Help Black International Swarthmore student finish school

My dear friend, a Black woman and international student at Swarthmore College, has lost her financial aid for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic school year. This comes at a time when she had just one year left of schooling to complete. Swarthmore College requested paperwork and financial verification from her which is difficult to obtain in her home country.

Upon finding out that she no longer had financial aid, Swarthmore initially did not allow her to appeal the decision. It was only through the incredible collective action of faculty members that Swarthmore agreed to meet with her. Despite meeting with the Financial Aid Office and attempting to appeal the decision, she waited for four weeks as Swarthmore deliberated the decision. After the 2024 Spring semester ended and campus closed, she was informed that her appeal had been rejected. The timing of this decision unfortunately isolated my friend from faculty and community support. This has left her with no options and no support system to fall back on. My friend is an active member of the Swarthmore community. She is also an exceptional student who has ambitions to attend law school upon the completion of her undergraduate degree. If she has no means to pay for her education, she will be forced to leave not only the school but the country: As an F1 visa holder, my friend cannot legally earn an income outside of Swarthmore College. Not being enrolled in Swarthmore College would, in addition to not earning her degree, leave her without an income and housing in the United States. In this situation, she would be forced to return to her home country. I kindly ask you to support my friend financially in completing her undergraduate education. Each time you make a donation in GoFundMe, it is automatically transferred to her bank account within 2 to 5 business days.

The following is a statement from my friend:

“As a low-income first-gen Black woman from the Global South, maintaining my anonymity for this GoFundMe is paramount. Swarthmore College is an institution whose population is predominantly White and affluent. According to the New York Times, 66% of Swarthmore’s student body comes from the top 20% of family incomes in the United States, and 9% of the student body resides in the top 1%. I do not want to affirm my peers’ preconceived stereotypes that because I am African, I am a passive victim who is impoverished and solely relies on handouts to survive. I do not wish for my peers to regard me as less than because I do not have the means to study at Swarthmore.

The revoking of my scholarship has caused a strain on my family life. My parents feel powerless as they do not have the financial resources to support me at this time. My future is at stake, and I am terrified to lose my education, something I have been tirelessly working towards for over three years. By late July 2024, I must pay $46,000 to continue to attend Swarthmore College for the Fall semester of 2024. Then I must pay an additional $46,000 by January 2 for the Spring semester. I cannot materialize this enormous sum of money without support.

Transferring to another school is not an option for me, as I was notified about this decision after the 2024-25 transfer cycle ended. According to the Department of Homeland Security, “F1 visa holders are required to maintain full-time enrollment at their institution”. If one ceases to be a full-time student, there is a 60-day grace period. If I choose to transfer as a rising senior, I would have to wait until the next transfer application cycle, which cannot occur during this grace period. If one drops below full-time status (usually defined as less than 12 credits per semester for undergraduates), I would no longer meet this requirement and would have to leave the country. Transferring would also isolate me from potential opportunities that a prestigious Swarthmore College degree could provide.

While taking a leave of absence is an option, this would put my livelihood and future at risk. As an international student with Swarthmore College as my permanent US address, if I am no longer enrolled in Swarthmore College, it is likely I will never be able to return to the US as the school is my only means of supporting myself.

If you are able to contribute to this GoFundMe, I would greatly appreciate it.”

Each time you make a donation in this fundraiser, it is automatically transferred to the student’s bank account within 2 to 5 business days.