Student in need
Donation protected
Dear All,
I am an architecture student currently in my 4th year of the 5 year program at an accredited architecture school in New York City, in a program ranked #6 nationally. Despite the fact that I have demonstrated high competence and excellence in my studies and having achieved a GPA of 3.85, my school is not able to provide any financial aid for international students.
Over the past few years I have been engaged in volunteering activities dealing with getting the voice of the under-represented heard through translation, copy-editing and volunteering for a non-profit publishing organization.
Being from Iran, a country severely affected both internally by the corruption of the government and externally by the sanctions imposed by the president of the US, it has become extremely difficult for my parents to afford college tuition. The devaluation of Iran’s currency has been the main issue, causing my parents to go through their savings for my college education far more quickly than expected, as they lose large portions of their money in short periods of time due to the exponential increase in the US dollar to Iranian Toman’s exchange rate.
To put issues into perspective, by the time I started college, each dollar equaled around 5,000 tomans. Right now, each USD equals 28,000 tomans. The money has lost 80% of its value, meaning each semester, my father has to pay just below six semesters of tuition in Iran’s currency; not to mention the fact that the hoarding of US currency in Iran has made it nearly impossible to transfer funds between the two countries. I have been working extremely hard to make my rent and grocery money, but given the limitations and restrictions on the allowable hours of work for international students, it is absolutely impossible for me to make that amount of money. This is at a time where due to visa issues, I lost a semester of studies which prolonged my education by a whole year, extending it into these challenging times.
In order to register for classes, I need the funds available as soon as mid-December, otherwise I will lose my status as a student and I will face deportation back to Iran where I could potentially face the political consequences of studying in the United States, which is why this matter is so urgent.
My appreciation for any kind of help is beyond words. I am extremely passionate about my field of study as one that provides opportunities for the betterment of the built environment, and I will do anything in my power to continue through this extremely difficult year, and any help for that matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
-A
I am an architecture student currently in my 4th year of the 5 year program at an accredited architecture school in New York City, in a program ranked #6 nationally. Despite the fact that I have demonstrated high competence and excellence in my studies and having achieved a GPA of 3.85, my school is not able to provide any financial aid for international students.
Over the past few years I have been engaged in volunteering activities dealing with getting the voice of the under-represented heard through translation, copy-editing and volunteering for a non-profit publishing organization.
Being from Iran, a country severely affected both internally by the corruption of the government and externally by the sanctions imposed by the president of the US, it has become extremely difficult for my parents to afford college tuition. The devaluation of Iran’s currency has been the main issue, causing my parents to go through their savings for my college education far more quickly than expected, as they lose large portions of their money in short periods of time due to the exponential increase in the US dollar to Iranian Toman’s exchange rate.
To put issues into perspective, by the time I started college, each dollar equaled around 5,000 tomans. Right now, each USD equals 28,000 tomans. The money has lost 80% of its value, meaning each semester, my father has to pay just below six semesters of tuition in Iran’s currency; not to mention the fact that the hoarding of US currency in Iran has made it nearly impossible to transfer funds between the two countries. I have been working extremely hard to make my rent and grocery money, but given the limitations and restrictions on the allowable hours of work for international students, it is absolutely impossible for me to make that amount of money. This is at a time where due to visa issues, I lost a semester of studies which prolonged my education by a whole year, extending it into these challenging times.
In order to register for classes, I need the funds available as soon as mid-December, otherwise I will lose my status as a student and I will face deportation back to Iran where I could potentially face the political consequences of studying in the United States, which is why this matter is so urgent.
My appreciation for any kind of help is beyond words. I am extremely passionate about my field of study as one that provides opportunities for the betterment of the built environment, and I will do anything in my power to continue through this extremely difficult year, and any help for that matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
-A
Organizer
Ashkan Eslamifard
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY