Demilade Idowu-Agida

“Demilade Idowu-Agida is an 18-year-old student based in Essex.”

“I moved to the UK in 2023, with my parents and siblings.”

“She received two offers to study medicine at university, but then discovered she could not accept them due to her immigration status.”

“I applied for 13 different apprenticeships in healthcare instead, hoping to sidestep the fees entirely. I was rejected from all 13.”

“The university that I received an offer from withdrew it because I couldn’t pay a £10,000 deposit two weeks before results day.”

“The fees are not £9,000 a year, as a home student would pay, but £50,000 a year.”

“For a five-year course, a home student would pay £45,000 for the entire course – which is still extremely expensive – and that figure wouldn’t even cover my first year.”

“Applying for indefinite leave to remain costs around £3,000 per person.”