30 days left for final year PhD tuition fees
Hi all, I’m Amin Amin from Egypt. Firstly, I would like to thank you for giving the time to visit my fundraising page.
I’m a full-time PhD student at the school of Engineering at Cardiff University, UK, and less than two months left until the last day of paying the remaining amount of the last year tuition fees.
I’m 35 years old and started my studies in 2018. I’m currently in the third year of my course, which is the last year to pay tuition fees. I’m an entirely self-funded student relying on part-time works, and family supports.
I’m studying a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Engineering. My studies focus on investigating the impacts of weather data on energy demand at a community level, in order to enhance energy application performance in residential buildings.
Although I have funded the last years successfully so far, I currently have a major deficit in my funding package for this year, which makes me not able to fund the last steps in my studies and feel financially insecure. As the pandemic situation is becoming worse and the Egyptian economic situation, as a developing country, makes the value of the Egyptian currency very low compared to the British pound (1 GBP more than 20 EGP). Therefore, I’m facing a financial issue as I’m out of savings, and my family can’t support me anymore, due to their financial status and a shortage of resources. Besides, my wife has recently moved to Cardiff to join and support me. However, due to the pandemic and lockdown restrictions in the UK, she has faced huge difficulties finding a job for one year, which puts an extra financial burden.
I’m currently working as a part-time research assistant on one of the school’s running projects ending in April 2021, which is currently the only source of income that can not cover our living expenses, so we depended on our savings and cut down our expenses as much as we can and keep only the essentials. This current situation puts me in a very hard position with the continuous rejections and challenges to find a temp job during this tough times, and might result of losing our rented flat and also may lead to the return of my wife to our home country.
As an overseas student from a developing country, funding opportunities back home are very limited to the government’s research councils and the British council funds which are limited to age limits (no more than 32 years old). In addition, I’m ineligible for student loans, and the Overseas Research Students Award Scheme (ORSAS) has been discontinued.
Student funds and financial aids available at my university are mainly oriented toward home and EU students. Besides, private trusts and charities are very limited as most of them are also oriented for home and EU students, some for final year students, other for women, or specific fields of study (e.g. medical or medicine). I have sent for more than ten charities that are opened for international students to apply for a hardship fund, but no response received from most of them or apologies for accepting new applicants due to reaching the maximum number of candidates.
Therefore, I decided to raise a crowdfunding campaign in an attempt to overcome this deficit and reduce financial stress. Although this is hard to ask, I feel like I have no other option. As an overseas student, tuition fees for this year are £19950. I already have paid £3000 and asked to reschedule remaining payment instalments (almost £17000). The other amount goes toward our living expenses to support us during this tough year.
Tuition Fees: £17000
GoFundMe’s 2.9% Commission: £493
Total: approximately £17500
My wife is a digital artist and has recently created her own art blog, where she illustrates and designs cosy patterns and prints. As a way for returning thank, I will send giveaways from her products based on your choice for anyone donates as follows:
+£500: one or more products are worth £50.
+£1000: one or more products are worth £100.
+£2000: one or more products are worth £100, and an acknowledgement in my PhD thesis.
You can find her products on:
https://www.redbubble.com/people/ArtbyelleUk/shop?asc=u
I would be extremely grateful for any donation made to help me complete my degree.
For offline donations from inside the UK, please contact via message or check my student page for emailing
https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/research-students/view/1425863-amin-amin-osama
To support me get the word out, please share my link with others, you think might be interested, or on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn timelines.
Thank you so much in advance for your support, time and attention.