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When one university student could no longer afford tuition, her savior stepped in to help.

In the words of Taylor Swift, everything has changed, and for Ayesha Khurram, that’s because of her favorite singer. 

Why a Taylor Swift Fan Couldn’t Afford Her Tuition

taylor-swift-performing
Photo Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

When Ontario cut back its student assistant programs, one second-year accounting student at the University of Waterloo realized she wouldn’t be able to afford tuition for the upcoming semester.

Ayesha Khurram was trying to scrape enough money together, but as her mother suffers from a chronic kidney disease and both her immigrant parents work low-income jobs, she couldn’t ask them for help. She would have to raise the money herself, and she set out to do so.

RELATED: Taylor Swift Discovers Pregnant Fan Is Homeless And Shocks Her By Buying Her A Home

After a friend suggested Khurram create a PayPal account, she asked people to donate to her college fund. Mere hours after making the account, she received a donation of $6,386.47. The contribution came with a note that said “Ayesha, get your learn on girl! I love you! Taylor.”

The Taylor above, of course, was none other than Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Taylor Swift.

Khurram met Swift for the first time at Swift’s Ontario concert in 2018. At that performance, Swift invited Khurram backstage for a meet-and-greet. By that time, Khurram had been listening to the singer’s music for nine years, ever since she discovered the superstar while living in Pakistan.

Since then, the two have had many interactions online, like when Khurram posted about Swift’s chai cookie recipe and the musician liked Khurram’s photos on social media.

How Taylor Swift Helped Her Fan Continue Her Education

Taylor Swift performs on stage during day two of Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Seat at London’s O2 Arena. (Photo by Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images)

Ten years after Khurram stared listening to her favorite artist, the star donated thousands of dollars so Khurram could continue to attend college.

“My parents actually cried when I told them the Taylor news because they couldn’t believe it,” Khurram told The Star

It’s like a guardian angel is watching or something.

Ayesha Khurram

RELATED: Why Taylor Swift Sued A Man For $1–And What We Can Learn From It

Swift is known for her generosity: In 2020, Swift donated $13,000 to two mothers’ GoFundMe to help them pay their rent and in 2019, she sent $10,000 to a fan to help cover her medical bills. She often donates money to natural disaster relief efforts and individual fans who have reached out for help.

Though we don’t all have the means to send thousands of dollars to those in need, we all can donate our time or a smile. Swift shows us the importance of compassion and support. As she says, “everything will be alright if you keep me next to you.”

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“Each of us has the power to inspire or depress, to lift others or to push them down.” – Wilferd Peterson