Help Magdalaina Complete Her Undergraduate Degree

Hello! My name is Magdalaina Fountain and I am currently a rising sophomore at Sarah Lawrence College, concentrating on History and pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in the Liberal Arts. My dream career is to be a professor of Eastern European and Middle Eastern studies, highlighting leftist political issues, revolutions, and disparities throughout the tumultuous regions between conflicting powerhouse countries. I hope to pursue a Ph.D. in the next 20 years, during which I also dream of traveling, writing, publishing, and extensive work in the field of history in general.

This journey I hope to embark upon may sound complex and rigorous, however, the notable academics at Sarah Lawrence have the ability to adequately prepare me for anything that may come my way. That being said, I will now preface the impending financial struggle that garners the potential to completely destroy this path for me.

When I was first accepted to Sarah Lawrence as an Early Decision applicant in the first months of 2022, I faced the dilemma of attending my dream school but risking the copious amounts of debt that would accompany my enrollment. Approximately one month after I was dealt my initial acceptance letter, I received a financial aid package covering my entire tuition aside from that which my academic scholarship covered. It felt like all the pieces had fallen into place seamlessly. I was able to enroll in my first year at the only school I could ever imagine myself attending, free of financial worries.

On May 10th, 2023, Sarah Lawrence officially released their financial aid packages for the 2023-24 academic year. To my dismay, I opened my financial aid portal to see that all of the aid I had been previously dealt was rescinded. After a week of copious research, contact with the department of financial aid at Sarah Lawrence, countless reviews of my FAFSA and SAR (Student Aid Report), and contact with external parties (i.e. accountants, family members, etc.), my family and I have concluded how and why my aid was revoked so harshly.

The cost to attend Sarah Lawrence for the 2023-24 academic year is a whopping $82,694. As I am a commuter student who lives off-campus, $17,546 of that total can be subtracted. This leaves my total cost of attendance at $65,148. I currently receive a $20,000 academic scholarship that is renewable for every academic year, along with subsidized and unsubsidized student loans that total $6,500 (for this year, last year I maximized at $5,500), and $3,000 in work-study. Factoring in my scholarship, MAXIMIZED loans, and work-study, there is still $35,648 remaining for my family to pay out-of-pocket. My family does not have the resources to afford this expense for one year, let alone for three more years.

The primary purpose of this GoFundMe is to ask for help. I am at a point where I have to either decide to leave Sarah Lawrence after my sophomore year, transfer to a school where I will not be able to learn as adequately, or defer indefinitely. The $73,000 asked for by this fund is to cover two years of tuition, allowing me to complete my undergraduate degree. None of my family members can afford the risk that accompanies a co-signed student loan, and I do not have the credit to qualify for a student loan on my own. I am left with no choice but to seek funds in any way, shape, or form I can get them.

I kindly ask you to donate what you can, share this GoFundMe, and help me however you can. The last thing I ever wanted was to have to abandon my dreams because of financial reasons, but it appears I am approaching that point. Thank you for your consideration, and for reading this whole thing. Much love to all.

Sincerely,

Magdalaina