Paying for College

 My eldest Sponsored youth, Anna Marie, will graduate from high school in March! This is an exciting milestone in her life, and I am so proud of her for overcoming the obstacles life has thrown at her.

Knowing that her graduation was fast-approaching, I sent an inquiry to Children International to find out what her higher education plans, hopes and dreams are and what I can do to help.

The report came back, and said the following:

Anna Marie was delighted when she learned that the sponsor is concerned about her future plans regarding studies. Currently, she's in fourth year high school/grade ten level in public school quite close to home and will be graduating in March 2013. Currently no fund is needed from the sponsor since she will be graduating next month from high school.

She would like to take Bachelor of Science in Tourism in college. She also wants to become a Flight Attendant someday. It is a four-year course with eight semesters. Below is breakdown of expenses and schedule of payment.

Tuition: $325
School Uniform: $50
School Tours: $125
P.E. Uniform: $12.50
Books: $63
Meals and Transportation: $250
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Total: $825.50 per semester

My first thought was, "Dang! I need to go to the Philippines to finish college!" Compared to U.S. tuition, that's downright cheap. However, it's far more than I can afford to pay every six months on my own, especially with Yojana also graduating high school this year.

The payment for the first semester is due to the college by May first, so I sent that one off in its entirety myself. The payment for her second semester is due October first, so I've set up a FirstGiving Fundraiser to hopefully raise the amount (or at least a significant portion of it). I will find out if she will have to pay for "School Tours" again and if she needs new uniforms every semester, but for now I've set the target amount of the fundraiser to $900 to allow for some fluctuation in prices and to cover the FirstGiving fees.

This particular fundraiser has already got a strong boost, because it is converted over from the fundraiser that I had partially complete for Hazel's family when she suddenly left the program. It's already more than a quarter way to the goal!

If you'd like to contribute to my fundraiser but would prefer to send money directly to me or directly to Children International, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll be happy to share the how-to details with you!