In 2013 Emmanuel Opoku, a student from Hackney in east London, was offered a place to study chemistry at Imperial College London after achieving top marks in his GCSEs and A-Levels. However, his joy promptly turned to shock when he discovered he was not eligible to apply for a student loan, despite the fact that he had been a lawful resident in the UK for 11 years.
Mr Opoku was born in Ghana and came to the UK with his family when he was nine; he was given discretionary leave to remain instead of full citizenship, leaving him with the unenviable task of scraping together the money to cover the cost of his studies up front, unlike his peers.
Determined to continue his education, last summer Mr Opoku, who had been forced to defer his place for two years, launched a crowdfunding appeal to help raise the cash – £26,500 for the fees, plus living costs. In August last year The Independent shone a spotlight on his undertaking; after that, he said, the donations came “flying in fast”.
“It was crazy,” he said. Just weeks before the academic year was due to begin an anonymous donor contributed £10,000 to the pot, bringing the total up to £36,000 and cementing Mr Opoku’s future as an undergraduate.
“I didn’t really believe it,” said the 20-year-old student. “I phoned my mum straight away and was crying down the phone to her. My mum cried too. It felt surreal... It was like a miracle.
“I’d like to get to know [the donor] if I could but I have to respect their decision to remain anonymous.”
Mr Opoku is “settling in well” and completed his first set of exams earlier this month.
“It was daunting but I respond well to pressure,” he said. “It’s difficult, as you’d expect, but I’m enjoying it. I’m definitely sure I chose the right course.”
