Support Needed: Help Aiiia Stay in Europe (Study)

EDIT: we’ve reached our goal!! 4,294€ has been transferred and my enrollment is secured. Thank you all so much. The rest of this crowdfunding is not as urgent, it is here to support a portion of my remaining tuition fee. I will try my best to cover it myself and get back on my feet. Because countless of opportunities ripple through this crowdfunding; illustration commissions, potential brand collaborations, pop-up event offers, even a whole trip to London to do @iiinkedskiiin (i’m still in disbelief that I'm actually here). So with that, again, thank you all so much. I am utterly blessed.

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Dear reader, Before going into the details, I’d like to start by addressing the urgency of this crowdfunding. By the 14th of November, I would have to complete the payment of my (tuition) debt; 4,294€ out of 8,500€. If I fail to do so, my enrollment would be cancelled. I would not be able to complete my studies, and this would affect my residency status in the Netherlands.

—If I were to be compensated for the several unfortunate events that led to this urgent situation, I will donate the excess funds to fellow international students who are in need of financial support for their studies.

how did I get here?

My name is Aiiia and I am from Indonesia. I was a financially independent student. Before enrolling for university, I started a temporary tattoo service as an artist a.k.a. iiinkedskiiin. I’ve met and iiinked more than 2,500 lovely people across Jawa & Bali. What these people might not know already, was that they indirectly became the main patron of my academic journey. Because of them, and the endless support of my family & friends, I was finally able to apply for my Bachelors of Art at the age of 22.

It has been 2 years since I started studying in the Netherlands. I was able to sustain my financial independence for a while by working remotely and doing temporary tattoos across the Netherlands. Every event and tattoo from every single one of these people directly funded my studies and day-to-day life.

Unfortunately, being an international student in Europe costs more than what my parents and I can actually afford. My annual tuition fee is 8,500€/year, excluding housing, transport, insurance and groceries that we have to fully pay independently (non EU students cannot apply for DUO/government support). I have applied to several fundings and had the opportunity to be pre-selected for an outstanding grant as an emerging artist to fund my graduation year, but it was revoked due to several unfortunate events and mistakes made by a certain institution. The outstanding expenses have gotten heavier, as I do not have any external financial support. I have used up all of my savings, and I am currently living through debts/credit.

It feels forceful to study in this country when I, in reality, cannot afford it. But as I will hopefully graduate in less than a year, I would like to still try and fight for my right to study within a higher education, beyond the familiar, beyond my home.

The endless love and support from my fellow friends opened doors for me to pull through and eventually fall in love with the academic discourse. I find myself longing to contribute to broader discussions, theories and research to embrace the curiosities within society. I want to stay here, to finish my studies and maybe even eventually apply for a masters degree.

i’d like to conclude everything by thanking you for taking the time in reading this message all the way down here. If you are not in a state in which you can contribute the crowdfunding, sharing it further would be more than helpful. As iiinkedskiiin will hopefully pop-up in more places beyond the current reach, I would hope to cross paths with you someday.

with much love,

aiiia

p.s.

I am opening commissions for illustration/tattoo design if you would like to support me through my works. Kindly reach me through Instagram (@atripleiiia).