Hi all,

Last week, I was randomly charged $4685.40 from my college. This was unfortunately due to multiple factors:

- I suffered intensely with mental health conditions in Fall 2022, causing me to fail that semester. I then took a break from school during the Spring 2023 semester following a voluntary baker act to address my mental health struggles; this decision was necessary and improved my quality of life, allowing me to return to school in Summer 2023. However, all of this delayed my graduation by at least a year, and my GPA suffered as well during all of this. This reduced the amount of money I am able to receive from my scholarship, despite my requests for a medical petition. I tried everything I could to have those courses excused due to my condition and relevant paperwork, but unfortunately nothing was able to be done. So now, I can’t go to school this fall semester unless I start paying out of pocket, as I did not receive money from FAFSA for this semester either. My scholarship is covering $1227.04 out of the combined $4685.40 I owe for Summer 2025 and the upcoming Fall 2025 semester, leaving me with $3458.36 left to pay off.

- I had to drop some classes this past summer semester due to starting a new job that demanded more of my time than I had previously expected, so those dropped classes are now being charged to me on top of that lost financial aid.

Words cannot begin to explain how devastated I am that after all the hardships I’ve overcome throughout my college experience, the goal has been pushed back when I felt it was finally in my grasp. I am in my senior year of college. I want my degree more than anything.

I am an active student; I participate in my school's Garden Club, Fencing Club, and National Society of Black Engineers student organization when I am allowed the time between balancing shifts at work and school. I have been given the opportunity to be a part of two internships with my university, and they were some of the most informative and rewarding experiences I've had in my academic career. College has been one of the most challenging and most rewarding experiences, and I am deeply appreciative of the opportunities I've been given through my years as a student, and I want to see it through to the end - I want to wear a cap and gown and earn my diploma.

School starts up again on Monday, August 25th, and I am trying to qualify for a payment plan, but as it is, I cannot afford to go back. Tuition is due September 3rd, and I would be more than grateful if you were able to help me go back to school this semester.

Thank you so much for reading my story. <3