A fourth-year psychology student at Stellenbosch University (SU) recently had her tuition debt paid off through a fundraising platform.
The student, Shayen Gomis, received R15 000 through her Feenix account in June. This is according to Cara-Jean Peterson, the student engagement manager of Feenix, which is a crowdfunding site for students. The donation was made by the V&A Waterfront Corporate Social Investment Funding (CSI) programme, she said.
“Feenix launched in 2017, as a response to the #FeesMustFall movement,” said Peterson.
“Our fundraising team also seeks opportunities to connect corporates wanting to make a difference to students needing financial assistance,” she added.
Since 2017, Feenix has been able to raise over R80 million for over 2 000 students across South Africa, according to Peterson. “This speaks to the power of community and what we can accomplish together,” she said.
Shayen Gomis, a fourth year psychology student at Stellenbosch University, received a donation of just over R15 000 towards her tuition fees from the V&A Waterfront CSI programme. PHOTO: Supplied/Shayen Gomis
Feenix submitted an application for donations to the V&A Waterfront CSI programme, which included a list of students from the Feenix platform that met the V&A Waterfront CSI programme’s given criteria for sponsorship, according to Peterson.
“Shayen’s profile and story stood out among several others to the team at the V&A Waterfront CSI programme, and resonated with the programme’s focus. The committee approved our application and selected her as the student they wanted to sponsor,” said Peterson.
Gomis told MatieMedia that she joined Feenix in March. “I had exhausted all the financial aid resources that I had available,” she said.
Feenix is a crowdfunding site for students, which has given opportunities and funding to over 2000 students, according to Cara-Jean Peterson, the student engagement manager of Feenix. One of these students is Shayen Gomis, a fourth year psychology student at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Erin Walls
While Gomis missed the initial phone call from Feenix to notify her of the large donation, she later received the news in an email.
“I immediately phoned them back [after reading the email], thinking ‘Could this really be?’” said Gomis, adding that she thought she might be “daydreaming”.
“Finances have always been a challenge for me, which I am sure thousands of students can identify with,” she added.
Once Gomis’ studies are completed, she plans to be proactive in her community, and engage in more community development projects, she said.
SU teams up with Feenix
Meanwhile, SU joined the Feenix initiative in August, according to Martin Viljoen, SU spokesperson.
“SU has […] teamed up with the Feenix online crowdfunding platform to raise funds for the university’s #Action4Inclusion initiative, to pay off Matie students’ debt,” said Viljoen.
The #Action4Inclusion initiative, which was launched in 2020, raises funds to “support students who cannot register for the next academic year owing to outstanding fees, as well as graduates who cannot access their academic records upon graduation”, according to the SU alumni website.
“[Through Feenix], you may choose to support an individual student or make a donation to the overall #Action4Inclusion campaign,” said Viljoen.
The funds that are donated to the #Action4Inclusion campaign through Feenix, will be paid directly to SU. The university will then distribute the funds to the relevant students, according to Viljoen.
“SU is intensifying its efforts to ensure that no student is denied access to higher education based on their financial struggles,” said Viljoen.
“Debt is increasingly becoming the biggest obstacle for many students in higher education, with some forced to abandon their studies because they are unable to pay student fees,” said Martin Viljoen, SU spokesperson. SU has therefore teamed up with Feenix, to raise funds for students. PHOTO: Erin Walls