Vitoria Mario is not eligible for maintenance loans or grants having only lived in the UK for four years

 This article is more than 3 years old

Taylor Swift donates £23,000 to help student go to university

This article is more than 3 years old

Vitoria Mario is not eligible for maintenance loans or grants having only lived in the UK for four years

PA Media

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An aspiring mathematician who lives in London has thanked Taylor Swift for making her “dreams come true” after the singer donated £23,000 towards her university education.

Vitoria Mario, who is Portuguese but has lived in the UK for four years, said she was ineligible for government funding and her family could not afford to support her while she studied at Warwick University.

Swift made the contribution via a GoFundMe page. Alongside the donation for £23,373, the US pop star wrote: “Vitoria, I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality.

“I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount. Good luck with everything you do! Love, Taylor.”

Mario said she has not spoken to Swift yet but was keen to thank her because “she actually made my dream come true”.

She added: “I feel like at some points I was worrying too much about the money, what I have to do, if I have to look for a job, and now I can just do more maths, prepare myself for uni, so I can just be really prepared when it comes.”

The 18-year-old, who lives in Tottenham, north London, was awarded two A*s and an A in her A-levels. She said her father has died and her mother lives in Portugal.

Mario, who lives with relatives, wrote on the fundraising site that her family cannot afford to support her and she needs funds to help pay for her accommodation, a laptop, textbooks and general living costs.

“Although my story may not be unique, my ambition to become a mathematician represents not just a pathway to social mobility for my family and me, but also a source of inspiration for those in similar circumstances to become the best versions of themselves and to pursue their dreams despite gender/racial inequality, immigration challenges, and financial obstacles,” she wrote.

She mentioned that she has always been diligent in her studies and was unable to speak English upon her arrival in the UK in 2016.

“Leaving her was difficult, but it was a sacrifice my family deemed necessary,” she added.

Mario calculated that she would need £24,000 for housing, £3,000 for equipment, and £13,000 for living expenses, including food, transportation, and utilities. With Swift’s contribution, she has now met her fundraising goal.