. I worked 4 months on the project with only positive feedback from our client, but I was never paid for my work.
When I asked for my compensation, I was initially told the payment was pending. When I re-inquired a little while later, I was given the runaround between several university departments, but I was never paid. Finally, my supervisor abruptly decided to abandon the project, and outright refused to pay me.
Further, my supervisor left me without any notice, leaving me with no supervisor to complete my academic requirements. The university refused to find a solution despite me achieving ‘A’ in master’s degree thus far.
Thus, I can’t complete my master’s degree at Lakehead University. I have no money left because the University kept charging me for each useless semester. Also, the University never did pay me for the work I did on the project.
Overall, during this process, I have essentially wasted the $15,000 I paid to Lakehead University for semesters in which I was unable to take any core courses, and another $15,000 for semesters which I wasn’t able to take any courses at all. I have also lost 2 years of my life, depleted all my savings & resources, and am left with no money or degree.
I have sought help & filed appeals at all levels, but nothing has come to any resolution yet:
1. Lakehead University – I’ve talked to the Student Union, Deans, VPs, and Directors of multiple departments as well as HR. An appeal is pending, but so far no result.
2. Ombuds Ontario – The case has now been escalated to Ombuds Ontario after the University Ombudsman couldn’t help resolve the situation despite his best attempts.
3. Ministry of Labor – The complaint has been under active investigation since March 2016.
4. Federal Government – MP & MPP has agreed to look further into my case.
All of the appeals and complaints are still pending. It’s not clear when they will be resolved, but most have hinted that it will be 6+ months before any significant progress is made.
This has been the worst and toughest experience of my life. I can’t hire lawyers because not only can I not afford them, almost every lawyer I’ve talked to has refused to take on a case against an institution as large as Lakehead University.
As an international student, I have no family nor any other support structures that I can turn to. So I am asking you all for help.
MOVING FORWARD
I want to move on and continue with my life and get what I came for. Due to the difficulties I encountered at Lakehead University, the only way forward was to enroll into a new program at a different university.
Thankfully, I have secured admission in the University in Québec for graduate program for Fall 2016. I really love the program and want to pursue it to completion. The deadline to register is 1st September.
However, I need to submit CAQ document to the Quebec government and the university which include the cost for program which is $28,000 (for tuition fee), and the Quebec CAQ requires that I have an additional $12,183 for living expenses, $700 for medical insurance, as well as funds for a round trip. The total I would need is ~$41,000.
Given my present situation, I now don’t have the financial ability to buy groceries, much less pay the $41,000 required to register for the program where I’ve been accepted. I want to continue my education and don’t want to lose the chance to earn my degree.
The appeals and complaints that I have filed are still pending. It is unclear whether I will get any financial compensation from them. Even if I do receive compensation, it will be too late for me to register for the University in Québec, meaning I will lose my last chance.
As an international student, I can’t even get any loan or scholarship.
I really want to enroll in the new University to finish what I started, I really want to complete what I came here to do and I am hoping you can help me with that.
I need ~$41,000 by September 15th (it's late and will incur late fee) to cover the CAQ requirements and to pay tuition fees. Unless you all can help me, I will be unable to register, and will have to return home having lost everything, with no degree in hand.
I am hoping you all can help me avoid that situation. I will be really grateful for your help which will help me rebuild my future. I am thankful from the bottom of my heart to everyone who can help.
REFERENCES/PROOFS:
Here is my story as covered by the school newspaper homepage:
http://theargus.ca/features/2016/is-lakehead-university-failing-their-international-students-2/