Help Jovanna Get To Graduation!

Testimonial submission page for friends, family, and supporters : 

https://tinyurl.com/jovannasfriends

Webpage to view the testimonials :

https://aaryakini.github.io/aaryakini/jovanna/

Since I transferred to The New School in 2022 to study Political Science, Contemporary Music, and Fashion, I’ve faced restrictive financial holds every semester, though the University’s policies keep changing, tuition keeps getting more expensive, and the “good faith agreements” with the Financial offices get increasingly predatory. I’m living every semester like it’s my last at my dream school; for the first year of my studies my holds could be temporarily lifted, though in February (2023) TNS declared that they were discontinuing Covid Safety Requirements + Precautions on campus, which internally means that the Uni will no longer temporarily lift students' holds. Last Spring, my financial holds went so far as to delay my entrance to the semester by a month, and for the upcoming Fall ‘23 semester as I write this I currently face financial holds and have not gained access to register for classes that will start my Senior year in two weeks. I have exhausted all avenues for financial aid other than external scholarships, which I am in the process of applying for. I’ve done my best to negotiate with the University and advocated up to the Directors of every major Department on campus, and have largely received people redirecting me in circles and miscommunication. The people who are supposed to help me are not – My Only Desire is To Finish My Degree. The Student Accounts office demands that I “establish a plan” to cover my overdue balance before they allow me to register, and have landed on a $100 bi-weekly payment plan as a “good faith payment” to work on reducing my balance, contracting that if I miss any payments the agreement will be retracted. It has also been stipulated to me that “for the Spring 2024 semester, in order to register there should be no balance carried over”, despite the Financial offices allowing me to carry over balances for the past year and a half of my experience at The New School. I am seeking help in raising money to be directed towards payments to cover my overdue balance.

From the Spring ‘23 semester, I still have a balance of $4,102, which the $100 bi-weekly payments are to be made for, and my anticipated balance for tuition after receiving around $23,000 in scholarships (which includes maxing out on Federal Loans) will still be another $4,555 for the Fall ‘23 semester. The Registration period for the last semester of my Senior year, and therefore pay date for both of these past semesters to be covered is October 23rd, 2023.

My Financial Plan for the future is to continue applying for scholarships each week until Early October, to ensure that I amass funding to be able to pay my last semester of Senior Year (Spring ‘24) so that I can finish my studies and graduate. I am also scheduling meetings to spend time with University Administrators in the Provosts and Deans office to highlight policy changes that need to be made so my college can retain our amazing students and ensure that many more people don’t have to go through the frustrations in this process that I have.

My University has a distribution issue when it comes to funding, and also accessibility barriers, as the departments rarely communicate with each other and the only two staff members who are able to lift my hold and decide whether I continue college and get my degree or not refuse to meet with me face to face and help me directly. I have no other option but to resource creative avenues to find funding. As someone employed as a student worker in 3 jobs across campus, my employment is contingent upon my enrollment so I am at threat of losing my jobs if I were to take a leave of absence or have further registration challenges. For context, my on-campus jobs only allow me to work up to 20 hours per week legally, all of which goes straight to my rent, utilities, and groceries.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this far!

HOW You Can Help:

Every $100 raised will be used to fulfill my bi-weekly payment plan so that I can register and remain in classes! All funds will be pooled into one tuition fund by which if I raise more than $100 at a time, I will be able to make larger payments to take care of my Student Accounts balances sooner. Please feel free to donate any amount you’re able at this Gofundme, or to the addresses below:

Venmo: @ jovanna-liuzzo

Cashapp: $jovannaliuzzo

With Immense Gratitude,

Jovanna