Hello everyone, my name is Irene. I'm writing this on behalf of my friend, fellow MIT student, Matthew.

Matthew’s parents cut off their financial support after discovering he is transgender. Since then, he has worked multiple jobs, maxed out on loans, and exhausted every option to stay afloat. Our goal is to raise money to fund his senior year’s tuition and housing, to allow him to graduate this spring.

Matthew is weeks away from graduation. After years of perseverance through classes, research, and club leadership, he should be preparing to walk across the stage with his classmates. Instead, he is facing eviction from his dorm, and will be forced to leave MIT without his physics degree.

Because MIT bases student financial aid on their parents’ financial status, Matthew does not receive financial aid. Despite submitting statements from therapists, psychiatrists, and an organization supporting LGBTQ+ students without parental support (the Wily Network), his appeals for independent financial status have been repeatedly denied.

Now, as he approaches the finish line of his MIT education, Matthew has run out of options.

The latest rejection was received this Monday, and Matthew received only one week's notice that on Monday, March 16th, he will be evicted from his dorm.

For the past year, Matthew has been living in limbo, technically unable to register as a full-time student. This has barred him from officially registering in classes, from receiving his grades, and even from filling out timesheets to be paid for the hours that he worked at MIT jobs. Further, this spring, Matthew’s health insurance was canceled by MIT without any notice – he only found out when he went to the pharmacy to pick up medication.

Despite these barriers, he still attends lectures, completes assignments, continues his research, and has maintained a 4.7 GPA. His professors work with him to progress him forward, in the hope that his registration status can be resolved.

If Matthew’s balance is paid off, he will be able to back-register for these classes and will be on track to graduate this spring.

We are trying to raise enough money to make this happen. We aim to cover both tuition and housing for the 2025-2026 school year.

The total cost is $81,075. Our goal is to raise this amount by the end of March, so that Matthew will be able to graduate this spring. Please consider donating if it is within your power. Every little bit helps. Any extra money raised will go towards Matthew’s existing student loans.

Cost Breakdown (2 Semesters):

Tuition: $64,310

Housing: $12,535

Health Insurance: $3,810

Misc. Fees: $420

In the future, Matthew sees himself pursuing graduate research in astrophysics, to continue his studies about the mysteries of the universe’s origins.

I am a junior undergraduate at MIT, and Matthew was one of the first people I became friends with when I arrived here. I have known Matthew for three years, and I can personally say that he is one of the kindest, most generous, and most amazing people I’ve ever met in my entire life.

I have watched him struggle for years against his family and with MIT Student Financial Services – towering forces that do not care for his health or his future, but nonetheless wield an immense degree of control over his life. He balances this struggle while doing his classes, research, and jobs.

Through all this, Matthew still manages to find time for all the people in his life. He bakes us cakes on our birthdays. He listens to us vent about our troubles. He is always there to give advice to anyone who asks, even through the enormous challenges he himself faces. Even one of the parents who visited our dorm remembered Matthew as the only student who sweetly thanked her for cooking a meal for them. He has always been a bright spot of humor and hope, and now we wish to return the favor.

Thank you for reading. If you are able to donate, share, or help spread Matthew’s story, it would mean the world, and your support will ensure that a kind, talented, and beloved student will be able to graduate and step into the future he deserves.