Student forced to crowdfund £7,000 to cover university fees or face being thrown off course

An international student has raised more than £7,000 after fears she would have to stop studying due to outstanding tuition fees.

Joanna Idowu, who is at Birmingham City University (BCU), was told she must pay half of the £14,500 outstanding by Friday to continue with her degree.

Originally from Nigeria, the 20-year-old set up the GoFundMe page as a “last resort” when she faced financial difficulty in the final year of her Bachelor’s degree in media and communications.

Her fees were previously covered by an extended family member, but they are no longer able to pay due to Nigeria’s worsening socioeconomic situation.

“I am also unable to self-fund as I can only work 20 hours a week in the UK, which I currently do as a recruitment assistant to fund my living expenses such as rent, feeding, and transportation,” Ms Idowu wrote.

“The completion of my education now depends on you. I am not asking out of entitlement, but rather out of desperation,” she added.

Since creating the fundraiser, Ms Idowu has raised more than £7,300- over half of the amount required for her tuition fees.

In an update on Tuesday, she wrote: “With so much joy in my heart, I want to inform you that my university has now updated me that I will be staying to complete my studies this year!”

She hopes to continue to raise money for the remainder of her tuition.

“We are only halfway through this journey so please continue to support me, share my story and make a donation,” she said.

A BCU spokesperson told the BBC: “Any discussions we have with individual students are on a case-by-case basis and remain confidential.”