If Quyen can’t clear her education arrears by January 2026, she will lose her Student Pass, and her right to stay in Singapore, the country she’s called home since she was 2 years old.

Quyen’s earliest memory of school 

“In K1, I remember that I was sitting on the floor during activity time. My friends were chatting, but I had my finger on my lips to show that I was ready to learn.” That quiet determination has stayed with her, through netball training,through every exam, and through her recent internship.

Each term in ITE costs $10,426.45. Quyen has been saving up from her internship allowance. However, she is still unable to clear the total payment of $26,000 to cover $16,417.63 of outstanding arrears and payment for the next school term. 

 If $26,000 is not paid by January 2026, Quyen will end school without graduating with a cert. Together with her Student Welfare Officer, she is exploring getting more help from organisations that are willing to aid international students. But nothing is concrete at this point in time

But now, Quyen is facing an uphill battle that hard work alone may not solve.

A Crisis She Cannot Solve Alone

Quyen is now 20. Her mother, Mdm Vu, is on a Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) that requires her to leave Singapore every three months before returning. This means that she is unable to gain a job in Singapore. For years, they’ve faced instability. Reapplying for PR three times without success, and with Mdm Vu unable to find work.

Her stepfather, Mr Henry, who passed away in April 2022, was the emotional anchor in Quyen’s life. “We talked about school, about my future. He helped me think about what was possible.” His loss during her N-levels devastated her.

Since then, she’s tried to shoulder the weight alone – navigating the education system without guidance, budgeting her small allowance, and searching for scholarships she can’t apply for as an international student.

Despite coming on top of her cohort, Quyen is not eligible for financial aid. “I completely understand why the priority cannot be on me.”

But without help, she may lose the very country she feels most connected to.

Trying Everything, Against the Odds

Quyen isn’t giving up. She is immersing into her internship programme currently, learning as much as she possibly can. Between July to December 2025, she will finish her final semester at ITE while working weekends as a part-timer. She is actively looking into sales promoter roles that may offer commission pay. Though, it may mean sacrificing rest and possibly affecting her studies.

She’s even volunteered with food distribution efforts for the elderly, hoping it might increase her chances of getting noticed for any scholarship opportunities. “I have a soft spot for the elderly,” she shares. Even during her internship at this point in time, she is passionate about helping to bring success to the company on their social robot product that forms part of tech solutions to aid seniors with dementia through social engagement.

Her plan is to enter polytechnic next year. “The longer I stay in the education system, the more money I will need. If I fail a module, repeating it costs so much. So my goal is to do really well, and hopefully one day I can give back to this country.”

But first, she needs to stay.

How You Can Help

Quyen urgently needs $26,000 to settle her outstanding arrears and school fees for July – December 2025 by January 2026. If unpaid, her Student Pass will be revoked, and she will be sent back to Vietnam. A place where she has no home, no family, and no sense of belonging.

As Quyen is ending her internship this month, we are also raising $2,100 to cover her basic living expenses of $350 per month for July to December 2025. In the last half of the year, Quyen plans to balance school with part-time work.

“If I were to have this help, it will change the remaining course of my life. The situation that I’m in is one that no one should experience—being forced to move into another country while still studying..After spending my whole life here, I’m being told I might have to go back to a country that doesn’t feel like home. ”

Quyen belongs in Singapore. Help her stay. She’s worked hard. She’s saved every dollar. She’s dreaming of giving back. Let’s help get her to the finishing line.