Immigrant Student on the Edge -Help Me Stay Afloat & Rebuild

Hi, my name is Rushil Asthana, and I’m writing this with a heavy heart but a hopeful spirit.

I came to the United States from India on an F-1 student visa to pursue a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Like many international students, I came here full of promise, hope, and the unshakable belief that hard work would be enough.

I was wrong.

Despite earning a strong GPA, contributing to research in advanced materials for high-frequency electronics (like 5G technologies), and spending months applying to hundreds of jobs, I’m now facing the real possibility of losing everything I’ve built here. My Optional Practical Training (OPT) expires in less than a month. Without a job offer, I will lose my legal right to stay, and my dreams—and everything my family and I have worked for—will disappear.

What makes this so difficult isn’t just the job market. It’s the system I’m trapped in.

As an F-1 visa holder, I’m not legally allowed to take a part-time or cash job outside my field, no matter how badly I need the income. That includes working in restaurants, grocery stores, or even doing freelance gigs. And even if I wanted to risk it, the current immigration climate under recent policies has become terrifying. ICE raids are happening. Undocumented or unauthorized work could mean detention or immediate deportation. I’m doing everything the “right way,” but I’m still drowning.

Right now, I’m surviving—barely. I’ve been donating plasma just to eat. I have over $100,000 in student loan debt. I still owe $15,000 to my university, which means they haven’t even released my degree certificate. I have another $2,500 in credit card debt, and my credit score has plummeted. I’m unable to access any new credit lines, personal loans, or assistance. My sponsors, who originally guaranteed support for my stay here have walked away.

Some nights, I go to sleep hungry. Other nights, I stay up wondering what more I can do, or if I even have the right to ask for help.

I feel completely alone.

My family back in India is struggling too. They sacrificed everything so I could study here. And I’m terrified of going back, not because I don’t love my country—but because returning now would mean failure. Not just mine, but theirs too. And the doors that opened for me here may never open again.

So I’m asking—humbly, and from the bottom of my heart—for your help.

Whether it’s $5, $50, or simply sharing my story, your support means the world. It will help me:

Pay the $15,000 I owe in tuition so I can receive my degree

Afford basic living needs—food, rent, transportation, medicine

Maintain legal visa status while continuing my job search

Eventually begin paying off the massive loans that keep me up at night

This isn't a sob story. It’s just my story. It’s the story of a 26-year-old immigrant trying desperately not to fall through the cracks of a system that wasn’t built for people like me. It’s the story of someone who still wants to fight—still wants to contribute—still wants to make something meaningful of his life.

I don’t want to give up. I just need help to hold on.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. And thank you, in advance, for any support you’re able to give.

With all the humility and hope I can offer,

Rushil