#20191001 - BCA 2nd year student from Gudalur studying in Coimbatore

In the middle of the academic year, just as this student had settled into the second year of a BCA course, she met with a hurdle. The relative who was supporting her college fees could not continue to do so as there were other family commitments. The student is extremely anxious that she may have to discontinue her studies because her parents’ income cannot support the course fee. The father is a daily wager and the mother occasionally gets work under the MGNREGA scheme. A brother works in a small shop.

The student pursued her Higher Secondary education at a government school. She thought that she would not be able to get a college education but relatives and friends encouraged her, with one stepping in to pay the fees for the first year. She is working to be the first graduate in her family.

The student’s home is a modest one made of mud, brick and asbestos on the family land. The family has a makeshift toilet and bathroom with tarpaulin sheets for walls. The student lives in a hostel in the city where she is pursuing her studies and the family has committed to taking care of the living expenses. However, she needs help with the course fee of Rs. 30,000.