By Barbara & Mark Rosasco | Project Leaders
Our new high school graduates are now waiting for their results on the national high school graduation examination. We are hoping to have funding resources to sponsor a total of fifteen students for university studies in the coming year!
Of these fifteen students, six are already studying in Phnom Penh with our support.
Tuition Costs
The total cost for tuition for 15 students will be $7,160. The cost per student varies widely depending on the institution where each student will enroll and his/her major field of study.
Per student tuition costs range from $250 to $1,400 with most student tuition ranging between $250 and $450 except for the costs for three students who hope to study medicine or health care. For those three , the annual tuition alone will be $800 (nursing); $900 (pharmacy/nursing); $1,400 for a girl from the countryside who hopes to study medicine. ]
Housing,Transportation, Food and Fees
In addition to the $7,160 for the tuition, we estimate that the need of an additional $16,000 to cover books, fees, housing, transportation and food for our students.
Student situations and needs vary widely
Each student's situation and family background is unique. Beyond tuition, the package of support which we provide may range from modest assistance to full living costs. Some students have no source of support for their studies (i.e. they either have no families or their families are destitute and unable to provide any assistance at all toward their children’s studies next year).
Our students
We known them personally for at least ten years. We are intimately familiar with each student's personality, academic achievements, family background and their families' financial situations. Two of those students were orphaned by AIDS and the other two lost their fathers to AIDS and their mothers now suffer from that disease.
Four students have now completed their first year of studies with support provided by us. Three students work part time at our arts school in Phnom Penh . We have come to know them very well over the past year. The fourth student, a girl who is studying nursing, does not work with our team in Phnom Penh because her campus is located outside of the city center so the cost in time and money for her to commute each day to the arts school would be prohibitive.
How do the numbers break down and what does they total?
Here is a summary of the candidates and their individual needs.
The annual tuition estimates for the fifteen students
$250: two students.
$300: one student.
$320: one student.
$360: three students.
$380: two students.
$400: one students.
$450: one student.
$480: one student.
$800: one student.
$900: one student.
$1,400: one student.
Total annual tuition of $7160 for fifteen students.
Books, supplies and fees
Books and fees: $150 per year X 15 students = $2,250.
Most of these kids come from families which have little or no cash incomes (such as peasant farmers). This means that any unanticipated expense, whether for a book a lab fee or need an extra tutoring session, is a potential crisis. We are budgeting an average of $150 per student for "books and fees" to cover these items.
Transportation costs
$300 per year ($25 per month) X 15 students = $4,500.
The transportation costs for each student vary widely depending upon how far he/she lives from campus. Some of them will be able to walk or ride a bicycle while others will need to spend $5 per day or more for transportation to and from their campuses.
Housing and food:
$600 per year ($50 per month) X 15 students = $9,000.
Students from Phnom Penh can live at home with the families, this expense will be zero. For the ones from the countryside, assuming they have no relatives in the city with whom they can live, this expense is likely to be around $100 per month for renting a very modest room and for food. I have therefore budgeted a middle figure of $50/month as an average between those who will need no support from us for food and housing and those who will rely on us entirely because their parents are destitute farmers in Prey Veng.
The total for all expenses for all 15 students: $22,910 per year.
All of these 15 students are waiting to hear if they might receive scholarship support from Kasumisou Foundation for the coming year. At the present time, our hope is to be able to provide a second year for the six students whom we are already support and possibly the two new graduates from our FSP (AIDS Patients Family Support Program) in Phnom Penh whom we have known more than ten years.
Together, with your help, these students have a chance to finish their education and enter a middle class. It is worth remembering how very few students even finish high school in Cambodia, let alone how few students of modest means manage to finish.
We have a unique opportunity to change lives. It is literally a “ make or break” moment. Your support can make the dreams of these hardworking young people possible.
Thank you for your generous support.
Barbara & Mark Rosasco
By Barbara Rosasco | Secretary & Treasurer
By Barbara Rosasco | Secretary & Treasurer
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
