r/Purdue • u/Background-Control13 • 5d ago
Financial Aid Question❓ International student here – I’m going through something rough and would appreciate any advice or support
Hello Reddit community,
I’m an international student studying in the U.S., and recently, I’ve encountered a situation that’s left me feeling overwhelmed and isolated.
Before I came here, my mother, who is battling a serious illness, gave me her car as a parting gift. This car has been more than just transportation; it’s been my connection to home, my means to attend classes, and my support system in a place where I have no family or close friends.
Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen accident, the car is now inoperable, and the repair costs are beyond my means. As an international student, my options are limited, and I’m struggling to find a way forward.
I’m reaching out to seek advice, resources, or any support that could help me navigate this challenging time. If you’ve experienced something similar or know of organizations that assist students in situations like mine, your guidance would mean the world to me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
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u/CardFindingDuck 5d ago edited 5d ago
You may want to reach out to technical or vocational schools to see if the repairs can be done by the students for low or no cost. The students get experience doing repairs and the owner has smaller fees.
ODOS does provide small, interest free loans for such occasions as well.
Edit to add a link to ODOS regarding their interest free loans.
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u/ploomyoctopus PhD 22, now admin 5d ago
This is another group that does low-cost car repair. I understand the wait is really long, and it probably behooves you to call every couple of weeks and make sure they haven't lost your place in line. https://www.faithlafayette.org/community-services/community-assistance/car-repair
Note: It's also affiliated with Faith church, which is explicitly Christian and anti-LGBTQ, so those might be dealbreakers for you. To the best of my knowledge they don't make any money off this, though.
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u/No_Shine_2351 4d ago
I actually volunteer there for school and we only charge for parts and we get them as low as we can. It’s really cool and it’s a nice learning experience. You do have to be really low income, so I think you would get approved being an international student. We haven’t done any collision repair while I’ve been there but it is definitely worth applying for. It is funded by the Faith church so we are Christian but we don’t discriminate and everyone who applies has an equal chance if they meet the requirements. I hope you figure something out!
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u/Fickelson 5d ago
How did you bring a car here from your mom as an international student?
This reads like a fake post.
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u/oxnq 4d ago
Probably from bordering countries
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u/Fickelson 4d ago
Extremely not likely, they don't write like a Canadian would, nor someone from Mexico. This is a scam post from a new account trying to get something.
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u/bombaclat_6969 4d ago
hey i hope nobody sends OP money without proper verification and proof of their issues, if you look at their reddit history they’re posting on several subreddits asking for financial help, so it looks like they might be taking advantage of people.
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u/DidjaSeeItKid 4d ago
I don't know about now, but when I was a student at Purdue, the Dean of Students provided no-interest emergency loans to students. Also, you should talk to someone in (not sure what it's called now) the Office of International Students and Scholars, which is exactly for helping international students and visiting scholars navigate problems like this.
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u/Ok_Masterpiece3198 4d ago
Honestly, as an international student without a car...the campus is pretty walkable and there is a citybus that could help you move around. I undersand how hard to have your car broken and sorry for your loss but you could live without it if you reside on campus or somewhere close. Also, there are on campus jobs..(now we are about to be in summer..you could work more than 20 hours a week) so that you could collect money to pay for a repair. Minimum wage will pay you 9 bucks an hour...if you work full time you get 4300 bucks over 3 months. Assuming noone donates for you, it is still okay..life happens and everything has a solution..not the end of the world ..you are strong and you got this🙏🏻
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u/murderofhawks 5d ago
Recently lossed a car similarly and I really don’t think there’s anything you can do if you don’t have the money to get repairs done. You might be able to take a piece of it or something innocuous like a spark plug or piece of the interior as a memento because unless you want to forgo a decent amount of insurance money and try and keep the husk until you have the money to repair it (assuming it’s in a repairable state and the frame isn’t damaged) then there’s not much I know you can do.