A young man has shared how a proof-of-funding requirement of KSh 6.5 million ($50,000) ended his plan to relocate abroad, despite receiving admission offers from four schools in the United States.
The man, known on TikTok as @3rezen, said he spent between 2020 and 2022 applying to about 14 institutions in six countries.
His applications targeted schools in the US, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Germany and Spain as he pursued the dream of leaving the country for better opportunities.
He applied to schools across six countries
The young man said he went as far as returning to his former secondary school to collect his academic transcript for the applications.
He recalled that the school staff appeared to believe he was preparing to travel abroad and treated him particularly well while processing his documents.
Four American institutions eventually accepted him. They included a community college, a vocational school and two other schools he compared with federal colleges.
He also investigated a student-athlete scholarship route. According to him, he submitted videos and communicated with an international students coordinator about the possibility of securing support.
His preferred courses included photography, woodwork and videography.
Financial requirement stopped the process
The opportunity collapsed when he was asked to prove that someone supporting him had at least KSh 6.5 million ($50,000) available.
He said the money was required before the schools could issue an I-20 form, a document needed for a US student visa application.
The man reflected on how he had pursued international education for years, only to find that his academic qualifications were not the main obstacle. The financial requirement proved impossible to meet.
Despite the setback, he ended his account with a determined message:
“I will never be poor in my life.”
For Kenyans and other young Africans pursuing education or work abroad, his experience highlights how financial requirements can stand between applicants and opportunities, even after they secure acceptance.
See the post below:
@3rezen asides today, I deadass don’t recall the last time I reach japa if no be to my home country.😹 #japa #storytime #storytelling #college #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ original sound – 3rezen
