Sarah's First Semester Tuition
First-generation student, big dreams, one hurdle left
My name is Sarah. I graduated valedictorian from Cass Tech in Detroit. I worked at a diner and a tutoring center throughout high school — sometimes both on the same day — because my family couldn't afford the things other kids took for granted. Test prep books. A laptop. College application fees.
I got into State University. Full ride for years 2 through 4, based on maintaining a 3.5 GPA. But that first year? The scholarship doesn't kick in until my second year. And my family doesn't have the savings to cover it.
Here's the breakdown for my first semester: - Tuition: $6,200 - Room and board: $4,800 - Books and supplies: $1,200 - Laptop for coursework: $800 - Emergency fund for unexpected costs: $2,000
I know $15,000 is a lot to ask. But this isn't just about one semester — it's about unlocking the other three years of full funding. If I can get through this first hurdle, I'm set.
I want to be a pediatric nurse. I want to come back to my neighborhood and serve the community that raised me. I want to be the first person in my family with a college degree.
I've worked for this my whole life. I just need a little help crossing the starting line.
Impact Updates
1 week agoLatest
Acceptance Letter Arrived!
$1,800 in action
It's official. I'm enrolled for fall semester at State University. When I opened the enrollment confirmation email, I screamed so loud my mom came running from the kitchen thinking something was wrong.
Something was very right.
I've registered for Biology 101, English Composition, Introduction to Health Sciences, and Statistics. My advisor says I'm on track for the nursing program's pre-requisites.
We're 12% of the way to the first semester goal. Every gift that comes in is another day of tuition covered, another textbook I won't have to choose between buying and eating.
I promise I will make every single dollar count. And four years from now, when I'm a nurse at Detroit Children's Hospital, I will remember every anonymous person who believed in me before I proved anything.
Recent Gifts
Someone gave $100
Someone gave $250
“Go change the world, Sarah. This is the best investment I've ever made.”
