Hi! My name is Billie, and I’m raising some funds to cover my remaining college tuition. Over the past month, my world has been turned upside down. For the past few years, my family and I have been receiving around $1.1k a month in Social Security survivor benefits after losing my mom, and after careful consideration, I decided I wanted to start putting it toward my tuition and living expenses. Unfortunately, just weeks ago, without warning, that program was abruptly discontinued.

As I tried to construct a different plan, another blow came and my FAFSA was unexpectedly updated, and the federal loans I had been approved for dropped from $9,500 to $5,500 — a sudden $4,000 gap that I wasn’t prepared for. I turned to the possibility of a private loan for help only to learn that it was unavailable for me. Alas, I have no other family members who can step in financially or act as a co-signer. All of this happened in just 1–4 weeks, after I’ve already signed my housing and financial agreements for the school year. My first payment is due Sept 5th and now I’m left in a position I never thought I’d be in. I’ve received around $28k in scholarships and grants, and I have multiple jobs already set up in Chicago, but I’m still facing the anxiety of closing this financial gap specifically for my fall semester.

I’ve worked so hard to get here, and I'd like to feel secure and safe financially while being so far from home like I once did. My family and I are continuing to search for any reasonable solutions, but in the meantime, anything helps. Your support means so much more than words can express, so genuinely every share or donation truly does help. Thank you so much, and God bless.