Star pupil who learned English from Netflix fights to fund ‘dream’ Maths degree

An A* student who learned English from Netflix is fighting to fund a “dream” degree in Mathematics at university.

Student Vitoria Mario, 18, secured an unconditional offer to study Mathematics at Warwick University, but did not realise she would not be eligible for funding to cover her accommodation and living costs over the four-year course.

While she is eligible for a student loan for her tuition fees, as she has lived in the UK for four years, she is one year short of qualifying for a maintenance loan, leaving her £40,000 short of the money she needs.

The i newsletter cut through the noise

Although Ms Mario has home status and is eligible to study, work and live in the UK, she will still be classified as an EU student when she attends university, meaning she will not be entitled to the maintenance loan covering accommodation and living costs. She has set up a GoFundMe page and is asking for donations to enroll on the course.

Family torn apart for a better life

The pupil at Brampton Manor Academy in East Ham, London became fluent in English by watching Netflix documentaries when she moved to England in 2016. Two years later, she achieved 100 per cent level 9-8s (A-A*s) in her GCSEs, gaining a grade 9 and 8 in Maths and English respectively.

Ms Mario’s journey to success saw her move from her native home of Portugal, Coimbra, at the age of 14 to attend the comprehensive school in England so she could “get a better education.”

Ms Mario is from the Portuguese city of Coimbra, and moved at the age of 14 (Photo: Pexels)

“I came from a poor background, and my school was considered average. In my entire school there were only three black girls and maybe ten black boys,” she told i. “I was always a top student in Portugal but my mum knew it wouldn’t be enough for me to be guaranteed a good career.”

“It is very hard to see someone black working in a bank, for example, in Portugal,” she said. “I was told by my mother that if you can get a university education in the UK, you will be set apart for life and to not take this opportunity for granted. I now live with my uncle, auntie and cousin in Tottenham, while my mum lives in Portugal.”

Finding £40k of funding

It was when Ms Mario applied for a Sanctuary scholarship, which provides funding for students from asylum-seeking and refugee communities, that she discovered she was not eligible for the programme, and any additional funding from the Student Loans Company. The pupil has calculated her accommodation will cost £24,000 for the four year period, her laptop and textbooks will cost £3,000, and her living costs, including food, bills and transport, will total £13,000.

“I realised my place wouldn’t be funded in my final year of studying. I’ve written to 442 people and organisations for support through university, but I didn’t have any success,” she said. “I had nearly given up when I shared my situation with someone at church. He told me I would be “wasting my talents” if I didn’t go to university, and told me about the success stories of students he knew who had asked for funding through a GoFundMe page. So the next Monday, I set one up.”

Vitoria has raised over £10,000 to date (Photo: GoFundMe)

“I’ve loved maths ever since I was in primary school, she said. “My dream of becoming a mathematician is not only a chance at social mobility for my family and I, but to inspire people who have been in similar positions to aspire to be the best version of themselves and strive for their dreams despite gender and racial inequality, immigration issues and financial barriers,” she added.

So far, Ms Mario has raised £10,483. She will find out her results on Thursday, and hopes to source the funds as soon as possible to secure her place on the course.