Help Dinorah Complete Her Senior Year

Hi, my name is Dinorah! My dream has always been to earn my degree and work full-time in the United States. I am so close to that dream and do not want to see it go away due to the financial circumstances that have fallen upon me. I am an international student from Brazil and a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in Operations and Supply Chain. Growing up in Brazil, I have always dreamed of attending university in the United States; it was a goal for my whole family. We began saving for my college education when I was in middle school while we waited for my Green Card process. However, by 2020, the Green Card process had stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite this setback, my family saved enough to cover my first two years of college tuition, and encouraged me to go, hoping my Green Card application would be processed and approved in time. Because of my F-1 student visa status, I am only allowed to work on campus and a max of 20 hours per week, and with a Green Card I would’ve been able to work part-time off campus and pay for my education like every other student. I work the maximum number of hours, I am legally allowed to work for two on-campus jobs and am highly involved in other organizations, all while maintaining a high GPA within our Darla Moore School of Business.

Unfortunately, my Green Card process is still pending, and my family is unable to further help me with my college financing as my father is 93 years old and my mother is his full-time caregiver; they both rely on his retirement fund from the Brazilian government to pay for their living expenses. Last year, they sold two properties just to help me pay for my junior year in college. As an international student at the University of South Carolina, my tuition is around $20,000 per semester. This amount includes $16,000 for classes and approximately $4,000 in additional fees, such as health insurance, technology fees, and other required expenses that cause our tuition to be higher than in and out-of-state students. International students like me are not eligible for any financial aid or federal funding from the university, which makes covering these costs even more challenging.

The university offers no scholarships for undergraduate international students, which is why I am seeking any additional funding that I can find. This GoFundMe petition is one of our last attempts, and if this doesn’t work, I will have to return back to my home country with my degree unfinished. Due to the way the Brazilian educational system works, I cannot transfer any university credits, on top of my major not being supported there, meaning I would have to start all over. Everyone else is looking forward to starting their careers and finding full-time jobs, while I am so worried about finding ways just to be able to finish school and graduate.

Asking for help is not easy for me. I have always prided myself on my ability to work hard and find a way to overcome the obstacles that come my way. However, the challenges I am currently facing are larger than what I can handle on my own, and this has been one of the hardest parts of my journey. Reaching out and seeking support in this way is culturally difficult because it feels vulnerable and like I failed, but I know that I cannot give up on my dream. I am incredibly grateful for any help, no matter how small, and I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way. Whether it’s through words of encouragement, guidance, or financial contributions, I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.