Anyone helped their sponsored child get back to school? Cancel Se requiere un título

Hi all, 

I have never even known about this great resource until now!  Just reading through a few posts and realizing there is so much more that I could have been helping with besides my monthly contribution!  In any case, yesterday we received a letter from our sponsored child of the last 11 years stating that she is no longer studying because she needs to get a job and help around the house.  I was shocked because I guess I just assumed that our contribution would "cover" the basic necessities, right?  Auggh I feel awful.  In any case, I called CI today and found out that it is in fact, due to monetary issues.  They will be sending me a report as to how I can help, I guess?  Anyone have any experience with this?  On the other hand, I am excited to be a part of this community.  We sponsor 2 girls from the Philippines.  

Olivia

Most sponsors just do the monthly contribution, and for some kids that's enough.  I'd suggest for your child who is no longer in school you could send an immediate Special Needs Gift of $100 or more, if that's affordable, to help out while the CI field agent investigates how you can help.  I know from experience that those inquiries take 4-6 weeks, possibly longer.   I've also learned that sponsored kids who are the age of your girls often face school fees beyond uniforms + supplies, that are very hard for most families to afford.  

Good luck and keep us posted on what you learn.

I'm very happy to have this resource, too, especially when I began sponsoring 3 more kids in Zambia.  After reading several posts, I decided to inquire about school fees soon after I began sponsoring.  I have yet to hear back, but I plan on assisting all 3.  The girl I sponsor isn't in school due to "lack of money" and I especially want to help her get an education.  Hopefully, we'll both hear back soon.

Olivia I have several young ladies in the Philippines the same age as yours. I agree that sending an SNG for $100 is a good thing to do and if you want it to go for school fees then you should say so....I have routinely asked about upcoming school expenses for my girls. Their school year starts in June and goes till March. Once I got a feel for their needs I tried to do a little every year. One of the "big" things is their JR/Sr Prom in Feb I think...always tried to give a little for that and when they were in their last year I would check to see if there were any final graduation fees they needed help with. Made those request either late eEc or early Jan just because of the time it takes...but there are some thoughts for you...

In the Philippines, their education system is undergoing a switch from a ten-year program to a twelve-year program. Your girls are both old enough that they may still fall under the old system, where children graduate around the age of sixteen. So it would not surprise me to learn that your child has graduated (as opposed to dropping out early) and, not being able to afford college, is working to support the family instead.

I am paying for my oldest girl, Anna Marie, to go to college in the Philippines. It costs me around $600/semester. My next oldest in the Philippines, Joyce, has also graduated high school (at 15--she turned 16 a couple months later). Her graduation was unexpected for me--I thought she had another year left. So I didn't have time to do an inquiry for her college expenses--I just sent an SNG and hoped it was enough. It covered her tuition, thankfully, and the follow-up report for the gift said her parents were able to afford the remaining expenses.

I offered assistance to my oldest in Guatemala when she graduated high school, but she elected to get a job instead. So be prepared for the possibility that your child will not want to continue her education.

How much you can expect to pay to keep a child in college will vary depending on another of factors. Private school vs. state school (Joyce is in private, Anna is in state), transportation, uniforms, whether or not the child needs to live in the dorm ... lots and lots of factors. These expenses should all be spelled out for you in the report CI puts together for your inquiry.