Kind strangers raise $90k for trans man’s college tuition after parents cut him off

Hundreds of kind strangers have helped raise $90,000 so an MIT student could complete his college education after his parents cut him off for being trans.

Matthew N, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, lost his student housing when his parents financially cut him off when he came out as transgender.

A GoFundMe for Matthew, which was set up by his friend and fellow MIT student Irene Dong, has surpassed the target of $81,100, meaning he will be able to graduate. One anonymous supporter even donated $10,000.

“Matthew’s parents cut off their financial support after discovering he is transgender,” Dong wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “Since then, he has worked multiple jobs, maxed out on loans, and exhausted every option to stay afloat. Our goal is to raise money to fund his senior year’s tuition and housing, to allow him to graduate this spring.”

When the fundraiser was set up, Matthew was just weeks away from graduating but being evicted from his student housing meant that he would have been forced to leave MIT before completing his degree in physics.

MIT’s policy around financial aid being dependent on students’ parents’ financial status meant that Matthew wouldn’t have qualified for assistance, the fundraiser states.

“Despite submitting statements from therapists, psychiatrists, and an organization supporting LGBTQ+ students without parental support (the Wily Network), his appeals for independent financial status have been repeatedly denied,” it continues. “Now, as he approaches the finish line of his MIT education, Matthew has run out of options.”

Matthew hopes to pursue a career in astrophysics after graduation.

“I have known Matthew for three years, and I can personally say that he is one of the kindest, most generous, and most amazing people I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Dong continued.

“I have watched him struggle for years against his family and with MIT Student Financial Services – towering forces that do not care for his health or his future, but nonetheless wield an immense degree of control over his life.”

Following the incredible response to the fundraiser, Matthew himself left an update expressing his gratitude to all who supported his cause.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has donated,” he wrote. “I’m amazed at how many people have come together to support me! I was forced to move out of my dorm this morning, but I am safe and have a place to stay temporarily. I’m in the process of late registering for the fall and the spring, and I am still keeping up with my classes. It looks like I am on track to graduate this May.”

He continued by confirming that any additional donations will be put towards helping him pay off his existing loans.

“I am in awe of the immense kindness and generosity of everyone who donated, reached out, and helped to spread my story,” he continued. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. I am incredibly excited to graduate!”

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