The Cost to Graduate

When I arrived in Nicaragua ten days ago I transitioned officially from Vittana lender to Vittana fellow. In some ways, I get to do what I imagine other lenders would do if they had the time and the means: travel to the corners of the developing world where Vittana has set up shop and see firsthand how their loan is making a positive difference in the life of a student.  I’ve only been able to meet with four students so far—many work full time, go to school full time and also have families—but I was immediately confronted with an economic reality Nicaraguans face all the time:  semenario de titulación. This is difficult to translate.  It would be like arriving at the end of your undergraduate studies and then your university charges you an extra year’s worth of tuition to take a final course and process your diploma.  Sound unbelievable?  The best way I can explain is through student stories.

Kathy Johana Quintero Pérez on a visit to AFODENIC, Vittana's partner in Nicaragua

Kathy Johana is a 34-year-old mother from Managua who has always dreamed of being a civil lawyer, running her own firm and eventually becoming a judge. For five years she worked freelance, raised her young daughters, attended classes and studied in whatever (little) time she had left. Last fall, she finally finished all of her courses and was excited to graduate. She then found out that she would have to pay $1,200 for her semenario de titulación. Until she paid the money, she would not receive her diploma and would never be able to work as a lawyer in any official capacity, much less run her own firm or aspire to be a judge. Not wanting to give up, she went to multiple banks asking for a loan. She was denied at every one because educational loans do not exist in Nicaragua. By luck, she happened across a flyer for Vittana. Kathy graduated in December, started a second degree in accounting and was offered a job at a law firm.

I returned to work the next day and had a visit from Johanna, a 34-year-old teacher from Managua. She started to tell me her story and I immediately noted the similarities between her and Kathy: motivated, hard-working mothers who had diligently paid for school, completed all their coursework, and then lacked the money to pay for their semenario de titulación at the very end. In Johanna’s case the cost was $500*, but for a teacher in Nicaragua, that cost was impossibly high. She went looking for a loan and was refused everywhere until she found Vittana. Johanna graduated in December, received her diploma, got a significant raise at work, and is about to start a second degree in psychology with the goal of starting a school with her husband.

I was struck by their stories. Kathy and Johanna are obviously go-getters; they do not appear to back down in the face of difficulty.  They would probably find a way to support their families no matter the circumstances.  The relatively small loan they received during a tough spot, however, empowered them to charge ahead, develop and dream as professionals  and support their children.

I’ve worked in education and in non-profits, both of which I consider to be long term investments in social change.  You feel that you are doing a good thing, but the results may take years to come to fruition.  After only a couple weeks on the ground in Nicaragua, however, I can unequivocally say that Vittana loans are making a real tangible difference in the lives of students and their families.

If you would like to help a Vittana student over the last hurdle of their education, go to vittana.org/students

If you would like to hear Kathy’s story in her own words, check out her visit on YouTube: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk5FkIWZQI0[/youtube]

*Depending on the school and the degree, semenarios de titulación can cost anywhere from $500-$2500. Given that the annual tuition in Nicaragua is about $1000, the cost to graduate is often more expensive than paying for another year of tuition.

Tagged as: nicaragua, student loans, Vittana